Policymakers are understandably focused on the situation in Iraq, debating whether to withdraw troops or 'stay the course'. Yet even as the conflict continues to rage, it is important to start thinking about the war's broader impact on international politics. With this in mind the Lowy Institute publishes here the views of a range of specialists, including the respected American commentators William Kristol and Gideon Rose, on the likely impact of the Iraq war on the role of the US as a world power, on the Middle East and on Australia foreign policy.Lowy Institute for International Policy