Iraq War: Difference between revisions

Iraq War
	Part of the "War on Terrorism"
	File:Iraqwarimage.jpg; An Iraqi Army unit prepares to board a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter for a counterinsurgency mission in Baghdad.
Date	March 19, 2003 - Present
Location	Iraq
Result	Conflict ongoing Overthrow of Saddam Hussein's government.; Capture of Saddam Hussein.; Occupation of Iraq by coalition forces.; Emergence of Iraqi insurgency and Sectarian violence.; Ongoing attempt to reconstruct Iraq after the damage which occurred during the invasion.; Election of a new government;
Belligerents
Republic of Iraq (Saddam Hussein regime),; Ba'ath Loyalists,; Iraqi insurgency; Al Qaeda	United States,; United Kingdom,; Multinational force in Iraq,; New Iraqi Army
Casualties and losses
Iraqi military dead(Saddam-era): 6,000-30,000; ; Insurgents dead or jailed [inc. terrorists/freedom fighters]: 67,000+ PDF; ; Total dead due to war: 44,000 PDF:	Coalition military dead: 2,723; ; Iraqi Security Forces dead(post-Saddam era): 4,791+; ; Total coalition dead[inc. contractors]: 3,060; ; U.S Wounded in action: 18,490
	Civilian dead: 18,000-33,334 PDF

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Revision as of 15:29, 22 June 2006

For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation)

The Iraq War (2003-present) is an ongoing conflict encompassing the invasion, occupation, and reconstruction of Iraq by a U.S. led coalition. The causes and consequences of the war remain the subject of much controversy.

War rationale

Main article: Rationales of the 2003 Invasion of Iraq

From April, 1991 and the formation of UNSCOM, Iraq had been under ongoing pressure by the United Nations to declare and destroy its biological and chemical weapons. In total the UN had passed 13 resolutions calling for complete access of UNSCOM and IAEA officials to locate and destroy all weapons of mass destruction[1]. Beginning in September, 2002, an Iraq disarmament crisis emerged due to claims that Iraq did not fully comply with previous UN resolutions.[2] On October 16, 2002 an Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 was passed in the United States House of Congress. In November, 2002, U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441 was passed unanimously demanding that Iraq comply with its disarmament obligations as well as previous resolutions on human rights, terrorism and prisoners of war. Iraq agreed to the resolution and UNMOVIC began inspections on November 18, 2002, replacing UNSCOM which had previously been in charge of monitoring Iraq since April 3, 1991 [3][4]. Four months later on March 7, 2003, head of the inspectors, Hans Blix made his last presentation to the U.N. describing Iraq's cooperation in resolving oustanding issues as "active or even proactive" he went on to state "these initiatives three to four months into the new resolution cannot be said to constitute immediate cooperation."[5] After failed attempts to get a United Nations Security Council resolution supporting military action against Iraq, [6] the United States unilaterally delivered an ultimatum on March 17, 2003, demanding that Saddam Hussein leave Iraq within 48 hours.[7] On March 18, 2003 the U.S. announced the formation of the "Coalition of the willing".[8] [9]. [10] [11] On March 20, 2003 the 2003 Invasion of Iraq began, led by the United States and the United Kingdom, and the "Coalition of the Willing".[12]

Post 1991 Gulf War

.

After the 1991 Gulf War, U.N. Resolutions were passed to impose sanctions on the Saddam regime until it was verified that their Weapons of Mass Destruction were destroyed. Starting in the aftermath of the war and continuing until 1998, UNSCOM inspected Iraq, locating and destroying large quantities of chemical agents, nuclear related equipment and other prohibited materials. [13][14][15] Conflict between Iraq and the U.N. developed during 1998, however, which led to the withdrawal of the U.N. and the authorization of a bombing campaign by the Clinton administration to "degrade Saddam's capacity to develop and deliver weapons of mass destruction, and to degrade his ability to threaten his neighbors". [16][17][18]

Post 9-11

Colin Powell holding a model vial of anthrax while giving a presentation to the United Nations Security Council

Reasons for the invasion and occupation as stated by the United States in 2002 before the Iraq invasion are controversial, having varied over time. The first calls for war on Iraq came from the Project for the New American Century (PNAC), and the American Enterprise Institute, with arguments based largely on the alleged threat that Saddam posed to American interests in the region, and the project of American influence into the next century. These reasons were not those given by the Bush administration of the United States and have never been recognized by the government.

