Information AboutIraq War |
For other uses, see Iraq War (disambiguation) The Iraq War ( 2003 -present) is an ongoing conflict in Iraq , which began with the 2003 Invasion Of Iraq , and continues to the present in the form of an Insurgent Rebellion {Link without Title} {Link without Title} . The reasons for the insurgency are complex, and include resentment of the occupation itself, frustration by the (at least for many) worsened living conditions, and distrust of the Elected Government (often due to sectarian concerns). The 2003 invasion was undertaken by a multinational " has given credence to the view of the majority of the world's nations, who took active roles in dissenting against the United States actions and agreed with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan 's statement that, "the US-led invasion of Iraq was an illegal act that contravened the U.N. Charter ". {Link without Title} Leaders of U.S. President George W. Bush's administration have since increasingly pointed to the abuse of as justifications for the war, which, while given reasons, were not the stated '' Casus Belli '' which was Iraq 's alleged arsenal of Weapons Of Mass Destruction and the threat they supposedly posed. {Link without Title} {Link without Title} The '' Second Phase '' of the conflict began after the government had been overthrown, and centers around U.S. efforts to establish what it describes as a Democratic state capable of defending itself, versus a popular Iraqi demand that the U.S. leave the country. A growing armed resistance, usually called the " Iraqi Insurgency ", formed in Iraq after the invasion concluded. Several minor coalition members have pulled out of Iraq. {Link without Title} Since late claims that the Sectarian Violence In Iraq is a result of Saddam Hussein 's prior leadership and incitement by the Iraqi Insurgency . {Link without Title} {Link without Title} {Link without Title} 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 . {Link without Title} {Link without Title} WAR RATIONALE holding a model vial of Anthrax while giving a presentation to the United Nations Security Council ]] : ''Main article: Rationales Of The 2003 Invasion Of Iraq '' Prelude . After the 1991 Gulf War , U.N. Resolutions were passed to impose sanctions on the Saddam regime until it was verified that their WMD arsenal was destroyed. Starting in the aftermath of the war and continuing until 1998 , the U.N. attempted to verify this destruction through inspections. 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 destroy suspected WMD facilities. It was strongly suspected by the intelligence community afterwords under both Clinton and Bush that Iraq was still in possession of some banned weapons and that Iraq was steadily pursuing more WMD capability. 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 originally given (before the 2003 Iraq invasion) by the Bush administration of the United States before or after the initiation of the war, which instead focused on Iraq's alleged arsenal of Weapons Of Mass Destruction and the threat they posed to the U.S. in the post-9/11 world. {Link without Title} {Link without Title} Formally beginning with a speech to the after the passage of U.N. Resolution 1441 which called for complete Iraqi cooperation with the U.N., facing "serious consequences" otherwise. 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. {Link without Title} Numerous presentations were made regarding also claimed that Iraq Had Ties To Al Qaeda . {Link without Title} {Link without Title} {Link without Title} {Link without Title} Despite these efforts to sway public opinion the majority of the world populace did not support the war and the U.S. failed to secure UN support for an invasion of Iraq. In most countries less than 10% of the populace supported an invasion of Iraq without UN sanction Even in the U.S. only approximately 33% of the population said they were in favor of a unilateral invasion [http://www.gallup-international.com/download/GIA%20press%20release%20Iraq%20Survey%202003.pdf . The United States formed a " Coalition Of The Willing " and proceeded with the invasion despite massive public protest. At the time of the invasion UNMOVIC inspections had been under way for four months but were ordered out by the United States and Britain despite the inspectors' requests for more time.[http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,909793,00.html][http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/03/07/sprj.irq.un.transcript.blix/] No weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq following the invasion. President George W. Bush has since admitted that "much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong". {Link without Title} {Link without Title} {Link without Title} Colin Powell later expressed regret about his presentation at the UN Security Council. {Link without Title} See Also: Opposition to the Iraq War Legitimacy of the 2003 invasion of Iraq Protests against the Iraq war Views on the 2003 invasion of Iraq Publicly stated objectives According to U.S. Secretary Of Defense Donald Rumsfeld , the military objectives of the Iraq war were: # to overthrow the government of Saddam Hussein # to eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction # to drive out terrorists from Iraq # to collect intelligence on terrorist networks # to collect intelligence on the global network of illicit weapons of mass destruction # to end sanctions and to immediately deliver humanitarian support to the Iraqi citizens # to secure Iraq's petroleum resources # to help the Iraqi people create conditions for a transition to a representative self-government Other Suggested objectives Other possible U.S. objectives, denied by the U.S. government but acknowledged by some U.S. policy makers, 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. U.S. General 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" (Interview on National Journal 2004, archived at: and at [http://www.alternet.org/story/17923/ ; See also Philippine-American War ). The House "report accompanying the emergency spending legislation...said the money was 'of a magnitude normally associated with permanent bases'" (BBC News, March 30, 2006) . COMBAT AND OCCUPATION SUMMARY Prior to 2003 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 Authorisation Of The Invasion . The September attacks included a 5 September 100-aircraft attack on the main air defence site in western Iraq. According to '' 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." In May of 2003, after the Iraqi conventional forces had been defeated, the coalition military noticed a gradually increasing flurry of attacks on the multinational troops in various regions, such as the " Sunni Triangle ." In the chaos after the war, massive looting of the infrastructure and, most catastrophically, munitions occurred. According to the Pentagon, 250,000 tons (of 650,000 tons total) of ordnance were looted, providing an endless source of ammunition for the insurgents. 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. During the early occupation, a number of widely-cited humanitarian, tactical, and political errors by United States and United Kingdom planners and forces fueled a growing armed resistance, called the Iraqi Insurgency . 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 . 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. Post-invasion Iraq, early- and mid-2003 See Also: Post-invasion Iraq, 2003–2006 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 , 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 men from Task Force 20 , Saddam Hussein's sons ( Uday and Qusay ) and one of his grandsons were killed.
