Iraq War: Iraqi Freedom 2003

Iraq War: Iraqi Freedom 2003

Iraq after Desert Storm

After Coalition troops routed Iraq in the 1991 war. The international community agreed to maintain a policy of containment of the Iraqi regime headed by Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship. No fly zones were established in the Northern part of Iraq to protect the Kurds and a second Iraqi no fly zone was established in the Southern portion of Iraq to protect the Shiite population from the vengeance of Saddam. In addition to the establishment of the no-fly zones the United Nations continued the severe economic sanctions against the country. The sanctions were put in place prior to the first war shortly after Iraq invaded Kuwait and refused to withdraw. Throughout the 1990’s following the gulf war Saddam’s regime became more defiant as time went on. The sanctions against Iraq were taking a huge toll on the populous, but Hussein’s iron fist immediately crushed any ill will toward his regime inside of his borders. Torture, murder and fear became the status quo for many in Iraq. In one report by an Iraqi stated that Saddam had the eyes of children plucked out because of their parents unwillingness to support the Iraqi dictator. Some areas remained immune from Saddam’s wrath while other areas took the brunt of it. Evidence also provided basis of why the sanctions were not as effective as they could be. Member countries from within the UN as well as international corporations continued to trade and conduct business with the Iraqi regime despite sanctions. These actions not only expose the weakness of the UN in dealing with world conflicts but it also creates an atmosphere of defiance on sanctioned nations.

In October 1998, U.S. policy shifted away from containment and moved towards “regime change,” as President Clinton signed the the ” Iraqi Liberation Act”. The reasoning behind this act was due to Iraq’s refusing cooperation with weapons inspectors and acts of atrocities within Iraq’s border against specific groups including Kurd and Shiite populations. Iraq had increasingly became emboldened by being able to work past sanctions and began attempting to shoot down US and British aircraft protecting the no-fly zones. The act provided $97 million for Iraqi “democratic opposition organizations” to “establish a program to support a transition to democracy in Iraq. The signing of this act for the first time supported the idea of regime change in Iraq. Shortly after the passage of this act the U.S. and Britain launched a bombing campaign of Iraq called “Operation Desert Fox”. The campaign’s main purpose was to hamper the Hussein government’s ability to produce chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. U.S. national security personnel also hoped it would help weaken Saddam’s ability to impose his regime on the populous and to further embolden resistance groups within Iraq. Clinton administration officials said the aim of the mission was to “degrade” Iraq’s ability to manufacture and use weapons of mass destruction, not to eliminate it. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was asked about the distinction while the operation was going on: “I don’t think we’re pretending that we can get everything, so this is – I think – we are being very honest about what our ability is. We are lessening, degrading his ability to use this. The weapons of mass destruction are the threat of the future. I think the president explained very clearly to the American people that this is the threat of the 21st century. . . . What it means is that we know we can’t get everything, but degrading is the right word.”

The Case For War

The events of September 11, 2001 changed the way America and her allies dealt with countries with and suspected of assisting terrorist groups. The following statements were presented by President George Bush in January 2003 during his State of the Union Address to the American people for the need to go to war against Iraq.

“Almost three months ago, the United Nations Security Council gave Saddam Hussein his final chance to disarm. He has shown instead utter contempt for the United Nations, and for the opinion of the world. The 108 U.N. inspectors were sent to conduct — were not sent to conduct a scavenger hunt for hidden materials across a country the size of California. The job of the inspectors is to verify that Iraq’s regime is disarming. It is up to Iraq to show exactly where it is hiding its banned weapons, lay those weapons out for the world to see, and destroy them as directed. Nothing like this has happened”.

“The United Nations concluded in 1999 that Saddam Hussein had biological weapons sufficient to produce over 25,000 liters of anthrax — enough doses to kill several million people. He hasn’t accounted for that material. He’s given no evidence that he has destroyed it”.

“The United Nations concluded that Saddam Hussein had materials sufficient to produce more than 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin — enough to subject millions of people to death by respiratory failure. He hadn’t accounted for that material. He’s given no evidence that he has destroyed it”.

“Our intelligence officials estimate that Saddam Hussein had the materials to produce as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent. In such quantities, these chemical agents could also kill untold thousands. He’s not accounted for these materials. He has given no evidence that he has destroyed them”.