Formally beginning with a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on September 12, 2002 President George W. Bush began a public campaign to convince the world that Saddam Hussein was violating prior resolutions on: weapons of mass destruction, human rights, Kuwaiti prisoners of war, terrorism, long range SCUD missles, violations of the U.N. Oil-for-Food Programme and refusal to permit UN inspectors back into Iraq. [19] Iraq agreed to allow inspectors back into the country on September 17, 2002, after their removal in 1998. [20] Inspections began after passage of U.N. Resolution 1441 on November 18, 2002. [21]

On October 10, 2002 the 107th Congress of the United States passed HJ Res 114 titled "Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002." Among the reasons noted in the Congressional resolution authorizing force were, Iraq's non-compliance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441[22], aid to terrorists (PALF)[23][24], a 1993 assassination attempt on former President George H. W. Bush (George W. Bush's father)[25] and violations of the no-fly zones. [26]

In a January 27, 2003 report to the U.N., chief inspector Hans Blix, while noting Iraqi cooperation with regards to prompt access to inspection sites, stated "...Iraq appears not to have come to a genuine acceptance, not even today, of the disarmament which was demanded of it and which it needs to carry out to win the confidence of the world and to live in peace." The reasons for this include a failure to account for quantities of VX nerve agent and anthrax and also the inability of the U.N. to interview Iraqi scientists outside the country. [27]

On February 5, 2003 Colin Powell attempted to convince the UN Security Council of the threat Saddam Hussein's regime posed. [28] The Bush administration also claimed that Iraq had ties to al Qaeda and other terrorists organizations, including the Palestinian Arab Liberation Front (PALF).[29][30][31][32] Bush administration officials also claimed that Iraq was reconstituting their development of nuclear weapons.[33]

Criticisms of the Iraq war rationale

Despite these efforts to sway public opinion the invasion of Iraq was seen by many as a violation of international law, breaking the UN Charter (see Legitimacy of the 2003 invasion of Iraq).[34] especially since the U.S. failed to secure UN support for an invasion of Iraq. In 41 countries the majority of the populace did not support an invasion of Iraq without UN sanction and half said an invasion should not occur under any circumstances. [35]. In the US however, 73 percent supported an invasion. [36]. The United States formed a "Coalition of the Willing" and proceeded with the invasion with only sporadic and generally subdued domestic protest. The majority of protests took place abroad.[37][38][39]. At the time of the invasion UNMOVIC inspectors were ordered out by the United Nations. The inspectors requested more time as they were unable to account for the destruction of all proscribed items in the four months since inspections had resumed.[40][41]

No nuclear weapons or any other weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq immediatly following the invasion. President George W. Bush has since admitted that "much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong".[42][43][44] Colin Powell later expressed regret about his presentation at the UN Security Council. [45]

On June 21, 2006 a report [46][47][48] was released stating that since 2003, 500 chemical weapons have been discovered and likely more will be recovered.

According to opinion polls, the war was unpopular from the outset in nearly all Coalition countries, widely viewed as counterproductive, improper, or even illegal; only since summer 2005 has this been the majority case in the United States. [49][50]

In Europe the peace movement was very strong.[51][52] Ten NATO member countries did not join the coalition with the U.S., and their leaders made public statements in opposition to the invasion of Iraq. Public perceptions of the U.S. changed dramatically as a consequence of the invasion.[53] Especially in Germany, where traumatic experiences in the Second World War are still remembered,[54] three quarters of the population were opposed to the war.[55]

Other possible U.S. objectives, denied by the U.S. government but acknowledged by Retired U.S. General Jay Garner, included the establishment of permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq as a way of projecting power (creating a credible threat of U.S. military intervention) to the oil-rich Gulf region and the Middle East generally. Jay Garner, who was in charge of planning and administering post-war reconstruction in Iraq, explained that the U.S. occupation of Iraq was comparable to the Philippine model: "Look back on the Philippines around the turn of the 20th century: they were a coaling station for the navy, and that allowed us to keep a great presence in the Pacific. That's what Iraq is for the next few decades: our coaling station that gives us great presence in the Middle East" [56]; (See also Philippine-American War). Its noted retired U.S. General Jay Garner was replaced by Paul Bremer after reports came out of his position in SY Coleman, a division of defense contractor L-3 Communications specializing in missile- defense systems. It was believed his role in the company was in contention with his role in Iraq [57]. The House Appropriations Committee, said of the report accompanying the emergency spending legislation was "of a magnitude normally associated with permanent bases" [58].

Combat and occupation summary

Prior to invasion

Prior to invasion, the United States and other coalition forces involved in the 1991 Persian Gulf War had been engaged in a low-level conflict with Iraq, by enforcing the two controversial Iraqi no-fly zones in the north and the south of the country. Iraqi air-defense installations were engaged on a fairly regular basis after repeatedly targeting American and British air patrols. In mid-2002, the U.S. began to change its response strategy, by increasing the overall number of missions and selecting targets throughout the no-fly zones in order to disrupt the military command structure in Iraq. A change in enforcement tactics was acknowledged at the time, but it was not made public that this was part of a plan known as Operation Southern Watch.

