| Formation | November 2002 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 2003[1] |
| Type | Lobby |
| Purpose | Promote the replacing of Saddam Hussein's regime with a democratic government[1] |
Chairman of the Board | Bruce P. Jackson |
Executive Director | Randy Scheunemann |
Treasurer | Julie Finley |
Secretary | Gary Schmitt |
Key people | George Shultz (Chairman Advisory Board) John McCain (Honorary Co-Chairmen Advisory Board) Joseph Lieberman (Honorary Co-Chairmen Advisory Board) |
| Website | web |
The Committee for the Liberation of Iraq (CLI) was a non-governmental organization which described itself as a "distinguished group of Americans" who wanted to "free Iraq from Saddam Hussein".
The organization was founded in 2002. In a news release announcing its formation, the group said its goal was to "promote regional peace, political freedom and international security through replacement of the Saddam Hussein regime with a democratic government that respects the rights of the Iraqi people and ceases to threaten the community of nations."[1] It had close links to the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) and the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), important shapers of the Bush administration's foreign policy.[citation needed]
The Washington Post reported in November 2002 that "the organization is modeled on a successful lobbying campaign to expand the NATO alliance. Members include former secretary of state George P. Shultz, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and former senator Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.). ... While the Iraq committee is an independent entity, committee officers said they expect to work closely with the administration. They already have met with Hadley and Bush political adviser Karl Rove. Committee officers and a White House spokesman said Rice, Hadley and Cheney will soon meet with the group."[2]
With the successful removal of Saddam Hussein, the committee appears to have disbanded, and its once-prominent website no longer exists.[1] However, its offices still remain on Pennsylvania Avenue and 10th Street.