“U.S. intelligence indicates that Saddam Hussein had upwards of 30,000 munitions capable of delivering chemical agents. Inspectors recently turned up 16 of them — despite Iraq’s recent declaration denying their existence. Saddam Hussein has not accounted for the remaining 29,984 of these prohibited munitions. He’s given no evidence that he has destroyed them”.

“The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed in the 1990s that Saddam Hussein had an advanced nuclear weapons development program, had a design for a nuclear weapon and was working on five different methods of enriching uranium for a bomb. The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. Our intelligence sources tell us that he has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production. Saddam Hussein has not credibly explained these activities. He clearly has much to hide”.

“Year after year, Saddam Hussein has gone to elaborate lengths, spent enormous sums, taken great risks to build and keep weapons of mass destruction. But why? The only possible explanation, the only possible use he could have for those weapons, is to dominate, intimidate, or attack”.

“With nuclear arms or a full arsenal of chemical and biological weapons, Saddam Hussein could resume his ambitions of conquest in the Middle East and create deadly havoc in that region. And this Congress and the America people must recognize another threat. Evidence from intelligence sources, secret communications, and statements by people now in custody reveal that Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists, including members of al Qaeda. Secretly, and without fingerprints, he could provide one of his hidden weapons to terrorists, or help them develop their own”.

“The dictator who is assembling the world’s most dangerous weapons has already used them on whole villages — leaving thousands of his own citizens dead, blind, or disfigured. Iraqi refugees tell us how forced confessions are obtained — by torturing children while their parents are made to watch. International human rights groups have catalogued other methods used in the torture chambers of Iraq: electric shock, burning with hot irons, dripping acid on the skin, mutilation with electric drills, cutting out tongues, and rape. If this is not evil, then evil has no meaning”.

“And tonight I have a message for the brave and oppressed people of Iraq: Your enemy is not surrounding your country — your enemy is ruling your country. (Applause.) And the day he and his regime are removed from power will be the day of your liberation”.

The US maintained that Iraq was not cooperating with UN inspectors and had not met its obligations to 17 UN resolutions. The US felt that resolution 1441 called for the immediate, total disarmament of Iraq and continued to show frustration at the fact that months after the resolution was passed Iraq was still not disarming. Language in Resolution 1441 recalled that the use of “all means necessary” was still authorized and in effect from UN Resolution 678, and therefore maintained that if Iraq failed to comply with the “one final chance to comply” provision of resolution 1441, then military action would be the result.

The Second Gulf  War: Operation Iraqi Freedom was much more controversial than the first war that had the majority of the world community backing the use of military force to remove Saddam’s military from Kuwait and from threatening Saudi Arabia further.  Opinion on the war was greatly divided between nations. Some countries felt that the United States failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hussein had an active weapons program. Others felt that Iraq was an insignificant and militarily weak country that was not worth fighting over. Some saw the war as an act of US imperialism and charged that the United States just wanted Iraq’s oil.  An important overlooked point that to this day needs to be answered is the OIL-for-Food Scandal that played a big part in the ineffectiveness of the sanctions against Saddam’s regime.  Ten Plus years of  ignoring UN Resolutions and a split in the Security Council on how to force Saddam to obey by the cease fire agreement of the First Gulf War had only emboldened this dictator more as time went on.

“I believe the U.N., parts of it, have been corrupt for years. But this went to a whole new level,” said Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., chairman of the House Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations.  Shays led one of several Oil-for-Food probes by the federal government. The General Accountability Office has already pegged Saddam’s Oil-for-Food take at $10.1 billion. It could end up being a lot more. 

“We’re talking about American lives that are being lost in an attempt to bring democracy to Iraq,” Shays said. If France, Russia, China and Germany had told Saddam it was time to back down and honor his commitments, Shays said it’s possible the United States may not have needed to go to war against Saddam.  Some evidence suggests that those countries that said they were opposing the Bush administration on principle were actually making billions from Oil-for-Food. 

“I think clearly, American blood is in the hands of a number of European countries, who could have put pressure on Saddam, who could’ve looked him in the eye and said, ‘the United States is coming in,’” Shays said. “And to me, some of the explanation clearly has to be the Oil-for-Food program.”  Shays added that there is a chance some of the insurgents now operating against the United States and the new Iraqi government are using Oil-for-Food money in their terror campaign.  “I think it’s not only possible that insurgents are using Oil-for-Food money — I think it’s very likely,” Shays said.

