2003 : Iraq War - Iraq Freedom (US)

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2003 : Iraq War - Iraq Freedom (US)

Strategy summary
Major Combat Stage (248,000 soldiers)

US strategy : destory and collapse enemy troop. overthrow Hussein's regime.

Saddam Hussein strategy : avoid direct combat with US army, use guerrilla tactics in US occupied area.

Result:  Hussein was captured on December 2003.


Counter insurgence Stage ( different stages with different number of US & allied soldiers, 30,000~50,000)
US strategy: Use necessary minimum troops to support Iraq's new army and regime.
                  Main security responsibility gradually shift to Iraq's new army.

Result: 2011 U.S. withdrawal form Iraq and transfer power to the fostering regime (Iraq).
           To 2011, estimated 4485 US soldiers killed form 2003~2011.      


This article intents to describe this war with military situation maps. It is for the strategy study purpose.
The text contents are form English wikipedia. (chapter 6 Invasion)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_invasion_of_Iraq
The maps are drew by  warmap.org (this website).


Invasion

Since the 1991 Gulf War, the U.S. and UK had been engaged in attacks on Iraqi air defenses while enforcing Iraqi no-fly
zones. These zones, and the attacks to enforce them, were described as illegal by the former UN Secretary General,
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, and the French foreign minister Hubert Vedrine. Other countries, notably Russia and China, also
condemned the zones as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. In mid-2002, the U.S. began more carefully selecting targets
in the southern part of the country 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 Focus.

The amount of ordnance dropped on Iraqi positions by Coalition aircraft in 2001 and 2002 was less than in 1999 and
2000 which was during the Clinton administration. This information has been used[by whom?] to attempt to refute the
theory that the Bush administration had already decided to go to war against Iraq before coming to office and that the
bombing during 2001 and 2002 was laying the groundwork for the eventual invasion in 2003. However, information
obtained by the UK Liberal Democrats showed that the UK dropped twice as many bombs on Iraq in the second half
of 2002 as they did during the whole of 2001. The tonnage of UK bombs dropped increased from 0 in March 2002 and
0.3 in April 2002 to between 7 and 14 tons per month in May–August, reaching a pre-war peak of 54.6 tons in September
– before the U.S. Congress' 11 October authorization of the invasion.

The 5 September attacks included a 100+ aircraft attack on the main air defense site in western Iraq. According to an
editorial in 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."

Tommy Franks, who commanded the invasion of Iraq, has since admitted that the bombing was designed to "degrade"
Iraqi air defences in the same way as the air attacks that began the 1991 Gulf War. These "spikes of activity" were,
in the words of then British Defence Secretary, Geoff Hoon, designed to 'put pressure on the Iraqi regime' or, as The
Times reported, to "provoke Saddam Hussein into giving the allies an excuse for war". In this respect, as provocations
designed to start a war, leaked British Foreign Office legal advice concluded that such attacks were illegal under
international law.

Another attempt at provoking the war was mentioned in a leaked memo from a meeting between George W. Bush and
Tony Blair on 31 January 2003 at which Bush allegedly told Blair that "The US was thinking of flying U2 reconnaissance
aircraft with fighter cover over Iraq, painted in UN colours. If Saddam fired on them, he would be in breach." On 17
March 2003, U.S. President George W. Bush gave Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave the country, along with his sons
Uday and Qusay, or face war.


Preceding special forces mission in al-Qa'im

On the night of 17 March 2003, the majority of B and D squadron British 22nd SAS Regiment, who were designated as
Task Force 14, crossed the border from Jordan to conduct a ground assault on a suspected chemical munitions site at
a water-treatment plant in the city of al-Qa'im. It had been reported that the site might have been a SCUD missile
launch site or a depot; an SAS officer was quoted by author Mark Nicol as saying "it was a location where missiles had
been fired at Israel in the past, and a site of strategic importance for WMD material." The 60 members of D squadron,
along with their 'Pinkie' DPVs (the last time the vehicles were used before their retirement), was flown 120 km into Iraq
in 6 MH-47Ds in 3 waves. Following their insertion, D squadron established a patrol laager at a remote location outside
al-Qa'im and awaited the arrival of B squadron, who had driven overland from Jordan. Their approach to the plant
was compromised, and a firefight developed which ended in one 'pinkie' having to be abandoned and destroyed,
repeated attempts to assault the plant were halted, leading the SAS to call in an air strike which silenced the opposition.

Opening salvo: the Dora Farms strike


In the early morning of 19 March 2003, U.S. forces abandoned the plan for initial, non-nuclear decapitation strikes against
55 top Iraqi officials, in light of reports that Saddam Hussein was visiting his sons, Uday and Qusay, at Dora Farms, within
the al-Dora farming community on the outskirts of Baghdad. At approximately 05:30 UTC, two F-117 Nighthawk stealth
fighters from the 8th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron dropped four enhanced, satellite-guided 2,000-pound GBU-27
'Bunker Busters' on the compound. Complementing the aerial bombardment were nearly 40 Tomahawk cruise missiles
fired from at least four ships, including the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Cowpens (CG-63), credited with the first to
strike, Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Donald Cook, and two submarines in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf.

One bomb missed the compound entirely and the other three missed their target, landing on the other side of the wall
of the palace compound. Saddam Hussein was not present, nor were any members of the Iraqi leadership. The attack
killed one civilian and injured fourteen others, including four men, nine women and one child. Later investigation revealed
that Saddam Hussein had not visited the farm since 1995.

Opening attack

On 19 March 2003 at 21:00, the first strike of the operation was carried out by members of the 160th SOAR: a
flight of MH-60L DAPs (Direct Action Penetrators) and four 'Black Swarm' flights - each consisting of a pair of AH-6M
Little Birds and a FLIR equipped MH-6M to identify targets for the AH-6s (each Black swarm flight was assigned a pair
of A-10As) engaged Iraqi visual observation posts along the southern and western borders of Iraq. In the space of
seven hours, more than 70 sites were destroyed, effectively depriving the Iraqi military of any early warning of the
coming invasion. As the sites were eliminated, the first heliborne SOF teams launched from H-5 airbase in Jordan,
including vehicle-mounted patrols from the British and Australian components who were transported by the MH-47Ds
of the 160th SOAR. Ground elements of Task Force Dagger, Task Force 20, Task force 14, and Task Force 64
breached the sand berms along the Iraqi border with Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait in the early morning hours
and drove into Iraq. Unofficially, the British, Australians, and Task Force 20 had been in Iraq weeks prior.



On 20 March 2003 at approximately 02:30 UTC or about 90 minutes after the lapse of the 48-hour deadline, at 05:33
local time, explosions were heard in Baghdad. Special operations commandos from the CIA's Special Activities Division
from the Northern Iraq Liaison Element infiltrated throughout Iraq and called in the early air strikes. At 03:15 UTC,
or 10:15 pm EST, George W. Bush announced that he had ordered an attack against "selected targets of military
importance" in Iraq. When this word was given, the troops on standby crossed the border into Iraq.

