Iraqi Government Support for the Iraq International Academy

This letter is to bring to your attention the concerns of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) about Iraqi government support for a U.S. Forces-Iraq (USF-I) project to develop an executive-level educational facility for the Iraqi Security Forces and other branches of the Government of Iraq (GOI). When completed, the facility will also serve as a regional center of excellence for officials from other countries. The project, known as the Iraqi International Academy (IIA), is a $26 million project funded by the Iraq Security Forces Fund (ISFF), and managed by that part of USF-I's Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission assigned to assist the Iraqi Ministry of Defense (ITAM-MOD). SIGIR is concerned about the lack of GOI commitment to maintain and sustain the academy upon completion and believes that further efforts to furnish and equip the IIA should be reconsidered. The Iraqi government has sufficient resources to furnish and equip the facility, and its commitment to the project is best shown by giving them this responsibility. The $12 million in funding the U.S. has set aside for furnishings and equipment is better spent elsewhere.