The weight of bombs dropped increased from none in March 2002 and 0.3 in April 2002 to between 8 and 14 tons per month in May-August, reaching a pre-war peak of 54.6 tons in September - prior to Congress' 11 October authorization of the invasion. In retaliation for the Iraqi's now-daily air defense attacks on coalition aircraft, the September attacks included a 5 September 100-aircraft attack on the main air defence site in western Iraq. According to an editorial by Michael Smith for the The New Statesman, this was "Located at the furthest extreme of the southern no-fly zone, far away from the areas that needed to be patrolled to prevent attacks on the Shias; it was destroyed not because it was a threat to the patrols, but to allow allied special forces operating from Jordan to enter Iraq undetected." [59] US military personnel stationed at Southern Watch headquarters during this time recall that this attack on this particular Iraqi air defense unit was taken soley in reaction to Iraqi's continued attack on coalition aircraft operating in compliance with the UN-mandated overflights of the Iraq "no-fly" zone.

Invasion

For more details, please see 2003 invasion of Iraq.

The 2003 invasion of Iraq, termed "Operation Iraqi Freedom" by the US administration, began on March 20. The United States and the United Kingdom supplied 98% of the invading forces. They cooperated with Kurdish forces in the north which numbered upwards of 50,000. Other nations also participated in part of a coalition force to help with the operation by providing equipment, services and security as well special forces. The 2003 Iraq invasion marked the beginning of what is commonly referred to as the Iraq War.

Post-invasion, early and mid 2003

In May of 2003, after the defeat of Iraq's conventional forces, the coalition military noticed a gradually increasing flurry of attacks on the multinational troops in various regions, such as the "Sunni Triangle." In the initial chaos after the fall of the Iraqi government, there was massive looting of infrastructure including; government buildings, official residences, museums, banks, and military depots. According to the Pentagon, 250,000 tons (of 650,000 tons total) of ordnance were looted, providing a significant source of ammunition for the Iraqi insurgency. These looted supplies for the insurgents were further strengthened by the hundreds of weapons caches already created by the conventional Iraqi army and Republican Guard.

At first the resistance stemmed from fedayeen and Saddam Hussein or Ba'ath loyalists, but soon religious radicals and Iraqis angered by the occupation contributed to the insurgency. In late 2004, foreign fighters from around the Middle East as well as al-Qaeda operatives led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi would help to fund and coordinate the insurgency. The insurgents are generally known to the Coalition forces as Anti-Iraqi Forces or AIF.

The initial insurgency in Iraq was concentrated in, but not limited to, an area referred to by Western media and the occupying forces as the Sunni triangle. This location includes Baghdad [60]. The three provinces that had the highest number of attacks were Baghdad, Anbar, and Salah Ad Din--these provinces account for 35% of the population. This resistance has been described as a type of guerrilla warfare. Insurgent tactics include mortars, suicide bombers, improvised explosive devices, roadside bombs, small arms fire, and RPGs, as well as sabotage against the oil, water, and electrical infrastructure.

In 2006, three years after the US-led invasion, insurgent attacks on an almost daily basis continue to hamper the development of a unified Iraqi government as well inflame sectarian tension among Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds. Insurgents have also resorted to kidnapping civilian journalists and workers. Jill Carroll, a journalist for the Christian Science Monitor, was kidnapped in early 2006, and although later let go, her Iraqi translator was killed. Despite these setbacks, the Iraqi people, and their newly elected, democratic government are determined to prevail.

The post-invasion environment began after the Hussein regime had been overthrown. It centers on Coalition and U.N. efforts to establish a democratic state capable of defending itself ^[61], versus various insurgent demands that the foreign forces leave the country.

Coalition military forces launched several operations around Tigris River peninsula and in the Sunni Triangle. A series of similar operations were launched throughout the summer in the Sunni Triangle. Toward the end of 2003, the intensity and pace of insurgent attacks began to increase. A sharp surge in guerrilla attacks ushered in an insurgent effort that was termed the “Ramadan Offensive,” as it coincided with the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Coaliton forces brought to bear the use of air power for the first time since the end of the war.

Suspected ambush sites and mortar launching positions struck from the air and with artillery fire. Surveillance of major routes, patrols, and raids on suspected insurgents were stepped up. In addition, two villages, including Saddam’s birthplace of al-Auja and the small town of Abu Hishma were wrapped in barbed wire and carefully monitored. On 22 July 2003, during a raid by the U.S. 101st Airborne Division and soldiers from Task Force 20, Saddam Hussein's sons (Uday and Qusay) and one of his grandsons were killed.