Finally an important point that is hardly ever made except by a few experts is probably the most interesting and simplest one of all.. If Saddam’s regime was not violating weapons bans or basically had nothing to hide, why did he not just let the inspectors do their job.  He had everything to gain by doing this and could have gained even more support from already sympathetic nations.  Sanctions would have been removed and The US and Britain would never have invaded.  In essence Saddam’s regime could have lived to fight another day. 

Throughout the war and occupation corruption has been implied by many opponents of the war in Iraq. The war has benefited companies such as Haliburton that have close ties to Vice President Cheney as well as previous unheard of profits by the big oil companies. The aftermath of Iraqi Freedom has created a guerrilla warfare environment with no regards for human life. It would be hard to establish that a concise and intelligent plan for the rebuilding of Iraq was ever in place. Many Americans that believed in the purpose behind the war and the removal of Saddam’s Regime are now scratching their heads on how unprepared the US coalition was for the possibility of an insurgency which has been a consistent historical part of foreign occupation after many wars in the past. The death toll continues to rise and the American and other coalition constituents are losing patience and support on what, regardless of your opinion before the war, is now a critical battle in the “War on Terror”.

US:  IRAQI FREEDOM TIMELINE
10/31/1998	Iraqi Liberation Act signed into law by President  Bill Clinton.  Act found that between 1980 to 1998  Iraq had committed various and significant violations of international law.  Iraq had failed to comply with the terms they agreed to at the end of the first Gulf war and has ignored resolutions set forth by the United Nations Security Council.  This act was a major shift in American policy away from containment toward regime change.
12/16/1998	President Clinton mandates Operation Desert Fox.  A coordinated US and Britain major 4 day bombing of Iraqi targets
01/29/2002	“States like these (North Korea, Iraq and Iran), and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world.  By seeking weapons of mass destruction, these regimes pose a grave and growing danger.  They could provide these arms to terrorists, giving them the means to match their hatred.  They could attack our allies or attempt to blackmail the United States.  In any of these cases, the price of indifference would be catastrophic”.  State of the Union Address George Bush
01/28/2003	“We will consult. But let there be no misunderstanding: If Saddam Hussein does not fully disarm, for the safety of our people and for the peace of the world, we will lead a coalition to disarm him”.  State of the Union Address George Bush
02/24/2003	The US, Britain and Spain submit a proposed resolution to the UN Security Council that states that “Iraq has failed to take the final opportunity afforded to it in Resolution 1441,” and that it is now time to authorize use of military force against the country.  France, Germany and Russia submit an informal counter-resolution to the UN Security Council that states that inspections should be intensified and extended to ensure that there is “a real chance to the peaceful settlement of this crisis,” and that “the military option should only be a last resort.”
03/17/2003	Diplomatic efforts end with President Bush delivering an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein and his sons Uday and Qusay to surrender and  leave the country of Iraq within 48 hours or face attack
03/19/2003	Decapitation attack’: U.S. and coalition forces launched missiles and bombs at targets in Iraq , including a “decapitation attack” aimed at Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and other top members of the Iraqi regime.  The war has started.
03/24/2003	The Arab League voted 21-1 in favor of a resolution demanding the immediate and unconditional removal of U.S. and British soldiers from Iraq. The lone dissenting vote was cast by Kuwait.  An operation of about 30 attack helicopters against the Medina Division of Iraq’s Republican guard, entrenched in the Karbala area, has taken place during the early hours of March 24. One US Apache helicopter which was captured by Iraqi civilians, along with its two crew members, appeared later in Arab satellite channels.  With U.S. soldiers less than 60 miles from Baghdad, coalition planes and helicopters pounded Iraqi positions to clear a path toward the capital.  Coalition air strikes hit the northern Iraqi cities of Kirkuk and Mosul.  Apache helicopters encountered heavy anti-aircraft fire at Karbala, about 60 miles south of Baghdad. One pilot called the situation a “hornet’s nest.”