Before the invasion, many observers had expected a lengthy campaign of aerial bombing before any ground action,
taking as examples the 1991 Persian Gulf War or the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. In practice, U.S. plans envisioned
simultaneous air and ground assaults to decapitate the Iraqi forces quickly (see Shock and awe), attempting to
bypass Iraqi military units and cities in most cases. The assumption was that superior mobility and coordination of
Coalition forces would allow them to attack the heart of the Iraqi command structure and destroy it in a short time,
and that this would minimize civilian deaths and damage to infrastructure. It was expected that the elimination of the
leadership would lead to the collapse of the Iraqi Forces and the government, and that much of the population would
support the invaders once the government had been weakened. Occupation of cities and attacks on peripheral military
units were viewed as undesirable distractions.

Following Turkey's decision to deny any official use of its territory, the Coalition was forced to modify the planned
simultaneous attack from north and south. Special Operations forces from the CIA and U.S. Army managed to build
and lead the Kurdish Peshmerga into an effective force and assault for the North. The primary bases for the invasion
were in Kuwait and other Persian Gulf nations. One result of this was that one of the divisions intended for the invasion
was forced to relocate and was unable to take part in the invasion until well into the war. Many observers felt that the
Coalition devoted sufficient numbers of troops to the invasion, but too many were withdrawn after it ended, and that
the failure to occupy cities put them at a major disadvantage in achieving security and order throughout the country
when local support failed to meet expectations.   

The invasion was swift, leading to the collapse of the Iraqi government and the military of Iraq in about three weeks.
The oil infrastructure of Iraq was rapidly seized and secured with limited damage in that time. Securing the oil
infrastructure was considered of great importance. In the Gulf War, while retreating from Kuwait, the Iraqi army had
set many oil wells on fire in an attempt to disguise troop movements and to distract Coalition forces. Before the 2003
invasion, Iraqi forces had mined some 400 oil wells around Basra and the Al-Faw peninsula with explosives. Coalition
troops launched an air and amphibious assault on the Al-Faw peninsula during the closing hours of 19 March to secure
the oil fields there; the amphibious assault was supported by warships of the Royal Navy, Polish Navy, and Royal
Australian Navy.

In the meantime, Royal Air Force Tornados from 9 and 617 Squadrons attacked the radar defence systems protecting
Baghdad, but lost a Tornado on 22 March along with the pilot and navigator (Flight Lieutenant Kevin Main and Flight
Lieutenant Dave Williams), shot down by an American Patriot missile as they returned to their airbase in Kuwait. On 1
April, an F-14 from USS Kitty Hawk crashed in southern Iraq reportedly due to engine failure, and a S-3B Viking
plunged off the deck of the USS Constellation after a malfunction and an AV-8B Harrier jump jet went into the Gulf
while it was trying to land on the USS Nassau.

British 3 Commando Brigade, with the United States Marine Corps' 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Polish
Special Forces unit GROM attached, attacked the port of Umm Qasr. There they met with heavy resistance by Iraqi
troops. A total of 14 Coalition troops and 30–40 Iraqi troops were killed, and 450 Iraqis taken prisoner. The British
Army's 16 Air Assault Brigade also secured the oil fields in southern Iraq in places like Rumaila while the Polish
commandos captured offshore oil platforms near the port, preventing their destruction. Despite the rapid advance
of the invasion forces, some 44 oil wells were destroyed and set ablaze by Iraqi explosives or by incidental fire.
However, the wells were quickly capped and the fires put out, preventing the ecological damage and loss of oil
production capacity that had occurred at the end of the Gulf War.

In keeping with the rapid advance plan, the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division moved westward and then northward through
the western desert toward Baghdad, while the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force moved along Highway 1 through the
center of the country, and 1 (UK) Armoured Division moved northward through the eastern marshland.

During the first week of the war, Iraqi forces fired a Scud missile at the American Battlefield Update Assessment center
in Camp Doha, Kuwait. The missile was intercepted and shot down by a Patriot missile seconds before hitting the
complex. Subsequently, two A-10 Warthogs bombed the missile launcher.

Battle of Nasiriyah



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Initially, the 1st Marine Division (United States) fought through the Rumaila oil fields, and moved north to Nasiriyah—a
moderate-sized, Shi'ite-dominated city with important strategic significance as a major road junction and its proximity
to nearby Talil Airfield. It was also situated near a number of strategically important bridges over the Euphrates River.
The city was defended by a mix of regular Iraqi army units, Ba'ath loyalists, and Fedayeen from both Iraq and abroad.
The United States Army 3rd Infantry Division defeated Iraqi forces entrenched in and around the airfield and bypassed
the city to the west.

On 23 March, a convoy from the 3rd Infantry Division, including the female American soldiers Jessica Lynch, Shoshana
Johnson, and Lori Piestewa, was ambushed after taking a wrong turn into the city. Eleven U.S. soldiers were killed, and
seven, including Lynch and Piestewa, were captured. Piestewa died of wounds shortly after capture, while the remaining
five prisoners of war were later rescued. Piestewa, who was from Tuba City, Arizona, and an enrolled member of the Hopi
Tribe, was believed to have been the first Native American woman killed in combat in a foreign war. On the same day,
U.S. Marines from the Second Marine Division entered Nasiriyah in force, facing heavy resistance as they moved to secure
two major bridges in the city. Several Marines were killed during a firefight with Fedayeen in the urban fighting. At the
Saddam Canal, another 18 Marines were killed in heavy fighting with Iraqi soldiers. An Air Force A-10 was involved in a
case of friendly fire that resulted in the death of six Marines when it accidentally attacked an American amphibious vehicle.
Two other vehicles were destroyed when a barrage of RPG and small arms fire killed most of the Marines inside. A Marine
from Marine Air Control Group 28 was killed by enemy fire, and two Marine engineers drowned in the Saddam Canal.
The bridges were secured and the Second Marine division set up a perimeter around the city.

On the evening of 24 March, the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, which was attached to Regimental
Combat Team One (RCT-1), pushed through Nasiriyah and established a perimeter 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) north of
the city. Iraqi reinforcements from Kut launched several counterattacks. The Marines managed to repel them using
indirect fire and close air support. The last Iraqi attack was beaten off at dawn. The battalion estimated that 200–300
Iraqi soldiers were killed, without a single U.S. casualty. Nasiriyah was declared secure, but attacks by Iraqi Fedayeen
continued. These attacks were uncoordinated, and resulted in firefights in which large numbers of Fedayeen were killed.
Because of Nasiriyah's strategic position as a road junction, significant gridlock occurred as U.S. forces moving north
converged on the city's surrounding highways.