Operation Peninsula Strike (09 June 2003 - 12 June 2003)
Operation Desert Scorpion (15 June 2003 - 29 June 2003)
Operation Scorpion Sting
Operation Spartan Scorpion
Operation Rifles Scorpion
Operation Sidewinder (29 June 2003 - 07 July 2003)
Operation Soda Mountain (12 July 2003 - 17 July 2003)
Operation Ivy Serpent (12 July 2003 - 21 July 2003)
Operation Iron Bullet (July 2003)
Operation Tyr (July 2004)
Operation Ivy Lightning (12 August 2003)
Operation Silverado (16 August 2003)
Operation Ivy Needle (26 August 2003 - ?)
Operation Longstreet (September 2003)
Operation Tiger Clean Sweep (07 September 2003)

Operation Industrial Sweep (October 2003)
Operation Chamberlain (15 October 2003 - ?)
Operation Sweeney (15 October 2003 - ?)
Operation OK Corral (19 October 2003)
Operation Iron Hammer (November 2003)
Operation Eagle Curtain (November 2003)
Operation All American Tiger (06 November 2003 - ?)
Operation Ivy Cyclone (07 November 2003 - ?)
Operation Ivy Cyclone II (17 November 2003 - ?)
Operation Boothill (10 November 2003)
Operation Rifles Blitz (20 November 2003 - ?)
Operation Rifle Sweep (26 November 2003)
Operation Bayonet Lightning (02 December 2003)
Operation Bulldog Mammoth (04 December 2003 - ?)
Operation Clear Area (06 December 2003)
Operation Abilene (08 December 2003)
Operation Panther Squeeze (10 December 2003)

In the wave of intelligence information fueling the raids on remaining Ba’ath Party members connected to insurgency, Saddam Hussein himself was captured on December 13 2003 on a farm near Tikrit. The operation was conducted by the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division and members of Task Force 121.

Operation Red Dawn (13 December 2003)

Late 2003

With the capture of Saddam and a drop in the number of insurgent attacks (an average of 18 a day), some concluded the multinational forces were prevailing in the fight against the insurgency. With the weather growing cooler, United States forces were able to operate in full armor which reduced their casualty rate. The provisional government began training a security force intended to defend critical infrastructure, and the United States promised over $20 billion in reconstruction money in the form of credit against Iraq's future oil revenues. Of this, less than half a billion dollars had been spent in 10 months after it had been promised. Oil revenues were also claimed to be used for rebuilding schools and for work on the electrical and refining infrastructure.

However, the failure to restore basic services to above pre-war levels, where over a decade of sanctions, bombing, corruption, and decaying infrastructure had left major cities functioning at much-reduced levels, also contributed to local anger at the IPA government headed by an executive council. On 2 July 2003, President Bush declared that American troops would remain in Iraq in spite of the attacks, challenging the opponents with "My answer is, bring 'em on," a line the President later expressed misgivings about having used. ^[62] In the summer of 2003, the multinational forces focused on hunting down the remaining leaders of the former regime, culminating in the shooting deaths of Saddam's two sons in July. In all, over 300 top leaders of the former regime were killed or captured, as well as numerous lesser functionaries and military personnel.

Shortly after the capture of Saddam, elements left out of the CPA began to agitate for elections and the formation of a Iraqi Interim Government. Most prominent among these was the Shia cleric Ali al-Sistani. More insurgents stepped up their activities. The two most turbulent centers were the area around Fallujah and the poor Shia sections of cities from Baghdad to Basra in the south.

Operation Panther Backroads (15 December 2003)
Operation Ivy Blizzard (17 December 2003 - ?)
Operation Arrowhead Blizzard (17 December 2003 - ?)
Operation Iron Justice (18 December 2003 - ?)
Operation Rifles Fury (21 December 2003 - ?)

Operation Salm (23 December 2003)
Operation Devil Siphon (23 December 2003 - ?)
Operation Iron Grip (24 December 2003 - ?)
Operation Iron Force (24 December 2003 - ?)
Operation Choke Hold (30 December 2003)

Early-mid 2004 – increased insurgent activity and Fallujah

The start of 2004 was marked by a relative lull in violence. Insurgent forces reorganized during this time, studying the multinational forces' tactics and planning a renewed offensive. Guerrilla attacks were less intense.

Insurgent activity soon increased, however, as hundreds of Iraqi civilians and police were killed over the next few months in a series of massive bombings. One hypothesis for these increased bombings is that the relevance of Saddam Hussein and his followers was diminishing in direct proportion to the influence of radical Islamists, both foreign and Iraqi. An organized Sunni insurgency, with deep roots and both nationalist and Islamist motivations, was becoming more powerful throughout Iraq. The Mahdi Army also began launching attacks on coalition targets in an attempt to seize control from Iraqi security forces. The southern and central portions of Iraq were beginning to erupt in urban guerrilla combat as multinational forces attempted to keep control and prepared for a counteroffensive.

Operation Warhorse Whirlwind (January 2004)
Operation Iron Resolve (January 2004)
Operation Market Sweep (13 January 2004)
Operation Saloon (14 January 2004)
Operation Rock Slide (15 January 2004)
Operation Final Cut (28 January 2004 - ?)