03/26/2003	Coalition forces have moved more than 220 miles into Iraqi territory in six days despite inclement weather, the Pentagon reported..   A Pentagon official was quoted by CNN “I think we underestimated the Saddam Fedayeen,    We did not know they were so well-placed” across southern Iraq, the official said. Informal Pentagon estimates indicate that there may be as many as 30,000 Fedayeen troops.   Saddam Fedayeen was established as a security organization  answering directly to the Presidential Palace.
04/02/2003 to 04/06/2003	U.S. forces reach the outskirts of Baghdad and encounter fierce fighting from small units of Iraqi Republican Guard.  Kurdish militia, aided by U.S. forces, move into Kanilan near Mosul in Northern Iraq. Citizens living in the town tell reporters that they are happy that the Iraqi soldiers are gone.  On April 3rd US troops take control of Saddam International Airport in Southern Baghdad. On April 6th British troops take control of Basra. The first major city to be under coalition control.
04/07/2003	U.S.-led coalition forces encircled Baghdad, closing off highways in and out of the Iraqi capital while armed Iraqi soldiers manned the streets and hunkered down for battle.  U.S. general urged Iraqi troops to lay down their arms or pay the consequences for defending Saddam Hussein’s regime.
04/09/2003	Baghdad falls to U.S. forces. Some Iraqis cheer in the streets after American  infantrymen seize deserted Ba’ath party ministries and in a declaration of independence  pull down a huge iron statue of Saddam Hussein, ending his 24-year rule. Looting of government offices and palaces breaks out and Hussein’s fighting forces dissolve  in large portions of the city.  The Next day Kurdish troops occupied Kirkuk in Northern Iraq, facing little resistance.
04/13/2003	Tikrit, the hometown of Saddam Hussein, fell to US marines and was the last town not under control by coalition forces.  Very little resistance was faced to the surprise of military personnel.
04/15/2003	With the Tikrit area, Northern Mosul area, the Southern Basra area and the capital Baghdad under coalition control, the coalition partners declare the war over since there is no recognizable government to officially surrender.  Representatives of Iraq’s Sunni, Shiite and Kurd communities meet at a U.S.-sponsored conference within Iraq to discuss the future Iraqi government. They issued a statement calling for a multi-ethnic, democratic, federal government in Iraq that rejects political violence and respects the rule of law.  On May 1, 2003 President George Bush from the deck of the US carrier USS Abraham Lincoln said that the end of major combat is over in Iraq.
07/16/2003	Gen. John Abizaid, commander of allied forces in Iraq who replaced retiring general Tommy Franks on July 7, calls continued attacks on coalition troops a “guerrilla-type campaign” and says soldiers who will replace current troops may be deployed for year-long tours.  This is the beginning of the “second war” for Iraq that continues well into 2007 when this timeline was created.  This Insurgency and Shiite-Sunni conflict has proven to be the most difficult phase of the war.
07/22/2003	Saddam’s sons Uday and Qusay Hussein are killed in a gun battle in a Mosul Palace.
08/19/2003 to 11/02/2003	Suicide bombing destroys UN headquarters in Baghdad, killing 24, including top envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello, and wounding more than 100.  On Aug. 29th A bomb kills one of Iraq’s most important Shi’ite leaders, Ayatollah Muhammad Bakr al-Hakim, as well as about 80 others, and wounds 125.  Oct. 2nd, According to an interim report by David Kay, the lead investigator searching for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, no WMDs have been found as yet.  Nov. 2nd,  In the single deadliest strike since the Iraq war began, guerrillas shoot down an American helicopter, killing 16 U.S. soldiers and injuring 21 others.  Other attacks over the course of the month make it the bloodiest since the war began: at least 75 U.S. soldiers die.
12/13/2003	Iraq’s deposed leader Saddam Hussein is captured by alert American troops. The former dictator was found hiding in a hole near his hometown of Tikrit and surrendered without a fight.  He appeared thin and much aged by the experience not at all like the bold dictator of old.

Iraqi Freedom: War Begins

The Second Iraq War began on March 19th under the U.S. codename “Operation Iraqi Freedom.” The British military’s codename for their participation in the invasion was called Operation Telic. The coalition forces cooperated with Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the north. Approximately forty nations, referred to as the ” Coalition of the Willing”, participated by providing equipment, services and security as well as special forces. The initial coalition military forces were roughly 300,000, of which 98% were U.S. and British troops.

Decapitation attack: To begin the Second Gulf war in Iraq U.S. and coalition forces launched cruise missiles and dropped bombs at targets in Iraq including a “decapitation attack” aimed at Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and other top members of the country’s leadership. Saddam escaped the initial ‘Shock and Awe” explosions that rocked specific targets.