With the Nasiriyah and Talil Airfields secured, Coalition forces gained an important logistical center in southern Iraq and
established FOB/EAF Jalibah, some 10 miles (16 km) outside of Nasiriyah. Additional troops and supplies were soon
brought through this forward operating base. The 101st Airborne Division continued its attack north in support of
the 3rd Infantry Division.

By 28 March, a severe sand storm slowed the Coalition advance as the 3rd Infantry Division halted its northward
drive halfway between Najaf and Karbala. Air operations by helicopters, poised to bring reinforcements from the 101st
Airborne, were blocked for three days. There was particularly heavy fighting in and around the bridge near the town
of Kufl.

Battle of Najaf

Another fierce battle was at Najaf, where U.S. airborne and armored units with British air support fought an intense
battle with Iraqi Regulars, Republican Guard units, and paramilitary forces. It started with U.S. AH-64 Apache helicopter
gunships setting out on a mission to attack Republican Guard armored units; while flying low the Apaches came under
heavy anti-aircraft, small arms, and RPG fire which heavily damaged many helicopters and shot one down, frustrating
the attack. They attacked again successfully on 26 March, this time after a pre-mission artillery barrage and with
support from F/A-18 Hornet jets, with no gunships lost.

The 1st Brigade Combat Team's air defense battery moved in and after heavy fighting with entrenched Iraqi Fedayeen
seized a strategic bridge in Najaf, known as "Objective Jenkins". They then came under fierce counterattacks by Iraqi
forces and Fedayeen, who failed to dislodge U.S. forces from their positions. After 36 hours of combat at the bridge at
Najaf, the Iraqis were defeated, and the key bridge was secured, isolating Najaf from the north.

The 101st Airborne Division on 29 March, supported by a battalion from the 1st Armored Division, attacked Iraqi forces
in the southern part of the city, near the Imam Ali Mosque and captured Najaf's airfield. Four Americans were killed by a
suicide bomber. On 31 March the 101st made a reconnaissance-in-force into Najaf. On 1 April elements of the 70th
Armored Regiment launched a "Thunder Run", an armored thrust through Najaf's city center, and after several days
of heavy fighting and with air support were able to defeat the Iraqi forces, securing the city by 4 April.

Battle of Basra

The Iraqi port city of Umm Qasr was the first British obstacle. A joint Polish-British-American force ran into unexpectedly
stiff resistance, and it took several days to clear the Iraqi forces out. Farther north, the British 7 Armoured Brigade
("The Desert Rats"), fought their way into Iraq's second-largest city, Basra, on 6 April, coming under constant attack
by regulars and Fedayeen, while 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment cleared the 'old quarter' of the city that was
inaccessible to vehicles. Entering Basra was achieved after two weeks of fierce fighting, including a tank battle when
the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards destroyed 14 Iraqi tanks on 27 March. A few members of D Squadron, British SAS,
were deployed to southern Iraq to support the coalition advance on Basra, the team conducted forward route
reconnaissance and infiltrated the city and brought in strikes on the Ba'athist loyalist leadership.

Elements of 1 (UK) Armoured Division began to advance north towards U.S. positions around Al Amarah on 9 April.
Pre-existing electrical and water shortages continued throughout the conflict and looting began as Iraqi forces
collapsed. While Coalition forces began working with local Iraqi Police to enforce order, a joint team composed of Royal
Engineers and the Royal Logistic Corps of the British Army rapidly set up and repaired dockyard facilities to allow
humanitarian aid to begin to arrive from ships arriving in the port city of Umm Qasr.

After a rapid initial advance, the first major pause occurred near Karbala. There, U.S. Army elements met resistance
from Iraqi troops defending cities and key bridges along the Euphrates River. These forces threatened to interdict
supply routes as American forces moved north. Eventually, troops from the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S.
Army secured the cities of Najaf and Karbala to prevent any Iraqi counterattacks on the 3rd Infantry Division's lines
of communication as the division pressed its advance toward Baghdad.

A total of 11 British soldiers were killed, while 395–515 Iraqi soldiers, irregulars, and Fedayeen were killed.

Battle of Karbala


The Karbala Gap was a 20–25-mile wide strip of land with the Euphrates River to the east and Lake Razazah to the west.
This strip of land was recognized by Iraqi commanders as a key approach to Baghdad, and was defended by some of
the best units of the Iraqi Republican Guard. The Iraqi high command had originally positioned two Republican Guard
divisions blocking the Karbala Gap. Here these forces suffered heavy Coalition air attacks. However, the Coalition
had since the beginning of March been conducting a strategic deception operation to convince the Iraqis that the U.S.
4th Infantry Division would be mounting a major assault into northern Iraq from Turkey.

This deception plan worked, and on 2 April Saddam's son Qusay Hussein declared that the American invasion from the
south was a feint and ordered troops to be re-deployed from the Karbala front to the north of Baghdad. Lt. Gen. Raad
al-Hamdani, who was in command of the Karbala region, protested this and argued that unless reinforcements were
rushed to the Karbala gap immediately to prevent a breach, U.S. forces would reach Baghdad within 48 hours, but his
suggestions fell on deaf ears. American troops rushed through the gap and reached the Euphrates River at the town
of Musayib. At Musayib, U.S. troops crossed the Euphrates in boats and seized the vital al-Kaed bridge across the
Euphrates after Iraqi demolitions teams had failed to destroy it in time.

The 10th Armored Brigade from the Medina Division and the 22nd Armored Brigade from the Nebuchadnezzar Division,
supported by artillery, launched night attacks against the U.S. bridgehead at Musayib. The attack was repulsed using
tank fire and massed artillery rockets, destroying or disabling every Iraqi tank in the assault. The next morning, Coalition
aircraft and helicopters fired on the Republican Guard units, destroying many more vehicles as well as communications
infrastructure. The Republican Guard units broke under the massive firepower and the U.S. forces poured through the
gap and onward to Baghdad.

Special operations

Initial infiltration

B Squadron, Delta Force (known as "Wolverines,") accompanied by several Air Force Special Tactics teams, a Delta
intelligence and Target Acquisition, several military working dog teams and two Iraqi—American interpreters, was the
first US SOF unit to enter western Iraq, crossing the border from Ar'ar in 15 customised Pinzgauer 6x6 Special
Operations Vehicles and several armed Toyota Hilux pick up trucks. As part of Task Force 20, their formal role was
to conduct selected high-priority SSE on suspected chemical weapon facilities before heading for the Haditha Dam
complex. Along the way, Delta supported the seizure of H-3 Air Base and also conducted numerous deception
operations to confuse the Iraqis as to the disposition of Coalition forces in west.

