throughout the summer months we worked these four tracks sultly, lohsing more about isil, its locations, movement, and leadership patterns, restored relationships with iraqi commanders and learned more about the deficiencies within their security services while supporting iraqi political leaders as they stood up a new government. for all these reasons, on august 8th, when the president first ordered u.s. military forces to conduct air strikes in iraq, we were able to act with precision and efficacy. on september 8th, one month later, the iraqi parliament inaugurated a new iraqi government with a new prime minister and new and very different leader ace cross nearly every key cabinet position, including oil, finance, and defense. this new government, led by prime minister abaddi, represents a bulwark against isil and a significant break from the past in three key respects. first, its governing philosophy is decentralization or a functioning federalism with authorities and resources delegated to provinces and regions within the structure of iraq. last week's historic oil accord with the ku