Behavioral scientists have devoted considerable attention to religious extremism and the psychological factors that contribute to an individual’s propensity toward violence. However, relatively little data are available on those who abandon extremism and become proponents of conciliation and peace. This Special report of Dr. Renee Garfinkel offers a number of tentative conclusions about individuals she has interviewed who have made this transition.

The document is the World Bank operations in Iraq Data Sheet as of June 30, 2008 to help Iraq build efficient, inclusive, transparent and accountable institutions for stability good governance and sustainable economic prosperity.

Iraq has a rich and diverse resource base— third largest oil reserves in the world, abundant water, and a national labor force of more than 7 million people--much larger than any member country of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In one decade this combination of resources could help the country regain the middle-income status it enjoyed earlier. To do this, Iraq will need to make three transitions: from conflict to post-conflict rehabilitation, from a closed, state-dominated economy to a g more...

Twenty five Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) working in Iraq, each comprised of U.S. civilian and military personnel and local Iraqi staff. These teams bring together civilian and military experts and resources to help Iraqi communities take up the task of rebuilding Iraq. PRTs are among the most effective tools in the U.S. effort to achieve a stabilized, self-sustaining Iraq on Building Provincial Capacity; Fostering Economic Development; Strengthening Rule of Law; Promoting Reconciliation

In the spring of 2004, the Abu Ghraib scandal marred detainee operations in Iraq. The photographs of American mistreatment of Iraqi detainees tarnished the U.S. image, undermined Washington’s efforts in Iraq and enflamed the insurgency. In an effort to reverse this legacy, Major General Douglas Stone, former deputy commanding officer for detainee operations from April 2007 to June 2008, undertook massive reforms of Multinational Forces — Iraq (MNF-I) detainment.

The Middle East region continued in 2007 to host diverse groups of internally displaced people with differing levels of humanitarian needs, some newly displaced by conflict and violence, and others who had been waiting for generations for a durable solution to their plight. It was a year in which continuing violence and deepening humanitarian crises brought international attention to displacement across the region.

Ongoing conflicts and accompanying widespread human rights violations causing more...

According to UNHCR and International Organization for Migration (IOM) report that there are around 2 million Iraqis living outside of Iraq and another 2.7 million are displaced within the country since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Now humanitarian assistance to Iraqis has become one of the largest and most complex humanitarian operations in the world. This Policy paper discusses U.S. policy and the response of the United Nations. Also examines the political dimensions of Iraqi displacement, pr more...

'Since the beginning of the 2003 war, millions of Iraqis have been displaced inside Iraq and throughout the region. The largest concentrations of refugees are in Jordan and Syria. These refugees were forced to flee targeted persecution because they practiced a disfavored religion, were born into a marginalized minority, or agreed to work in support of the U.S. government. Without the legal right to work, many of these refugees are struggling to survive on limited savings.'

Urgent Humanitarian Needs in Iraq -Refugees International cautions that failure to address this problem will have dire consequences for the humanitarian and security situation in Iraq.

During a mission inside Iraq, researchers for Refugees International found that Iraqi militias are creating a Hezbollah-like dynamic by becoming major humanitarian providers of food, clothing, oil and other basic resources.

The Security Council, emphasizing the importance of Iraq's stability and security for its people, the region and the international community, and reaffirming the importance of the United Nations presence in the country, today extended the mandate of the Organization's Mission there for another year.