Operation Row and Falconer

On 18 March 2003, B and D Squadrons of the British 22nd SAS Regiment had now infiltrated Iraq in full strength
(D Squadron by air and B Squadron by ground) along with 1 Squadron Australian SASR and headed for H-2 and H-3
Air Base. They set up observation posts and called in airstrikes that defeated the Iraqi defenders, the combined British
and Australian Squadrons took H-2 virtually unopposed, H-3 was secured on 25 March with the assistance of members
of Delta Force and by Green Beret ODAs from Bravo company, 1st Battalion 5th SFG; a company of Rangers and
Royal Marines from 45 Commando flew from Jordan to the bases and the base was handed over to them. The SAS
teams moved to the next objective - the intersection of the two main highways linking Baghdad with Syria and
Jordan, where both squadrons were involved in conducting interdictions of fleeing Iraqi leadership targets heading
for Syria.

Previously, 16 (Air) Troop of D squadron conducted mounted reconnaissance of an Iraqi army facility near the Syrian
border, followed by a harassing attack on the site, two other troops had conducted mobile ambushes on Iraqi units
in the area, although they themselves were being hunted by a large Fedayeen Saddam unit mounted in 'technicals.'

In northern Iraq in early March, a small reconnaissance team from M Squadron of the British Special Boat Service
mounted on Honda ATVs inserted into Iraq from Jordan, its first mission was to conduct reconnaissance of an Iraqi air
base at al-Sahara. The team was compromised by an anti-special forces Fedayeen unit and barely escaped thanks to
a U.S. F-15E that flew air cover for the team and the bravery of an RAF Chinook that extracted the team under the
Fedayeen's 'noses'. A second larger SBS operation was launched by M Squadron in full strength in a mix of land rovers
and ATVs into northern Iraq from H-2 airbase, the objective was to locate, make contact and take the surrender of
the Iraqi 5th Army Corps somewhere past Tikrit and to survey and mark viable temporary landing zones for follow-on
forces. However the Squadron was compromised by a goat herder; the SBS drove for several days whilst unknown to
them anti-special forces Fedayeen units followed them. At an overnight position near Mosul, the Fedayeen ambushed
the Squadron with DShK heavy machine guns and RPGs, the SBS returned fire and began taking fire from a T-72, the
Squadron scattered and escaped the well-constructed trap. A number of Land Rovers became bogged down in a nearby
wadi, so they mined the vehicles and abandoned them - though several did not detonate and were captured and
exhibited on Iraqi television. The SBS was now in three distinct groups: one with several operational Land Rovers was
being pursued by the Iraqi hunter force, a second mainly equipped with ATVs was hunkered down and trying to arrange
extraction, the third with just 2 operators on an ATV raced for the Syrian border. The first group tried to call in coalition
strike aircraft but the aircraft couldn't identify friendly forces because the SBS were not equipped with infra-red strobes
- although their vehicles did have Blue Force Tracker units, they eventually made it to an emergency rendezvous point
and were extracted by a RAF Chinook. The second group was also extracted by an RAF Chinook and the third group
made it to Syria and was held there until their release was negotiated, there were no SBS casualties.

Operation Viking Hammer

In the early hours of 21 March 2003, as part of Operation Viking Hammer, a total of 64 Tomahawk cruise missiles struck
the Ansar al-Islam camp and the surrounding sites, the terrorists group - numbering around 700 - had inhabited a valley
near Halabja Iraqi Kurdistan, along with a small Kurdish splinter faction; they had prepared a number of defensive
positions including anti-aircraft machine guns and maintained a facility, that US intelligence suspected, at which chemical
and biological agents may have been developed and stored for future terrorist attacks. Viking Hammer was set to begin
on 21 March, however the ground component of the operation was set back several days owing to the issues around
infiltrating the majority of the 3rd Battalion 10th SFG into Iraq. The Islamic Group of Kurdistan surrendered after
having suffered 100 men killed in the 21 March strikes.

On 28 March 2003, the ground element of Operation Viking Hammer was finally launched with a six-pronged advance,
each prong was composed of several ODAs from 3rd Battalion, 10th SFG and upwards of 1,000 Kurdish Peshmerga
fighters. The main advance set off towards Sargat - the location of the suspected chemical and biological weapons site;
the force was soon pinned down by DShK heavy machine gun fire from the surrounding hills. A pair of US Navy
F/A-18s responded to an urgent CAS request from the force and dropped two 500lb JDAMs on the Ansar al-Islam
machine gun nests and strafed the positions with 20mm cannon before departing due to being low on fuel. The
advance began again only to be halted once more by fire from prepared DShK and PKM machine gun nests,
Green Berets from ODA 081 deployed a Mk 19 grenade launcher from the back of a Toyota Tacoma and suppressed
the gun positions allowing the Peshmerga to assault and wipe out the terrorists. After capturing the town of Gulp, the
force continued onto the village of Sargat; the village was heavily defended by fortified fighting positions mounting
DShKs and mortars along with several BM-21 Grad. Unable to call in airstrikes due to the close proximity of the
Peshmerga, a Green Beret sergeant used a dismounted M2 HMG to suppress the entrenched terrorists, his actions
allowed the Peshmerga to bring forward their own 82mm Mortars and Grads which forced the Ansar al-Islam fighters
to retreat. Task Force Viking advanced to secure the Daramar Gorge - which was surrounded by caves in the rock
walls – the Peshmerga were again engaged by small arms fire and RPGs which it and the ODAs returned fire with heavy
weapons, however it became obvious that they couldn't advance any further without air support. To dislodge the
terrorists, the Combat Controllers attached to the ODAs vectored in US Navy F/A-18s which dropped six 500 lb
JDAMs that shut down any further resistance. During the night, four AC-130 gunships maintained the pressure on
the retreating Ansar al-Islam terrorists as they pulled back toward the Iranian border; the next day, Task Force
Viking seized the high ground and pushed down through the valley - surrounding and killing small pockets of
remnants from Ansar al-Islam. With their objectives completed 3rd Battalion and their Peshmerga returned to the
green line to assist the push on Kirkuk and Mosul. A specialist SSE team was brought in to document the find at
Sargat, the team recovered traces of several chemicals including Ricin along with stocks of NBC protective suits,
atropine injectors and Arabic manuals on chemical weapons and IED construction. Estimates of Ansar al-Islam
dead number over 300, many of them foreign fighters, whilst only 22 Peshmerga fighters were killed.

Special operations in southern Iraq

On 21 March, ODA 554 of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion 5th SFG crossed the border with the United States Marines
to support the seizure of the Rumaylah oilfields which was later secured by UK forces; half the team later drove to the
outskirts of Basra and successfully picked up four Iraqi oil industry technicians who had been recruited by the CIA to
assist in safeguarding the oilfields from destruction, they later rejoined the other half of the team and fought roving
bands of Fedayeen. The ODAs next mission was to work with a CIA-recruited Sheikh and assist British forces in
identifying targets around Basra. The ODA soon established an informant network, they eventually assisted the
British in rounding up some 170 Fedayeen in the city; they were eventually replaced by members of G Squadron
22nd SAS Regiment.