Operation Saber Turner II (February 2004)
Operation Tomahawk (February 2004)
Operation Trailblazer (February 2004)
Operation Eagle Liberty 3 (19 February 2004)
Operation Devil Clinch (21 February 2004)
Operation Rocketman (26 February 2004)

The coalition and the Coalition Provisional Authority decided to face the growing insurgency with a pair of assaults: one on Fallujah, the center of the "Mohammed's Army of Al-Ansar", and another on Najaf, home of an important mosque, which had become the focal point for the Mahdi Army and its activities. Just before the attack on Fallujah, four private military contractors, working for Blackwater USA, were ambushed and their corpses mutilated by a large crowd, receiving a great deal of media attention. The attention illicited a violent reaction from Donald Rumsfeld who then ordered LtGen Conway to immediately attack Fallujah at the earliest opportunity.

After this incident, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force began plans to re-establish a coalition presence in Fallujah. On April 4, the multinational forces began assaults to clear Fallujah of insurgents. On April 9, the multinational force allowed more than 70,000 women, children and elderly residents to leave the besieged city, reportedly also allowing males of military age to leave. Meanwhile, insurgents were taking advantage of the lull in combat to prepare defenses for a second assault. On April 10, the military declared a unilateral truce to allow for humanitarian supplies to enter Fallujah. Troops pulled back to the outskirts of the city; local leaders reciprocated the ceasefire, although lower-level intense fighting on both sides continued.

The usage by the U.S. of white phosphorus in Fallujah attracted controversy. In the documentary "Fallujah: The Hidden Massacre", aired on the Italian state television network RAI, a former soldier testified "I saw the burned bodies of women and children. The phosphorus explodes and forms a plume. Who ever is within a 150 metre radius has no hope."[63][64][65] The US State department first dismissed such claims,[66] but was later corrected in other reports. Lt Col Barry Venable stated to BBC, "it is an incendiary weapon and may be used against enemy combatants." According to Protocol III of Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, white phosphorus can be used, but only against enemy combatants and not civilians.[67] The Independent later reported that "there remain widespread reports of civilians suffering extensive burn injuries. While US commanders insist they always strive to avoid civilian casualties, the story of the battle of Fallujah highlights the intrinsic difficulty of such an endeavour."[68]

When the Iraqi Governing Council protested against the US assault to retake Fallujah Operation Vigilant Resolve, the US military halted its efforts. In the April battle for Fallujah, Coalition troops killed about 600 insurgents and a number of civilians, while 40 Americans died and hundreds were wounded in a fierce battle. The Marines were ordered to stand-down and cordon off the city, maintaining a perimeter around Fallujah. A compromise was reached in order to ensure security within Fallujah itself by creating the local "Fallujah Brigade". While the Marines attacking had clear superiority in ground firepower and air support, LtGen Conway decided to accept a truce and a deal which put a former Baathist general in complete charge of the town's security. The Fallujah Brigade's responsibility was to secure Fallujah and put a stop to insurgent mortar attacks on the nearby U.S. Marine bases. This compromise soon fell apart and insurgent attacks returned, causing Marine commanders to begin preparations for a second attack in the coming fall. By the end of the spring uprising, the cities of Fallujah, Samarra, Baquba, and Ramadi had been left under guerrilla control with coalition patrols in the cities at a minimum. ^{[citation needed]}

Early-mid 2004 – the Shi'ite south

Meanwhile, the fighting continued in the Shiite south, and Italian and Polish forces were having increasing difficulties retaining control over Nasiriya and Najaf. U.S. marines were then shifted there to put down the overt rebellion and proceeded to rout Sadr's Shiite Militia. In all, April, May and early June saw more fighting. Over the next three months, the multinanational forces took back the southern cities. Also, various insurgent leaders entered into negotiations with the provisional government to lay down arms and enter the political process.

Operation Iron Promise (March 2004)
Operation Shillelagh (March 2004)
Operation Devil Thrust (March 2004)
Operation Aloha (March 2004)
Operation Centaur Rodeo (March 2004)
Operation Warrior (03 March 2004)
Operation Suicide Kings (17 March 2004)
Operation Tiger Fury (30 March 2004 - ?)
Operation Iron Saber (April 2004 - June 2004)
Operation Duke Fortitude (April 2004)
Operation Lancer Fury (April 2004)
Operation Lancer Lightning
Operation Vigilant Resolve (05 April 2004)
Operation Resolute Sword (08 April 2004)