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 .
Post-invasion Iraq, 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. 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.
Military occupation, early-2004 Early 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. See Also: Occupation of Iraq timeline Increased insurgent activity and the Mahdi Army Insurgent activity increased during the beginning of 2004 as hundreds of Iraqi civilians and police were killed over this period in a series of massive bombings. One possibility for these increased bombings hypothesized 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 and 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.
Fallujah The coalition and the , 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 Contractor s, working for Blackwater USA , were Ambush ed and their corpses Mutilate d by a large crowd, receiving a great deal of media attention. After this incident, the 1st Marine Regiment 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. 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 as an incendiary weapon against insurgents in Fallujah attracted controversy. {Link without Title} The city of Fallujah remained under insurgent control despite the Marine's attempt to recapture it in Operation Vigilant Resolve . 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 coalition forces were unable to dislodge the insurgents, and instead suffered repeated attacks on its own rear and flank. 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 Marine regiment attacking had clear superiority in ground firepower and air support, it decided to accept a truce and a deal which put a former Baathist general in complete charge of the town. This compromise soon fell apart and insurgent control returned. 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. The Shi'ite south Meanwhile, the fighting continued in the Shiite south. The marines were then shifted south, because Italian and Polish forces were having increasing difficulties retaining control over Nasiriya and Najaf . The marines relieved the Poles and Italians, and put down the overt rebellion, but were unable to reestablish control over the centers of the towns. British forces in Basra were faced with increasing insurgency and became more selective in the areas they patrolled. In all, April, May and early June saw more fighting. Over the next three months, the multinanational forces took back the southern cities. Due to various setbacks, the Coalition gradually began admitting that it was facing independent organized rebel forces. Also, various insurgent leaders entered into negotiations with the provisional government to lay down arms and enter the political process.
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. THE IRAQI INSURGENCY See Also: Iraqi insurgency 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 . By the fall of 2003, these Anti-occupation groups began using typical guerrilla tactics; such as ambushes, bombings, kidnappings, and Improvised Explosive Device s. 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 Force s especially favored attacking unarmored or lightly armored Humvee vehicles which was 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. The insurgents are known by the Coalition military (especially in the United States armed forces) as ''Anti-Iraqi Forces'' (AIF). [http://www.google.com/search?num=25&oe=UTF-8&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_sitesearch=.mil&as_q=Anti-Iraqi%20Forces g1 g2 . CASUALTIES , return to Dover AFB . The Pentagon has been reluctant to release photos of caskets but has been forced to do so through requests under the Freedom Of Information Act .]] HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES poses over Manadel al-Jamadi's corpse.]] See Also: Human rights in post-Saddam Iraq 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:
in Nasiriyah, unusable because of war damage.]] Insurgent forces The Islamic militant groups Al-Qaeda In Iraq , Ansar Al-Islam and others are responsible for numerous atrocities, including:
Iraqi government Other abuses have been blamed on the new Iraqi government, including:
FINANCIAL COSTS As of March 31, 2006, over $251 billion has been allocated by the US Congress for the Iraqi war, as well as the war in Afghanistan. It is not known how much more money has been spent by other members of the coalition, especially the UK--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. By some estimates, the total costs of the Iraq War on the US economy could top $2 trillion {Link without Title} . REFERENCES |
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