Special operations in northern Iraq

Also In the North, the 10th Special Forces Group (10th SFG) and CIA paramilitary officers from their Special Activities
Division had the mission of aiding the Kurdish parties, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Democratic
Party, de facto rulers of Iraqi Kurdistan since 1991, and employing them against the 13 Iraqi Divisions located near
Kirkuk and Mosul. Turkey had officially prohibited any Coalition troops from using their bases or airspace, so lead
elements of the 10th SFG had to make a detour infiltration; their flight was supposed to take four hours but instead
took ten. On 22 March 2003, the majority of 2nd and 3rd Battalions 10th SFG, from Task Force Viking flew from
their forward staging area in Constanta, Romania to a location near Irbil aboard six MC-130H Combat Talons, several
were engaged by Iraqi air defences on the flight into northern Iraq (one was sufficiently damaged enough that it was
forced to make an emergency landing at Incirlik Air Base). The initial lift had deployed a total of 19 Green Beret ODAs
and four ODBs into Northern Iraq. Hours after the first of such flights, Turkey did allow the use of its air space
and the rest of the 10th SFG infiltrated in. The preliminary mission was to destroy the base of the Kurdish terrorist
group Ansar al-Islam, believed to be linked to al-Qaeda. Concurrent and follow-on missions involved attacking and
fixing Iraqi forces in the north, thus preventing their deployment to the southern front and the main effort of the
invasion. Eventually Task Force Viking would number 51 ODAs and ODBs alongside some 60,000 Kurdish Peshmerga
militia of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

On 26 March 2003, the 173rd Airborne Brigade augmented the invasion's northern front by parachuting into
northern Iraq onto Bashur Airfield, controlled at the time by elements of 10th SFG and Kurdish peshmerga.
The fall of Kirkuk on 10 April 2003 to the 10th SFG, CIA Paramilitary Teams and Kurdish peshmerga precipitated the
173rd's planned assault, preventing the unit's involvement in combat against Iraqi forces during the invasion.

Following the Battle of Haditha Dam, Delta Force handed the dam over to the Rangers and headed north to conduct
ambushes along the highway above Tikrit, tying up Iraqi forces in the region and attempting to capture fleeing
high-value targets trying to escape to Syria.

On 2 April, Delta were engaged by half a dozen armed technicals from the same anti-special forces Fedayeen
that had previously fought the SBS, two Delta operators were wounded (one serious), the squadron requested
an urgent aero medical evacuation and immediate close-air support as a company of truck-borne Iraqi reinforcements
arrived. Two MH-60K Blackhawks carrying a para jumper medical team and two MH-60L DAPs of the 160th SOAR
responded and engaged the Iraqis, which allowed the Delta operators to move their casualties to an emergency HLZ
and they were medevaced to H-1 escorted by a pair of A-10As, however Master Sergeant George Fernandez died.
The DAPs stayed on station and continued to engage the Iraqis, destroying a truck carrying a mortar and several
infantry squads, whilst Delta snipers killed Iraqi infantryman firing on the DAPs, another pair of A-10As arrived and
dropped airburst 500 lb bombs within 20m of Delta positions and killed a large number of Iraqi infantry gathering
in a wadi. The DAPs engaged spotted several Iraqi units and engaged them until they were dangerously low on
fuel.

Task Force Viking launched an operation to seize the town of Ayn Sifni, the town was strategically important because
it straddles the main highway into Mosul, once the town fell, it would be clear for the coalition to advance on Mosul.
ODAs from the 3rd and 10th SFG called in airstrikes on the Iraqi garrisons in and around the town, causing many
of the Iraqi conscripts to flee, by 5 April 2003, there appeared to be only two Iraqi platoons left in the town. On 6
April, ODAs 051, 055 and 056 assaulted the town – ODAs 055 and 056 provided fire support along with Peshmerga
heavy weapons teams, whilst ODA 51 made the actual assault on the town. As ODA 51 cautiously advanced on the
village, it came under intense fire - the two platoons of Iraqis turned out to be closer to battalion strength and
equipped with heavy weapons like 82mm mortars, antiaircraft guns and an artillery piece. After 4 hours of F/A-18
airstrikes and constant heavy weapons fire from ODA 055 and 056, the assault force entered Ayn Sifni; soon
afterwards, Iraqi infantry counterattacked, supported by several mortars, attempting to retake the town, but it was
beaten back by ODA 51 and the Kurds.

On 6 April 2003, ODA 391 and ODA 392 from the 3rd SFG and ODA 044 from 10th SFG with about 150 Kurdish
fighters were the main force involved in the Battle of Debecka Pass.

On 9 April, nine ODAs from FOB 103 encircled Kirkuk after fierce fighting to capture the ridges overlooking the
approaches to the city, the earlier capture of the nearby city of Tuz had largely broken the will of the Iraqi Army and
only the Fedayeen remained in Kirkuk, the first ODA units entered the city the next day, a week later the 173rd
Airborne took over responsibility for the city, after some minor skirmishes the Fedayeen fled. Staging out of
MSS Grizzly, Delta mounted operations to interdict Ba'ath Party HVTs on Highway 1 (Highway 2 and 4 in western
Iraq had been secured by British SAS and Australian SAS teams), on 9 April, the combined team seized an airfield
near Tikrit.

The successful occupation of Kirkuk came as a result of approximately two weeks of fighting that included the Battle
of the Green Line (the unofficial border of the Kurdish autonomous zone) and the subsequent Battle of Kani Domlan
Ridge (the ridgeline running northwest to southeast of Kirkuk), the latter fought exclusively by 3rd Battalion, 10th
SFG and Kurdish peshmerga against the Iraqi 1st Corps. The 173rd Brigade would eventually take responsibility for
Kirkuk days later, becoming involved in the counterinsurgency fight and remain there until redeploying a year later.

On 11 April an advanced element from FOB 102 numbering no more than 30 Green Berets advanced into Mosul,
the advanced had followed several days of heavy airstrikes on three Iraqi divisions defending Mosul; on 13 April,
3rd Battalion 3rd SFG and a battalion from the 10th Mountain Division were ordered to Mosul to relieve the 10th
SFG and their Peshmerga allies. Further reinforcing operations in Northern Iraq, the 26th Marine Expeditionary
Unit (Special Operations Capable), serving as Landing Force Sixth Fleet, deployed in April to Erbil and subsequently
Mosul via Marine KC-130 flights. The 26 MEU (SOC) maintained security of the Mosul airfield and surrounding
area until relief by the 101st Airborne Division.