Operation Danger Fortitude (11 April 2004 - 17 April 2004)
Operation Ripper Sweep (12 April 2004 - ?)
Operation Yellow Stone (23 April 2004)
Operation Rapier Thrust (May 2004)
Operation Spring Clean-up (May 2004)
Operation Striker Hurricane (1 May 2004)
Operation Wolfpack Crunch (4 May 2004)
Operation Disarm (19 May 2004)
Operation Giuliani (June 2004)
Operation Slim Shady (June 2004)
Operation Striker Tornado (June 2004)
Operation Rocketman III (June 2004)
Operation Dragon Victory (19 June 2004 - ?)
Operation Gimlet Crusader (24 June 2004)

The new Iraqi government

Main article: Iraqi coalition counter-insurgency operations

Toward the end of June (2004), the Coalition Provisional Authority transferred the "sovereignty" of Iraq to a caretaker government, whose first act was to begin the trial of Saddam Hussein. However, fighting continued in the form of an insurgent rebellion against the new sovereignty, with some parts composed of non-Iraqi Muslim militant groups like al Qaeda. The new government began the process of moving towards open elections, though the insurgency and the lack of cohesion within the government itself, has lead to delays. Militia leader Muqtada al-Sadr took control of Najaf and, after negotiations broke down, the government asked the United States for help dislodging him. Through the months of July and August, a series of skirmishes in and around Najaf culminated with the Imman Ali Mosque itself under siege, only to have a peace deal brokered by al-Sistani in late August.

Iraqi insurgency

File:Destroyed humvee.jpg

Humvee after being attacked

When the ruling Ba'ath party organization disintegrated after the fall of the Iraqi government, elements of the secret police and Republican Guard formed guerrilla units, since some had simply gone home rather than openly fight the multinational forces. Many of these smaller units formed the center of the initial anti-coalition insurgency, based primarily around the cities of Mosul, Tikrit and Fallujah. The militants and guerrilla units favored attacking unarmored vehicles and avoiding major battles. The early Iraqi insurgency was concentrated in, but not limited to, an area referred to by the Western media and the occupying forces as the Sunni triangle which includes Baghdad ^[69].

By the fall of 2003, these anti-occupation groups began using typical guerrilla tactics; such as ambushes, bombings, kidnappings, and improvised explosive devices. Other tactics included mortars, suicide bombers, roadside bombs, small arms fire, and RPGs, as well as sabotage against the oil, water, and electrical infrastructure. The insurgents primarily targeted coalition forces, checkpoints, and as well as some civilian targets--usually those civilians associated with coalition forces. These irregular forces especially favored attacking unarmored or lightly armored Humvee vehicles, the U.S. military's primary transport vehicle. In November 2003, some of these forces successfully attacked U.S. rotary aircraft with SAM-7 missiles bought on the global black market.

There is evidence that some guerrilla groups are organized, perhaps by the fedayeen and other Saddam Hussein or Ba'ath loyalists, religious radicals, Iraqis angered by the occupation, and foreign fighters. [70] The insurgents are known by the Coalition military (especially in the United States armed forces) as Anti-Iraqi Forces (AIF). ^{g1 g2}.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed on June 7 2006 in the town of Baquba, north of Baghdad, when U.S. warplanes dropped 2, 500-pound bombs on his isolated safe house.[71] President Bush said the killing was "a severe blow to al-Qaida and it is a significant victory in the war on terror" but cautioned: "We have tough days ahead of us in Iraq that will require the continuing patience of the American people."[72]

Al-Qaida in Iraq vowed to continue its "holy war," according to a statement posted on a Web site announcing: "We want to give you the joyous news of the martyrdom of the mujahed sheik Abu Musab al-Zarqawi."[73]

On the surface, there is no doubt that the insurgency appears to be fueled by anti-occupation sentiment, and that low-level insurgents believe that they must "repel the occupier". However, some scholars have begun to question whether this is truly the motivation for upper-level insurgent leaders. They argue that if anti-occupation sentiment was what truly motivated insurgency leaders, then the simplest and quickest way to end the occupation would be for them to call off all attacks on coalition forces and simply wait until coalition forces withdrew (i.e., temporarily "play nice"). By continuing to carry out attacks on coalition forces, this only insures that coalition forces will remain in Iraq, as they will view their mission as being incomplete. As insurgent leaders understand this, it has led people to believe that they do not want coalition forces to leave, and that their power is tied to the current military conflict.

see also: History of Iraqi insurgency, Sectarian violence in Iraq

Human rights abuses

Spc. Charles Graner poses over Manadel al-Jamadi's corpse.

Throughout the entire Iraq war there have been numerous human rights abuses on all sides of the conflict.

