There are decades, century and millennia of history underlying the sectarian and ethnic violence in Iraq. The Report found that there must be an "underlying political agreement among Iraqis about the future of their country" if the unity of Iraq is to be maintained. IN this regard the report recommends the Iraqi government "send a clear signal to Sunnis that there is a place for them in national life. [...] Unless Sunnis believe they can get a fair deal in Iraq through the political process, there is no prospect that the insurgency will end."

Some additional recommended steps for Iraq to take are:

• Constitutional review (with U.N. involvement)
• Reintegration of Baathists and Arab nationalists into national life
• Oil Revenue Sharing on basis of population
• International arbitration to resolve Kirkuk's "powder keg" mixture of Kurdish, Arab and Turkman populations
• Protection of the rights of women and minority communities