Battle of Haditha Dam

The Battle of Haditha Dam occurred on 24 March 2003, Rangers from 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, conducted
a combat parachute drop onto H-1 Air Base, securing the site as a staging area for operations in the west. Delta Force
recce operators drove through Iraqi lines around the Haditha Dam on customised ATVs, marking targets for Coalition
airstrikes resulting in the eventual destruction of a large number of Iraqi armoured vehicles and antiaircraft systems.
Delta's reconnaissance of the dam indicated that a larger force would be needed to seize it, so a request was made
and approved for a second Delta squadron from Fort Bragg to be dispatched with a further Ranger battalion, along
with M1A1 Abrams tanks from C Company, 2nd Battalion 70th Armor. C-17 flew the company from Talil to H-1 and
then to MSS (Mission Support Site) Grizzly - a desert strip established by Delta Force located between Haditha and
Tikrit; C Squadron, Delta Force was flown directly to MSS Grizzly.

On 1 April, C squadron, Delta Force and 3/75th Ranger Regiment conducted a night-time ground assault in their
Pinzgauers and GMVs against the Haditha Dam complex. Three platoons of Rangers seized the dams' administrative
buildings with little initial opposition, while a pair of AH-6M Six Guns orbited overhead, soon after daybreak, a Ranger
sniper shot and killed 3 Iraqis carrying RPGs on the western side of the dam and Rangers on the eastern side engaged
a truck carrying infantry, which led to an hour-long contract. South of the dam, another Ranger platoon was securing
the dam's power station and electricity transformer against sabotage, another platoon was occupied establishing
blocking positions on the main road into the dam complex. The blocking positions came under the sporadic mortar fire,
resulting in the AH-6Ms flying multiple gun runs to silence the mortar positions, another mortar team, firing from a small
island was engaged and silenced by a Ranger Javelin team. For five days, Iraqi forces continued to harass the Rangers
at the dam, principally with episodic artillery and mortar fire along with several infantry counterattacks against the
blocking positions; the HIMARS rocket system saw its first combat deployment at the dam – firing counter-battery
missions, 3 Rangers were killed on 3 April by a VBIED at the blocking positions, the car was driven by a pregnant Iraqi
woman acting distressed and asking for water. Rangers captured an Iraqi forward observer dressed as a civilian after
sinking his kayak with .50cal fire, the observer had maps of the Rangers positions.

Objective Beaver

Intelligence indicated that chemical and biological weapons stocks may have been located at a complex known as
al Qadisiyah Research Centre along the shore of the al Qadisiyah reservoir among government and residential buildings,
on the evening of 26 March, a DEVGRU assault element supported by B Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger
Regiment assaulted the complex (codenamed Objective Beaver). Whilst the first of four MH-60Ks inserted the
Rangers into their blocking positions, it was engaged by small arms fire from a nearby building, an AH-6M spotted
the muzzle flashes and fired a 2.75inch rocket into the location silencing the small arms fire, the second MH-60K was
also struck by small arms fire but its door gunner suppressed it. A-10As engaged nearby electricity transformers
successfully blacking out the area, but it resulted in a series of explosions and a resulting fire at the stations that
dramatically lit the sky – pinpointing the orbiting helicopters for enemy gunmen. Small arms fire increased as the
final two MH-60Ks inserted their blocking teams, one Ranger was wounded, the two pairs of AH-6Ms and MH-60L
DAPs supporting the mission continued to suppress targets as the four MH-47Es carrying the DEVGRU main
assault force inserted under heavy enemy small arms fire whilst DEVGRU sniper teams aboard a pair of MH-6Ms
engaged numerous gunmen and vehicles, one Nightstalker crew was wounded as the MH-47Es lifted off. The
SEALs conducted a hasty SSE while the Ranger blocking positions received and returned fire, the AH-6Ms and
the aerial snipers continued to engage enemy gunmen whilst the DAPs pushed further out to ensure no
reinforcements approached - engaging and destroying numerous Fedayeen armed technicals. The SSE took longer
than expected owing to the size and maze-like structure of the building, the mission completed after 45 minutes,
later tests of the material recovered by DEVGRU showed no evidence of chemical or biological weapons at the
Objective Beaver.

Operations in western Iraq

Bravo and Charlie companies of 1st Battalion 5th SFG crossed the Kuwait border at H-Hour with ODA 531 using
breaching demolition charges to clear a path through the sand berms. Charlie company's seven ODAs in 35 vehicles
took the southeastern operation box of the western desert heading towards the towns of Nukyab, Habbariya and
Mudyasis, ODA's 534 and 532 split off to head for the area surrounding Nukyab searching for mobile SCUB-B TEL
launch sites. ODA 532 also inserted a mobile weather station that provided planners with vital real time weather
updates of the battle space. Bravo company set out for the central town of Ar Rutba and H-3 Air Base with six ODAs
and a support ODB (Operational Detachment Bravo). ODAs 523 and 524 searched a suspected Scud-B storage
facility while ODAs 521 and 525 were tasked with clearing several abandoned airfields, with no sign of Scud launchers,
ODA 525 deployed a Special Reconnaissance team to conduct pattern of life surveillance on the town of Ar Rutba.
A two-man team called in a pair of nearby F-16C Fighting Falcons to destroy an Iraqi Army radio direction-finding
facility they had identified. A second reconnaissance team from ODA 525 deployed to cover the two highways leading
to Ar Rutbah, however as the team was compromised by roving Bedouins who informed the Iraqi Army garrison at Ar
Rutbah of the teams presence and location, armed Iraqi technicals crewed by the Fedayeen drove out to search for
them, so the Green Berets mounted their GMVs, left their hide and found a position to ambush the Fedayeen, under
the weight of fire the Fedayeen retreated. ODA 525 attempted to link up with the two-man reconnaissance team and
extract it to safety but large numbers of Iraqi vehicles began driving out of the town to them, the ODAs called in
immediate air support. whilst waiting, the reconnaissance team and Target Acquisition Marines fired on the Fedayeen
leaders with their suppressed MK12 sniper rifle and contacted ODA 521 (whom were clearing suspected east of the town)
and they reinforced ODA 525. Within minutes, F-16Cs arrived and engaged the Fedayeen vehicles, another Fedayeen
convoy attempted to outflank ODA 525 but ran into the guns of ODA 524, after 4 hours of constant and punishing
airstrikes on the encircling Fedayeen, eight GMVs of ODA 521 and 525 managed to extract the exposed reconnaissance
team under the cover of a B-1B strategic bomber, the vehicles withdrew to ODB 520s staging area south of Ar Rutbah.
Over 100 Fedayeen fighters were killed and four armed technicals were destroyed. To the west ODA 523 reinforced
ODA 524, but ran into a pair of armed technicals on the highway, both were destroyed by the GMVs, the Green
Berets ceased fire when a civilian station wagon full of Iraqi children drove into the middle of the firefight. ODA 522
also identified two Fedayeen armed technicals proceeding down the highway toward ODA 523, they set an ambush
for them, destroying the vehicles and killing 15 Fedayeen.

