War in Iraq: political challenges after the conflict

In answer to the question of who should run Iraq once hostilities have ceased, it first considers two options: the assumption of full authority by the United States, or the rapid establishment of an interim Iraqi authority to which the U.S. would transfer power and with which it would jointly govern.

Both of these are rejected in favour of a third proposal: a United Nations transitional civil authority with full executive and legislative powers to run the country until a legitimate, democratic, permanent Iraqi authority can be established.