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The History GuyThe War in Iraq

(2003-Present)

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The History Guy Website

The 3rd Persian Gulf War

(The Iraq War)

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Also see: Medals of Honor Awarded for the Wars

in Iraq and Afghanistan--Controversy swirls oversmall number of Medals of Honor awarded in

current wars.-*NEW*

On March 19, 2003, American and British forcesbegan the Third Persian Gulf War, a conflict which

may become popularly known as "Gulf War 2" or the"Second Iraq War," or some other designation. The

U.S. government already calls this conflict "OperationIraqi Freedom." Regardless of what it is called, this

conflict is by far the first truly major war of the 21st

Century. While considered by many to be another partof the "War on Terror," it is in many ways separateand unique in its own right. In scope of preparation

and potential consequences, the new war in Iraq by farovershadows the earlier invasion of Afghanistan.

**Note: The History Guy Website considers this the

ThirdPersian Gulf War, following two previousmajor international wars involving Iraq in the Persian

Gulf region. The First Persian Gulf Warlasted from1980 to 1988 and pitted Iraq against Iran. The Second

Persian Gulf Warbegan in 1990 with Iraq's invasionand occupation of Kuwait and ended in 1991 with a

Coalition of nations under United Nations authorityand led by the United States which forcibly ejected the

Iraqi military from Kuwait.

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Name of Conflict| Belligerents | Conflict Dates |

Conflict Type | Related Conflicts | Causes|

Description| Consequences| | Sources | Links |

Saddam Hussein |

NAME OF CONFLICT: The Third Persian Gulf

War

ALTERNATE NAMES: The War on Iraq,"Operation Iraqi Freedom", The Second U.S.-Iraq

War, Gulf War II (US), "Operation Telic", 5th Anglo-Iraq War (UK), "Operation Falconer" (AUS)

BELLIGERENTS:

United States, Great Britain, Australia, Poland,

Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain,

United Arab Emirates, Patriotic Union ofKurdistan (PUK)

**Nations and groups in red denote actual combatinvolvement thus far.

vs.

Iraq, Ansar al-Islam (Supporters of Islam)

terrorist/guerrilla group & Komala Islami

Kurdistan (Islamic Society of Kurdistan)

terrorist/guerrilla group

DATES OF CONFLICT:

BEGAN: March 19, 2003 -Coalition bombing of

Iraq began

Read the History Guy

Weblog--New

Pakistan's Violent PoliticalHistory Continues With

Bhutto's Assassination--posted Dec. 27, 2007

Casualties in the SomaliWar--posted Dec. 2, 2007

Musharraf's Martial Law

Endangers the War onTerror--posted on Nov. 4,

2007

Biography: PervezMusharraf--posted on

Nov.4, 2007

Kurds At War: Turkey, Iraq,

and Iran--posted on October22, 2007

Stormfront: The

Consequences of September11 and America's Wars

Around the World--postedon Sept. 11, 2007

The Calm Before TheStorm: The World of

September 10, 2001--postedon Sept. 10, 2007

Mid-East War Fears: Israel

Versus Syria Again?--posted on Aug. 14, 2007

France at War: French

Victories and Defeats--posted May 11, 2007


4/16

ENDED: Continuing

TYPE(S) OF CONFLICT: Inter-State

RELATED CONFLICTS:

PREDECESSOR: (Related conflicts which

occurred before)

The Second Persian Gulf War(1990-1991)

Iraqi Shiite Revolt of 1991

Iraqi Kurdish Revolt of 1991

The "No-Fly Zone War" (1991-2003)

CONCURRENT: (Related conflicts occurring at

the same time)

The War on Terror (2001- )Afghanistan War(2001- )

SUCCESSOR: (Related conflicts that occur later)

CAUSES OF CONFLICT:

There are several basic reasons for the second majorwar between a United States-led coalition and Iraq.

First, there was the lingering tension and hostility leftover from the Gulf Warof 1991, in which Iraqi

occupation troops were forced out of Kuwait. As aresult of this war, the Iraqi government agreed to

surrender and/or destroy several types of weapons,

including SCUD missiles and various Weapons ofMass Destruction (WOMDs). The United Nationswere allowed to send weapons inspectors to confirm

the destruction of Iraqi weapons and also to search forprohibited weapons believed to be in hiding. Also, two

"No Fly Zones" were established over northern andsouthern Iraq for the protection of Iraqi minority

groups in opposition to the Saddam Hussein

America and France: ALong Relationship Spanning

War and Peace--posted May10, 2007

Cinco de Mayo, 1862: TheBattle Of Puebla --postedMay 5, 2007

The Long War on Terror:

What is in a War's Name?--posted May 3, 2007

Turkey: To Coup, or not toCoup, that, is the question!--

posted May 2, 2007

Canada's Afghan War--posted April 29, 2007.

Pages on the Middle East

The War and ConflictJournal--A weblog

tracking wars andconflicts around the world.

Iraq War

Iraq War: Battles and

Campaigns*New*--Linksand resources on Iraq Warbattles and military

operations.

Iraq War: Prisoner Abuseand Abu Ghraib Links and

Resources*New*--Linksand resources on the Iraq

War's biggest scandal.

The State of Israel--New--

Political, historical,political and economic

information on Israel.