The strategic intent of the US Army Special Forces ODAs had been to shutdown the main supply routes and deny
access around Ar Rutbah and the strategically important H-3 airbase, which was defended by a battalion of Iraqi
troops and significant numbers of mobile and static anti aircraft guns. On 24 March 2003, the surrounding ODAs
supported by Task Force 7 (British Special Air Service) and Task Force 64 (Australian Special Air Service Regiment)
called in constant 24 hours of precision airstrikes on H-3 using SOFLAM target designators, the aerial bombardment
forced the Iraqi military vehicles to leave the base and headed towards Baghdad. ODA 521 over watching the
highway they were travelling on ambushed the convoy destroying a truck mounted ZU-23, the convoy was thrown
into disarray, a sandstorm prevented the ODA calling in airstrikes and the convoy scattered into the desert. Bravo
company 5th SFG and the coalition SOF secured the airfield, finding a Roland surface-to-air missile system, around
80 assorted anti aircraft cannon guns including ZSU-23-4 Shilka, SA-7 grail handheld SAMs and an enormous amount
of ammunition. H-3 was established as an Advanced Operating Base for Bravo company, with supplies delivered by
C-130s and MH-47Es; ODA 581 vehicle checkpoint managed to capture the Iraqi general in command of H-3 as
he was trying to escape in civilian attire, he was secured and flown by an unmarked CIA SAD Air Branch Little Brid
on 28 March for further interrogation. Additionally, ODA 523 discovered what may have been chemical weapons
samples in a laboratory on the grounds of H-3.

Bravo company turned its attention to Ar Rutbah, signals intercepts by SOT-A (Support Operations Team - Alpha)
and an informer network among the Bedouins as well as inhabitants of the town indicated that around 800 Fedayeen
remained in the town; Fedayeen patrols from the town were engaged by surrounding Green Berets and captured.
ODAs guided in precision airstrikes on Fedayeen anti aircraft guns on the outskirts of the town and on top of the
airstrikes, they also struck large groups of Fedayeen militia with Javelin missiles. On 9 April, nine ODAs secured the
main roads into the town an commenced a day of near continuous final airstrikes from fix-wing aircraft and Apache
helicopters. Civilians from the town approached the Green Berets asking them to stop the bombing, the Green Berets
struck a deal with the civilians and they entered the town the next day. A B-52 and 2 F-16Cs flew show of force flights
over the town as the Green Berets entered, the Fedayeen blended in with the population. Within days, the Green Berets
helped the town to elect a mayor and set up markets, get sixty percent of the electricity grid working and repair water
supplies. ODA 521 and 525 continued to operate in the region, stopping several trucks carrying foreign fighters, they
disarmed them, took their details and warned them not to come back before sending them to Syria; in late May, the
teams were replaced by the 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment.

Other special operations

The 2nd Battalion of the U.S. 5th Special Forces Group, United States Army Special Forces (Green Berets) conducted
reconnaissance in the cities of Basra, Karbala and various other locations.

After Sargat was taken, Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 10th SFG and CIA paramilitary officers along with their Kurdish
allies pushed south towards Tikrit and the surrounding towns of Northern Iraq. Previously, during the Battle of
the Green Line, Bravo Company, 3/10 with their Kurdish allies pushed back, destroyed, or routed the 13th Iraqi Infantry
Division. The same company took Tikrit. Iraq was the largest deployment of the U.S. Special Forces since Vietnam.

ODA 563 worked in support of the US Marines around Al Diwaniyah with local Sheikhs and their militias supported by
AV-8Bs and F/A-18s; managing to capture the city of Qwam al Hamza. The following day ODA 563, their local Sheikh
and his militia and a small Force Recon team captured the bridge leading to Diwaniyah and the militia attacked Iraqi
positions over the bridge, forcing the Iraqi army and Fedayeen to flee toward Baghdad whilst being harassed by
Marine Corps aircraft.

Jessica Lynch rescue

Private first class Jessica Lynch of the 507th Maintenance Company was seriously injured and captured after her convoy
was ambushed by Iraqi forces during the Battle of Nasiriyah. Initial intelligence that led to her rescue was provided by an
informant who approached ODA 553 when it was working in Nasiriyah, the intelligence was passed on and Task Force 20
planned a rescue mission. Launching from the recently captured airfield at Talil, the rescue force consisted of 290 Rangers
from 1st and 2nd battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, around 60 SEALs from DEVGRU along with Para Rescue Jumpers
and Combat Controllers from the 24th Special Tactics Squadron conventional Marines from Task Force Tarawa then
currently fighting through the city and aviators from the Army, Marines and Air Force. The plan called for Task Force
Tarawa to conduct a deception mission by seizing the bridges across the Euphrates to draw attention away from the
hospital Lynch was held at, an airstrike by US Marine AV-8 Harriers would be conducted against one of the bridges to
confuse the opposition further and US Marine AH-1W Cobras were tasked to fly over the area to conceal the sound of
incoming SOF helicopters. Air cover as provided by an AC-130 Spectre and a Marine EA-6 Prowler to jam any enemy
SAM systems that might be present. With the deception mission underway, the SEAL and select Ranger elements would
be inserted by MH-60K Blackhawks and four MH-6 Little Birds, supported by four AH-6 attack helicopters and two MH-60L
DAPs, the other Rangers would be flown in by Marine CH-46s and CH-53 transport helicopters to establish a cordon
around the hospital grounds. The main assault force of SEALs would arrive by a ground convoy of AGMS Pandur
forearmed vehicles and GMV trucks whilst the hostage rescue element landed directly on the objective in MH-6 Little
Birds.

At 0100 on 1 April 2003, the Marines commenced their deception mission, CIA elements cut the city's power as the
helicopters approached their objective, the AH-6s led the way, behind them the MH-6s dropped off Task Force 20
sniper teams at strategic locations around and on the hospital. The DAPs and the AH-6s covered the MH-60Ks as
they dropped off assault teams on the hospital roof and another by the front door, the ground assault convoy arrived
and the assaulters raced inside and onto the second floor where Lynch was located. 13 minutes later, a MH-60K
touched down near the hospital entrance with a team of PJs and SOAR medics on board and transported Lynch to
Talil where it rendezvoused with a standby medical flight and then onto Kuwait and finally the United States. The Hospital
was devoid of any Fedayeen, although evidence suggested they were using it as a base; the Ranger blocking teams
experienced some sporadic direct fire, the SEALs and the Rangers eventually recovered the remains of eight members
of Lynch's unit that had been killed or died of their wounds. Task Force 20 carried out the first successful US POW
rescue mission since World War II.