Occupation forces

Some of the most publicized abuses include:

Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse and Bagram torture and prisoner abuse
Haditha killings (Under investigation)
The alleged bombing and shooting of innocent civilians from the desert community of Makr al-Deeb by US troops which resulted in the death of at least 42 civilians [74] (Under investigation)

Insurgent forces

The regular Iraqi insurgents and other groups such as the Islamic militant groups Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Ansar al-Islam are responsible for numerous abuses, including:

The publicized murders of several non-military persons including; Paul Marshall Johnson, Jr., Eugene Armstrong, Jack Hensley, Kim Sun-il, Kenneth Bigley, Shosei Koda, Fabrizio Quattrocchi, Margaret Hassan, Nick Berg and Seif Adnan Kanaan. Most of these civilians were subjected to brutal torture and/or beheading.
Suicide attacks on the Iraqi civilian population. [75]
Torture and murder of civilians associated with either the occupying forces or the new Iraqi government.[76][77][78]

Iraqi government

Other abuses have been blamed on the new Iraqi government, including:

The widespread use of torture by Iraqi security forces.[79]
Shiite-run death squads run out of the Interior Ministry that are accused of committing numerous massacres of Sunni Arabs.[80][81]

Financial costs

As of June 13, 2006, over $320 billion has been allocated by the US Congress for the Iraqi war. The amount has been calculated at upwards of $2300 per taxpayer [82]. The war in Afghanistan has cost an additonal $89 billion since 2001 [83].

As of March 2006, approximately ₤4.5 billion has been spent by the United Kingdom in Iraq. All of this money has come from a government fund called the "Special Reserve" which has a current allocation of ₤6.44 billion[84]

It is not known how much more money has been spent by other members of the coalition--however, the US's share of the cost is by far the largest.

Ever since the beginning of the war, President Bush has not included the cost of the Iraq war and occupation in the regular defense spending request. Instead he has submitted emergency spending bills to Congress to cover those estimated costs of the war and occupation. These are best documented in a series of Congressional Research Service reports. [85]

Joseph Stiglitz, former chief economist of the World Bank has suggested the total costs of the Iraq War on the US economy will be $1 trillion in a conservative scenario and could top $2 trillion in a moderate one [86].

U.S. equipment losses

In addition to the human casualties the U.S. has lost a number of pieces of military equipment since the beginning of the war in 2003. This total includes those vehicles lost in non-combat related accidents. (numbers are an approximation)

Combat losses: Land equipment [87]

20 M1 Abrams tanks
50 Bradley fighting vehicles
20 Stryker wheeled combat vehicles
20 M113 armored personel carriers
250 Humvees
500+ Fox wheeled recon. vehicles, mine clearing vehicles, heavy/medium trucks, and trailers
10 Amphibious Assault Vehicles [88][89]

Combat losses: Air equipment [90]

27 Apache attack helicopters
21 Blackhawk utility helicopters
14 Chinook cargo helicopters
23 Kiowa assault helicopters
4 CH-46E Sea Knight cargo helicopters[91]
1 CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopter[92]
1 A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft
1 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter aircraft [93]

see also: List of Coalition aircraft crashes in Iraq

References

^ Hague Convention relative to the Opening of Hostilities, article one.
^ "Powell calls pre-Iraq U.N. speech a 'blot' on his record". USAToday, 8 September 2005.
An Ounce of Prevention- Looting of Munitions- Sept 2005
The Borgen Project
^ Secretary Colin L. Powell, "Interview On BBC's NewsNight". state.gov (Washington, DC), February 20 2003.

February 20, 2003.

^ "U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell Addresses the U.N. Security Council". whitehouse.gov, February 5 2003.
^ Smith, Michael, "The war before the war". New Statesman, 30 May 2005.
^ "Iraq Poll 2003". gallup-international.
^ "Post War Iraq Poll". gallup-international.
^ , Dana, Bash, "White House pressed on 'mission accomplished' sign; Navy suggested it, White House made it, both sides say". CNN Washington Bureau, Wednesday, October 29 2003.
^ Karon, Tony, "Why Turks and Kurds Prize Kirkuk : Kurdish fighters have captured Kirkuk and Turkey is agitated. The U.S. could soon find itself policing an ugly brawl". Time Magazine, Thursday, 10 April 2003.
^ "Operation Iraqi Freedom Maps". globalsecurity.org.
^ Soriano, Cesar G., and Steven Komarow, "Poll: Iraqis out of patience". USA TODAY. 30 April 2004 6:54 AM.
^ "President Regrets 'Bring 'Em On'". NewsMax.com Wires, Friday, 14 January 2005.

External articles

Overview

[94]The Brookings Institution Iraq Index

Road to War

White House Meeting Memo; Details of 31 January 2003 private meeting between George W. Bush and Tony Blair where they discussed using U.S. spyplanes in UN colours to lure Saddam Hussein into war.
UK Attorney-General leak; Legal advice given to the British Prime Minister Tony Blair weeks before the 2003 invasion.
Presidential address given by George W. Bush on the evening of March 19, 2003, announcing war.

Iraqi Sources

Iraq documents on Weapons of Mass Destruction This is a U.S. military site containing approximately 1 million files captured from the Iraqi military in the aftermath of the invasion.