March 20, 2003

Iraq launched as many as 10 missiles into Kuwait. Two were intercepted by Patriot missiles, U.S. military officials said.
Iraqi officials on Iraqi television said 72 missiles hit Baghdad, killing “four Iraqi fighters” and an officer. U.S. officials said more than 60 cruise missiles have been fired at targets in and around Baghdad since Operation Iraqi Freedom began.
A U.S. Marine CH-46 helicopter crashed in Kuwait, killing all 12 crew members, the first coalition fatalities of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Pentagon officials said.   The 3rd Division  a highly mobile, rapid-response unit of the Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps are making quick progress toward Baghdad without any resistance. Its weaponry includes the M1A1 Abrams battle tank, the M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle and the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter
Coalition forces bombed the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.
The “shock and awe” phase of the U.S.-led war against Iraq has been put on hold while the military assesses the state of the Iraqi leadership after initial air strikes, Pentagon officials said.

March 21, 2003

Spectacular bombing rocked Baghdad, Tikrit, Mosul and Kirkuk.  These are areas where US and coalition forces want to soften prior to ground troops arriving.  U.S. aircraft flying over Iraq dropped more than 2 million leaflets, according to a U.S. military statement. More than half of the leaflets were dropped on Iraqi military forces encouraging them to surrender.  U.S. forces continued to move to destinations with little to no resistance.. One group of Bradley Fighting Vehicles, M1A1 Abrams battle tanks and other vehicles was heading toward Baghdad at a much quicker pace than anticipated.  The majority of Iraq’s 51st army division (approximately 8,000 soldiers) responsible for the protection of Iraq’s Southern border have surrendered to coalition forces while others deserted their posts. At this point there appears to be an unwillingness to confront US and coalition forces in conventional warfare.  Casualties:  8 U.K. and 4 U.S. military personnel

March 22 -23, 2003

A U.S. soldier was taken into custody after in a grenade and small arms attack at an Army camp in northern Kuwait, the U.S. Central Command said. The attack on the 101st Airborne Division camp wounded 13 people.  U.S.-led coalition troops advanced more than 150 miles into Iraqi territory and crossed the Euphrates River using existing bridges, the Pentagon said.  The northern cities of Mosul and Kirkuk were bombed for the third night in a row.  Two U.S. Patriot missiles destroyed an Iraqi missile fired at a U.S. Army base in northern Kuwait.  Six British crewmembers and one American died when two U.K. Navy  helicopters collided over the Persian Gulf, U.K. officials stated.  An Australian cameraman and three Kurdish soldiers died when a bomber blew up his taxi at a checkpoint in northern Iraq.

U.S. Apache attack helicopters attacked Iraq’s elite Republican Guard units  in an intense firefight.  The helicopters encountered  anti-aircraft fire about 60 miles south of Baghdad.  New explosions jolted the Iraqi capital and Mosul.  Twelve U.S. soldiers are believed captured or killed by Iraqi guerrilla forces outside the southern city of An Nasiriyaan an Army spokesman stated.  Iraqi troops inflicted casualties on U.S. Marines  in an ambush in the southeastern city of Nasiriya.  The Al-Jazeera TV network broadcast pictures of what appear to be five U.S. soldiers killed or captured in Iraq  To Date casualties:  16 U.K. and 9 U.S. military personnel

March 24-25, 2003

U.S. troops battled Iraqi forces outside Nasiriya as coalition forces attempt to secure key Euphrates River bridges.  Pentagon officials confirmed two Apache helicopter pilots were taken prisoner.  Iraqi troops have ambushed coalition forces by faking an intention to surrender or dressing in civilian clothes.   U.S. soldiers closing in on Baghdad and are less than 60 miles from capital, coalition planes and helicopters pounded Iraqi positions to clear a path toward the capital for armor and ground personnel.  Eight Iraqi missiles were fired against Kuwait by Iraqi forces but Patriot missiles destroyed six of the incoming missiles, U.S. military officials said, the two others landed in southern Iraq. A group of US Apache helicopters encountered heavy anti-aircraft fire at Karbala, about 60 miles south of Baghdad.  Resistance has picked up in the last few days especially in attempts to shoot down the choppers.

