"Iraqi Army units at Tier 1 or Tier 2 rely to some extent on being
partnered with U.S. combat units," the report said. "The U.S. drawdown will
affect both improving and sustaining readiness."
The report said the Iraq Army was advancing its combat forces toward
independence from the United States. More than two-thirds of the army
battalions were said to be capable of conducting operations with little or
no assistance from the United States.
"The Joint Staff has estimated that the Iraqi Army can adequately
maintain internal security provided that 80 percent of its units are at Tier
1 or Tier 2," Rand said. "During 2008, the number of Tier 1 or Tier 2 units
increased at the rate of more than one battalion per month."
Iraq has more than 280,000 Iraqi soldiers and 370,000 police, hampered
by deficiencies in logistics as well as airborne intelligence, surveillance,
and reconnaissance. The report said that continued improvement in Iraqi
combat
skills, infrastructure, and special operations battalions at a rate similar
to that reported during 2008 "should permit the gradual drawdown of U.S.
trainers, although the exact drawdown rate is not clear."
At the same time, the Iraqi police have significantly increased Tier 2
units between January 2007 and October 2008. But the report said overall
police readiness was considerably lower.
"The data do not indicate a predictable rate of improvement that can be
extrapolated through the end of 2011," the report said.
The report said few units of the Iraq Army or police possess the
logistics, intelligence, and planning capacities required to operate on
their own. The Iraq Army faces additional shortfalls in long-range fire and
air support.
"The ISF still rely heavily on U.S. enablers," the report said. "They
are only slowly starting to build their own capabilities in these areas."