Opinions and polls

Extraordinary renditions: the playwright and the president; Jeff Sommers, Khaled Diab and Charles Woolfson explore the dynamics between playwright and president as America's 'war on terror' stands in the dock. January 2006, published in Al Ahram Weekly
Caspar Henderson, "Three polls: attitudes across frontiers". 12 December 2002.
Karl Zinsmeister, "What Iraqis Really Think". Wall Street Journal, September 10, 2003.
"1st Major Survey of Iraq". Zogby International, September 10, 2003.
Carl Conetta, "What do Iraqis want? Iraqi attitudes on occupation, U.S. withdrawal, governments, and quality of life". Project on Defense Alternatives, 01 February 2005.
"Iraq". Polling Report.com. (ed. Chronological polls of Americans 18 & older)

Casualties

Carl Conetta, "The Wages of War; Iraqi Combatant and Noncombatant Fatalities in the 2003 Conflict". Project on Defense Alternatives Research Monograph #8, 20 October 2003.
Hamit Dardagan, et. al., "Iraq Body Count". (ed. reportedly comprehensive tally of deaths resulting from the war and occupation based on media reports compiled by various antiwar activists.)

Combat operations related

"Aerial Propaganda Leaflet Database". Psywar.org, 06 November 2005. (ed. Iraq War PSYOP leaflets and posters)

News

The Struggle for Iraq: BBC Best Link: All the latest news, analysis and images from Iraq.
War in Iraq: CNN Special Report: This page was archived in May 2003 when President Bush declared an end to major combat. However, the coalition casualties list continues to be updated.
Iraq: Transition of Power: CNN Special Report: Three years later, debate rages.

Anti-war activists and war critics

David Shuster, "Road to war; How the Bush administration sold the Iraq War to American people". MSNBC, Nov. 8, 2005
Charlie and Katrina, "Mourning the Vote". (ed. Students (Boston University and Oglethorpe University) site presenting their opinion about the Iraq War)
OnlyOneWorld.NET Contains information, news, and opinion on the Iraq War.
What Barry Says Written by Barry McNamara in 2003, Winner of the Best Animation award at the Brooklyn International Film Festival and Portobello Film Festival in 2004.
[95] Dahr Jamail's Iraq Dispatches. Independent journalist in Iraq. Many despatches, reports and photos.
[96] Tales of Iraq War. Anti-war webcomics by cartoonist Latuff.

War supporters and operation proponents

Victor Davis Hanson, "An American 'Debacle'? More unjustified negativity on the war in Iraq." National Review Online, October 14, 2005.
An interesting analogy presented by Jessica Well where she shows a Life magazine article from 1946 discussing the failures of Denazification entitled Americans are Losing the Victory in Europe

Economics

Scott Wallsten and Katrina Kosec, "The Economic Costs of the War in Iraq". AEI-Brookings Joint Center Working Paper 05-19. September 2005.
Online cost estimator allows users to change assumptions for predicting expected future cost of the Iraq war.
"Dollar cost of war". (ed. Reportedly actual total of the U.S. taxpayer cost of the Iraq War.)
"Iraq war costs could top $2 trillion". Christian Science Monitor, Jan. 10, 2006 based on "The Economic Costs of the Iraq War" by Linda Bilmes, Harvard University, and Joseph E. Stiglitz, laureate of the Nobel Prize of Economics in 2001.

Media Echo

Eliot Weinberger: What I Heard About Iraq in 2005, and What I Heard about Iraq (a collage of various statements concerning the war)

Tatham, Steve (2006), 'Losing Arab Hearts & Minds: The Coalition, Al-Jazeera & Muslim Public Opinion' Hurst & Co (London) Published 1 Jan 06

@@ Line 259: / Line 259: @@
 [[Al-Qaida in Iraq]] vowed to continue its "[[holy war]]," according to a statement posted on a Web site announcing: "We want to give you the joyous news of the martyrdom of the mujahed sheik Abu Musab al-Zarqawi."[http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2006-06-08-al-zarqawi-airstrike_x.htm]
+On the surface, there is no doubt that the insurgency appears to be fueled by anti-occupation sentiment, and that low-level insurgents believe that they must "repel the occupier". However, some scholars have begun to question whether this is truly the motivation for upper-level insurgent leaders. They argue that if anti-occupation sentiment was what truly motivated insurgency leaders, then the simplest and quickest way to end the occupation would be for them to call off all attacks on coalition forces and simply wait until coalition forces withdrew (i.e., temporarily "play nice"). By continuing to carry out attacks on coalition forces, this only insures that coalition forces will remain in Iraq, as they will view their mission as being incomplete. As insurgent leaders understand this, it has led people to believe that they do not want coalition forces to leave, and that their power is tied to the current military conflict.
 :''see also: [[History of Iraqi insurgency]], [[Sectarian violence in Iraq]]''