Bloody battles raged in Nasiriya and Najaf pentagon officials stated.  U.S.-led coalition forces killed an estimated 200 Iraqis.  Three days of sporadic fighting has been reported in Southern Iraq.  According to US reports US Marines seized a hospital in Nasiriya and captured nearly 170 Iraqi soldiers who had been staging military operations from the facility.  British troops turned back a “battalion-sized” counterattack by Iraqi forces southeast of Basra and destroyed about 20 armored vehicles.  US air assaults are limited due to high winds and limit their bombing to Iraqi Republican guard positions.  Sand Storms have been complicating operations for Coalition forces.  To Date casualties:  43 U.K. and  U.S. military personnel

March 26-27, 2003

U.S. war planners may have miscalculated the strength and capabilities of Iraq’s paramilitary fighters, the Saddam Fedayeen, one Pentagon official stated. Over 1,000 U.S. paratroopers dropped into Northern Iraq in a Kurdish-controlled area. The paratroopers, from the U.S. Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade, secured an airfield for coalition use. Securing the airfield will allow more coalition troops and armor to be brought in to maintain control of the area and secure a launching pad for future attacks.  U.S. Central Command confirmed precision-guided weapons were used to attack nine missiles and launchers in a residential area of Baghdad.  British aircraft bombed a column of about 70 Iraqi armored vehicles as it made its way south of Basra toward Umm Qasr, a port city now under coalition control.

U.S.-led forces unleashed  some of their heaviest bombardments on Baghdad overnight, clouds of smoke rose into the air. The air strikes came as coalition forces opened up a northern front and their campaign in the south continued.  Pentagon sources said two 4,500-pound GBU-37 “bunker-buster” bombs were dropped Thursday on a target in Baghdad from a B-2 stealth bomber. It marked the first time the bombs have been used in this war.  Improved weather let U.S. planes focus air strikes on Republican Guard units south and northwest of Baghdad, Pentagon sources said.  After falling under constant fire for 72 hours, the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division fighting near Najaf got a break Thursday.  British forces near Basra are facing heavy resistance.  To Date casualties:  47 U.K. and  U.S. military personnel

March 28-31, 2003

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Syria is shipping military supplies, including night-vision goggles, into Iraq. “We consider such trafficking as hostile acts,” he said.  Saddam Hussein’s regime controls only a small portion of Iraq, President Bush said.  Huge waves of coalition soldiers were dropped deep into Iraq in what is being called the longest helicopter-borne air assault operation ever.  British military reported thousands of civilians trying to flee Basra Friday were fired upon by Iraqi paramilitaries.  A missile fired from Iraq struck near a Kuwait City shopping mall over the weekend., It was the first time the capital was hit since the war began.  Iraq has attempted to lob missiles  prior with little or no success. Patriot missiles destroyed an Iraqi missile Saturday afternoon headed toward Kuwait, Kuwaiti officials said.

On Sunday US military bombed apartment complexes in Baghdad where suspected government officials are residing.  Four U.S. soldiers were killed Saturday morning when an Iraqi suicide bomber attacked a checkpoint in the town of Najaf.  U.S. Marines and Iraqi fighters fought on both sides of the Euphrates River on Saturday, waging what was reported as significant fire battles for the city of Nasiriya.

The U.S. stepped up air strikes against Republican Guard troops in some of the heaviest days of bombing in the 11-day war. Pentagon sources say about 800 strike sorties were flown Sunday alone, with more than 60 percent aimed at troops south of Baghdad in an attempt to soften resistance for ground forces that are approaching the area.  A U.S. Marine helicopter crashed in Southern Iraq Sunday, killing three and injuring one, the U.S. Central Command reported.  U.S. war planners underestimated Iraqi forces and are now re-writing battle plans, veteran war correspondent Peter Arnett told Iraqi TV in an interview that aired Sunday.  This report was one of the most controversial statements made by a member of the media.  NBC News issued a statement supporting Arnett, saying that Arnett gave the interview to Iraqi TV as a “professional courtesy” and that his remarks “were analytical in nature and were not intended to be anything more.“

A barrage of air assault on Iraqi positions by coalition aircraft continued Monday, targeting Republican Guard divisions defending Baghdad, the headquarters of the Fedayeen Saddam paramilitary and a presidential compound were targeted according to reports.  In 12 days of combat, coalition forces have used more than 8,000 precision-guided munitions against Iraq — about 3,000 of them in the past three days, a U.S. military spokesman said.  Central Command sadly reported that U.S. soldiers fired on a van carrying women and children when it failed to stop at a military checkpoint near Najaf.  7 Iraqi’s were killed and 2 wounded.  It appeared that they were trying to seek safety away from the war.  In another incident, A U.S. Marine shot and killed an Iraqi prisoner of war after the man rushed him and struggled for his gun during an interrogation.  Using information from locals, coalition special operation forces are attacking “regime complexes” around Iraq, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks said Monday.  To Date casualties:  68 coalition military personnel.

