Iraq is the most pressing foreign and security policy issue that the United States faces today. Continued failure to make Iraq stable and secure threatens to disrupt the Middle East not by catalyzing the spread of democracy but by exporting instability and conflict. If violence continues, Iraq's neighbors will use the country as a theater in which to pursue their own goals, including those at odds with Iraqi and U.S. interests. Iraq will remain a training ground for terrorist groups, threatening U.S. and allied security. Continued conflict in Iraq not only will remain extraordinarily costly in terms of U.S. lives and resources, but will also damage the credibility of the United States and the efficacy of U.S. forces. It also feeds perceptions around the world that the United States is engaged in a "war on Islam." The U.S. government needs to consider alternative strategies and approaches for reducing the violence in Iraq. Even if policy makers choose not to make major changes, adjustments to current policies might help improve the effectiveness of the U.S. effort. In light of the continuing violence in Iraq, U.S. policy makers continue to reexamine policy options and their repercussions. This monograph assesses a number of approaches that the U.S. government can consider in its efforts to reduce sectarian violence and stabilize Iraq, and presents recommendations that may help increase the likelihood of success. It also considers possible next steps to take, whether these efforts succeed or fail. The analysis in this monograph is based on more than a year of research, which included travel to the region and extensive interviews with U.S., Iraqi, and other specialists, analysts, and officials, as one component of the project "The U.S. Air Force Role in the Middle East." It involved a multidisciplinary team of researchers who brought their expertise in political, economic, and military strategic analysis to these important questions.