The mission of the Washington Baghdad Policy Council is to inform, engage, and influence U.S. policymakers, media leaders, and public institutions on the urgent political and humanitarian challenges facing Iraq.
Politically, the Council works to bring attention to the influence of Iranian-backed militias, militia leaders, corrupt political figures, and extremist religious power networks that continue to undermine Iraq’s sovereignty, weaken democratic institutions, and prevent the country from moving toward accountable governance. We advocate for a serious, honest, and principled U.S. policy toward Iraq, one that does not ignore corruption, militia violence, or foreign interference, and one that supports the Iraqi people’s right to security, justice, and self-determination.
Humanitarianly, the Council calls for transparent and credible international investigations into reported crimes against humanity, enforced disappearances, unlawful detentions, forced displacement, and targeted abuses against Sunni communities, Christian communities, and other vulnerable groups in Iraq. This includes investigating individuals who were taken from their homes, kidnapped, killed, disappeared, or imprisoned without due process, as well as communities that were displaced from their towns and cities and prevented from returning safely to their homes.
Through research, policy dialogue, advocacy, and public engagement, the Washington Baghdad Policy Council seeks to make these issues impossible to ignore and to encourage the United States and the international community to take a more active role in supporting justice, accountability, and lasting stability in Iraq.