April 1-3, 2003

U.S. forces have started a major ground offensive against at least two Republican Guard divisions south of the Iraqi capital. U.S. forces are engaging Iraqi Republican Guard troops in a major fight in Karbala, according to a Pentagon official. This could be the start of the ground war assault on Baghdad.   In other parts of Iraq marines were going block by block in Nasiriya on Wednesday morning, weeding out and firing on paramilitary units loyal to Saddam Hussein.  U .S. Central Command announced that Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch, 19, who was listed as missing after an ambush near Nasiriya March 23, has been rescued inside Iraq.

U.S. troops are nearing Baghdad after beating back Iraqi Republican Guard units in what one officer called a “quick-moving” battle, military field commanders said. The family of  U.S. Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch, 19, rescued in a special operations raid on a hospital stated she has arrived at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in southwestern Germany for treatment. She suffered two broken legs, both apparently from gunshot wounds.  The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force continued its assault on Republican Guard’s Baghdad Division, capturing a bridge and crossing the Tigris River Wednesday. Air Force Maj. Gen. Stanley McChrystal said the Baghdad and Medina divisions are “no longer credible forces.”  Iraqi forces are using a historic mosque in Najaf as a covert base of operation, U.S. Central Command said Wednesday. Iraqi soldiers are operating from the gilded dome of the tomb of Ali, which Shiite Muslims venerate as the burial site of the prophet Muhammad’s son-in-law.  Pentagon officials said Wednesday a U.S. Army  blackhawk helicopter with 11 soldiers aboard was shot down by small arms fire near Karbala, killing seven.  The four others were rescued.

Iraqi authorities began turning out the lights in Baghdad and closing all checkpoints as US forces begin an assault on Saddam International Airport.  It appears that US forces are ready for the final push into the capital.  The 101st Airborne Division took control of Najaf and isolated Iraqi forces in that area, the Army said. Near the southern city of Samawa, the 82nd Airborne Division launched “surprise attack” on paramilitary forces attempting to organize north of the city, the Army said.  British forces late Wednesday and early Thursday bombarded Iraqi forces around Basra and Zubayr with long-range artillery and rockets.  To Date casualties:  81 coalition military personnel.

April 4-9, 2003

U.S. forces are holding Baghdad’s airport, 12 miles outside the city center, but they are still facing sporadic resistance there, Maj. Gen. Stanley McChrystal said Friday.  Coalition forces fought Friday to maintain control around Saddam International Airport, renamed Baghdad International Airport by coalition forces.  Videotape aired Friday by Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. showed a man who appeared to be Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein walking through the streets of Baghdad in the midst of an excited, cheering crowd.  At this point it is unclear as to whether or not it is the dictator or one of his personal doubles he has been known to use in the past.  Some 2,500 Iraqi soldiers with the Republican Guard’s Baghdad Division have surrendered to U.S. Marines between Kut and Baghdad, said Capt. Frank Thorp, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command.  Three coalition soldiers were killed and two wounded in a car bomb attack at a western Iraq checkpoint overnight Friday, according to U.S. Central Command.  Kurdish forces captured the town of Khazar in northern Iraq Friday after more than a day of fighting.

After securing the airport, U.S. forces pushed into downtown Baghdad Saturday and encountered sporadic resistance, Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart said.  Baghdad residents fled the city in droves, according to reporters in the area. U.S. military officials said some Iraqi officers were slipping into civilian convoys heading to Jordan and Syria.  The U.S. First Marine Expeditionary Force engaged in “hand-to-hand” combat Saturday with Iraqi infantry in southeast Baghdad, U.S. Central Command said.  Iraq’s information minister Saturday denied reports that U.S. Marines and soldiers were in Baghdad, saying the Republican Guard “slaughtered” U.S. forces at the city’s airport.  Explosions were heard and seen in Baghdad. Coalition aircraft are now flying at all times over the city to protect coalition ground troops, a U.S. military official said.  Predator and Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles are patrolling Baghdad looking for targets and conducting reconnaissance, a U.S. official said.