Fall of Baghdad (April 2003)

Three weeks into the invasion, U.S.-led Coalition forces moved into Baghdad. Units of the Iraqi Special Republican
Guard led the defence of the city. The rest of the defenders were a mixture of Republican Guard units, regular army
units, Fedayeen Saddam, and non-Iraqi Arab volunteers. Initial plans were for Coalition units to surround the city
and gradually move in, forcing Iraqi armor and ground units to cluster into a central pocket in the city, and then
attack with air and artillery forces.

This plan soon became unnecessary, as an initial engagement of armored units south of the city saw most of the
Republican Guard's assets destroyed and routes in the southern outskirts of the city occupied. On 5 April, Task Force
1–64 Armor of the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division executed a raid, later called the "Thunder Run", to test remaining
Iraqi defenses, with 29 tanks and 14 Bradley armored fighting vehicles advancing to the Baghdad airport. They met
heavy resistance, but were successful in reaching the airport. U.S. troops faced heavy fighting in the airport, but
eventually secured the airport.

The next day, another brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division attacked into downtown Baghdad and occupied one of the
palaces of Saddam Hussein in fierce fighting. U.S. Marines also faced heavy shelling from Iraqi artillery as they attempted
to cross a river bridge, but the river crossing was successful. The Iraqis managed to inflict some casualties on the U.S.
forces near the airport from defensive positions but suffered severe casualties from air bombardment. Within hours of
the palace seizure and with television coverage of this spreading through Iraq, U.S. forces ordered Iraqi forces within
Baghdad to surrender, or the city would face a full-scale assault. Iraqi government officials had either disappeared or
had conceded defeat, and on 9 April 2003, Baghdad was formally occupied by Coalition forces. Much of Baghdad
remained unsecured however, and fighting continued within the city and its outskirts well into the period of occupation.
Saddam had vanished, and his whereabouts were unknown.

On 10 April, a rumor emerged that Saddam Hussein and his top aides were in a mosque complex in the Al Az'Amiyah
District of Baghdad. Three companies of Marines were sent to capture him and came under heavy fire from rocket-propelled
grenades, mortars, and assault rifles. One Marine was killed and 20 were wounded, but neither Saddam or any of his top
aides were found. U.S. forces supported by mortars, artillery, and aircraft continued to attack Iraqi forces still loyal to
Saddam Hussein and non-Iraqi Arab volunteers. U.S. aircraft flying in support were met with Iraqi anti-aircraft fire. On
12 April, by late afternoon, all fighting had ceased. A total of 34 American soldiers and 2,320 Iraqi fighters were killed.

Many Iraqis celebrated the downfall of Saddam by vandalizing the many portraits and statues of him together with
other pieces of his cult of personality. One widely publicized event was the dramatic toppling of a large statue of Saddam
in Baghdad's Firdos Square. This attracted considerable media coverage at the time. As the British Daily Mirror reported.

          For an oppressed people this final act in the fading daylight, the wrenching down of this ghastly symbol of the
          regime, is their Berlin Wall moment. Big Moustache has had his day."

As Staff Sergeant Brian Plesich reported in On Point: The United States Army in Operation Iraqi Freedom,

       The Marine Corps colonel in the area saw the Saddam statue as a target of opportunity and decided that the statue
       must come down. Since we were right there, we chimed in with some loudspeaker support to let the Iraqis know
       what it was we were attempting to do...

      Somehow along the way, somebody had gotten the idea to put a bunch of Iraqi kids onto the wrecker that was
      to pull the statue down. While the wrecker was pulling the statue down, there were Iraqi children crawling all over
      it. Finally they brought the statue down.

The fall of Baghdad saw the outbreak of regional, sectarian violence throughout the country, as Iraqi tribes and cities
began to fight each other over old grudges. The Iraqi cities of Al-Kut and Nasiriyah launched attacks on each other
immediately following the fall of Baghdad to establish dominance in the new country, and the U.S.-led Coalition quickly
found themselves embroiled in a potential civil war. U.S.-led Coalition forces ordered the cities to cease hostilities
immediately, explaining that Baghdad would remain the capital of the new Iraqi government. Nasiriyah responded
favorably and quickly backed down; however, Al-Kut placed snipers on the main roadways into town, with orders
that invading forces were not to enter the city. After several minor skirmishes, the snipers were removed, but tensions
and violence between regional, city, tribal, and familial groups continued.

U.S. General Tommy Franks assumed control of Iraq as the supreme commander of the coalition occupation forces.
Shortly after the sudden collapse of the defense of Baghdad, rumors were circulating in Iraq and elsewhere that there
had been a deal struck (a "safqua") wherein the U.S.-led Coalition had bribed key members of the Iraqi military elite
and/or the Ba'ath party itself to stand down. In May 2003, General Franks retired, and confirmed in an interview with
Defense Week that the U.S.-led Coalition had paid Iraqi military leaders to defect. The extent of the defections and their
effect on the war are unclear.

U.S.-led Coalition troops promptly began searching for the key members of Saddam Hussein's government. These
individuals were identified by a variety of means, most famously through sets of most-wanted Iraqi playing cards.
Later during the military occupation period after the invasion, 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 a massive fire-fight. Saddam Hussein himself was captured on 13 December 2003 by the U.S. Army's
4th Infantry Division and members of Task Force 121 during Operation Red Dawn.

Other areas


U.S. special forces had also been involved in the extreme south of Iraq, attempting to occupy key roads to Syria
and airbases. In one case two armored platoons were used to convince Iraqi leadership that an entire armored
battalion was entrenched in the west of Iraq.

On 15 April, U.S. forces took control of Tikrit, the last major outpost in central Iraq, with an attack led by the Marines'
Task Force Tripoli. About a week later the Marines were relieved in place by the Army's 4th Infantry Division.

Coalition aircraft flew over 41,000 sorties, of which over 9,000 were tanker sorties.

Bush declares "End of major combat operations" (May 2003)

On 1 May 2003, Bush landed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, in a Lockheed S-3 Viking, where he gave a
speech announcing the end of major combat operations in the Iraq war. Bush's landing was criticized by opponents
as an unnecessarily theatrical and expensive stunt. Clearly visible in the background was a banner stating "Mission
Accomplished." The banner, made by White House staff and supplied by request of the United States Navy, was
criticized as premature. The White House subsequently released a statement that the sign and Bush's visit referred
to the initial invasion of Iraq and disputing the charge of theatrics. The speech itself noted: "We have difficult work to
do in Iraq. We are bringing order to parts of that country that remain dangerous." Post-invasion Iraq was marked
by a long and violent conflict between U.S.-led forces and Iraqi insurgents.

MAP Reference
1.  Allied participation in operation Iraq Freedom,  Washington D.C.: Center of Military History United States Army, 2011.
     Source PDF file : https://history.army.mil/html/books/059/59-3-1/CMH_59-3-1.pdf