For the second straight day, U.S. Army forces Sunday conducted reconnaissance missions into downtown Baghdad, engaging pockets of Iraqi fighters, U.S. Central Command said.  Iraq’s information minister insisted Iraq was making progress in the war, touting the destruction of U.S. tanks and helicopters and claiming U.S. forces at Baghdad’s airport had been beaten.  Iraqi forces were meeting in mosques, hospitals and schools in Baghdad, U.S. officials said.

U.S. tanks rumbled into Baghdad Monday, reportedly seizing two of Saddam Hussein’s palaces and toppling a huge statue of the Iraqi leader.  Iraq’s Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf stood in the streets of Baghdad Monday morning amid the U.S. raid on the capital, issuing denials of coalition advances.  British forces made their largest incursion into Basra on Monday, setting up a base inside in Iraq’s second-largest city.  The body of Ali Hassan al-Majeed, the first cousin of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein known as “Chemical Ali,” has been found in Basra, a British military spokesman said.  Irregular Iraqi forces, some wearing women’s clothing, ambushed a U.S. Marine platoon Monday in Diwaniyah, but the U.S. unit escaped without casualties, Marines said.  U.S. military bombed a building in Baghdad Monday based on information that senior Iraqi officials were there, U.S. officials said. U.S. officials said they don’t know who might have killed in the attack, including Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his two sons.

After the three-week mark, coalition forces were moving “at will” within and around Baghdad, Pentagon officials reported.  The city contains only small pockets of resistance and has been isolated from the rest of the country.  Key buildings and military personnel have been disconnected.  50 miles South of Baghdad the US military is reporting that the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division battled Iraqi forces in a fierce firefight Tuesday in Hillah.  A day after coalition aircraft forces were seen regularly over the skies of Baghdad, Pentagon officials announced that coalition forces now control the skies over the capital city, as well as the rest of the country.  To Date casualties:  122 coalition military personnel.

April 10-14, 2003

Even with the fall of Baghdad, coalition troops still face organized resistance from Iraqi forces near Mosul and Tikrit, the Pentagon said Thursday.  A suicide bomber with explosives strapped to his body blew himself up at a Marine checkpoint in Baghdad late Thursday, wounding four Marines, U.S. military officials said.  One Marine was killed and 22 others were wounded in fighting Thursday after Marines went to the Imam Mosque in north-central Baghdad where senior Iraqi leaders were believed to be meeting. U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart said there was a “fairly heavy firefight” in which all the Iraqi forces were either killed or captured.  Coalition special operations forces are conducting “direct action” missions against regime forces in Qa’im in western Iraq along the Syrian border, U.S. Central Command said.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Friday the looting in Baghdad was a result of “pent-up feelings” of oppression and that it would subside as Iraqis adjusted to life without Saddam Hussein.  Tikrit could be the last stronghold of Hussein’s regime.  Coalition forces discovered two sites Friday in which explosives were being packed into leather motorcycle jackets and children’s dolls for use in suicide attacks, U.S. officials said. U.S. Marines thwarted an attempted suicide bombing in Baghdad on Friday, U.S. military officials said.  An cease-fire was signed by the commander of the Iraqi army’s 5th Corps in Mosul with U.S. Special Forces, U.S. Central Command said.  Deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s birthplace of Tikrit is “taking a pounding” from coalition airstrikes, U.S. Central Command said. 

Residents of Kut, about 40 miles southeast of Baghdad, peacefully welcomed U.S. Marines as the city came under coalition control Saturday after talks between civic leaders and U.S. officials, Marine sources said.

Marines attacked about 2,500 Iraqi fighters loyal to deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussen in sporadic fighting Sunday inside Tikrit, the last major Iraqi city not under coalition control.  Gen. Tommy Franks said Sunday the Saddam Hussein government in Iraq is now an “ex-regime,” but stopped short of declaring victory. Iraq’s army has been “destroyed” and “there is no regime command and control,” but resistance from militia and foreign fighters remain.  While some fighting in Iraq continues, the major battles appear to be over, a Pentagon spokesman said Monday, just over a month after the start of the military campaign to topple the regime of Saddam Hussein.

May 1, 2003

On May 1, 2003 President George Bush from the deck of the US carrier USS Abraham Lincoln said that the end of major combat is over in Iraq.

Tags: Iraq, Military, War