Economic and PopulatonData on Middle Eastern

Nations--New

U.S.-Iran Hostage Crisis--


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government. Over these two zones, Allied aircraftpatrolled the air in order to prevent Iraqi aircraft fromattacking northern Kurds or southern Shiites. Over the

years, Iraqi air-defense forces fired missiles and otherweapons at the Allied warplanes (mostly American

and British planes) in unsuccessful attempts to shootthem down. In response to these attempted shoot-

downs, Allied warplanes often responded by bombingthe air-defense sites and the radar installations

associated with them. (see outside link:http://www.ccmep.org/usbombingwatch/) In 1998,

under Iraqi pressure, the UN weapons inspectors leftIraq, prompting the United States to launch a severe

three-day bombing campaign called "Operation DesertFox." Following this, Iraqi forces significantly

increased attempts to challenge the Allied planes

patrolling the No-Fly Zones, thereby also causing anincrease in the Allied bombing of Iraqi targets.

Second, following the terrorist attacks on the UnitedStates on September 11, 2001, President George W.

Bush's rhetoric implied an (as yet unproven) Iraqiconnection with al-Qaida. Using the potential threat of

Saddam-supplied Weapons of Mass Destruction in thehands of terrorists, the U.S. government increasingly

insisted on total Iraqi disarmament. With initialbacking by the UN Security Council, the United States

encircled Iraq with growing military forces, leadingIraq to permit UN weapons inspectors back into the

country. By early 2003, however, the U.S. and Britishgovernments claimed that Iraq was not cooperating

fully with the UN inspectors. (more detail on theinspectors and the UN debates to follow as time

allows)

On Monday, March 17, 2003, President Bush issuedan ultimatum for Saddam Hussein and his sons to enterinto exile within 48 hours or face military conflict.

Saddam defiantly refused, thereby setting the stage forBush's order for war to begin.

New

War List of Middle East

Conflicts--New

Wars of Iraq--New

Anglo-Iraqi Wars--New

The Gulf War/DesertStorm/1st Iraq War

War Casulties by Country

(March 19, 2003 to Present(10.24.10)

Iraq-- Iraqi government

forces since the Shiitegovernment took power in

2006: 7,945

Civilian: At Least 48,927

United States--4,426 killed;31,902 wounded (military

only)

United Kingdom--179

killed, 2,232 wounded

Australia--1

Bulgaria--13

Denmark--7

El Salvador--5

Estonia--2

Georgia-3

Hungary--1

Italy--33

Kazakhstan--1

Latvia -31


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DESCRIPTION/TIMELINE OF CONFLICT:

On March 19, 2003, at 5:34 AM in Iraq, (6:34 PM onthe U.S. West Coast), U.S. Stealth bombers and

Tomahawk Cruise Missiles struck "leadership targets"in and around the Iraqi capital of Baghdad to begin the

second major war between a United States-ledCoalition and Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Soon thereafter,

air attacks began against Iraqi targets in southern Iraq,followed by missile attacks from Iraq toward U.S.

military positions in the Kuwaiti desert. The statedgoals of the Coalition were the disarmament of Iraq

and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and his Baathpolitical party.

On the first full day of the war, March 20, U.S. and

British ground forces advanced into southern Iraq,entering the port city of Umm Qasr, near the major

Iraqi city of Basra, while a second wave of air attackshit Baghdad. Over the next several days, Iraqi militia

(known as the Saddam Fedayeen), and holdout troopscontinued to resist Coalition forces, inflicting several

casualties.

By March 23, Coalition forces had seized H-2 and H-

3, airfields in western Iraq, and controlled parts ofUmm Qasr, Basra and Nasiriyah. Armored and

mechanized forces had advanced to within 100 milesof Baghdad and forced a crossing of the Euphrates

River at Nasiriyah, where Iraqi forces put up a stifffight. In northern Iraq, the U.S. launched an attack

with 40 to 50 cruise missiles on forces of two Islamistparties opposed to the Pro-U.S. Patriotic Union of

Kurdistan (PUK). These two groups are Ansar al-Islam (Supporters of Islam), believed associated with

Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida and Komala IslamiKurdistan (Islamic Society of Kurdistan). Also on

March 23, U.S. forces began airlifting troops intoKurdish-controlled northern Iraq in what appears to be

the opening move toward a second front against Iraqiforces.

Also on March 23, Iraqi forces ambush the U.S.

Army's 507th Maintenance Company.

Netherlands--2

Poland--21

Romania--2

Slovakia--4

South Korea-1

Spain--11

Thailand--2

Ukraine--18

Sources:

http://www.globalsecurity.

org/military/ops/iraq_casualties.htm

http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/C3E138A6-503D-

4726-AC58-E6D08757EF8D/0/optelic

_casualtytables.pdf

The Final Roll Call:Afghanistan War Casualyt

Database--Database ofAmerican casualties from

the Afghanistan War.

The Final Roll Call: IraqWar Casualty Database--

Database of Americancasualties from the Iraq

War.

About Us

Bio of the History Guy

Commentary

Site Map--revision in

progress


7/16

March 27: Fierce fighting erupts in the city ofSamawah, where U.S. forces are faced by up to 1,500Iraqi irregulars at a vital bridge over the Euphraties

River. U.S. forces eventually take control of the bridgeand continue the advance to Baghdad. In northern Iraq,

approximately 1,000 paratroopers of the U.S. Army's173rd Airborne Brigade parachuted onto an airfield in

an effort to open a northern front against Iraqi forces.Within days, Kurdish Peshmerga troops of the PUK,

along with U.S. special forces units, assaulted thestronghold of the Ansar al-Islam group along the

Iranian border.

By the tenth day of the war on March 29, U.S. forceshad advanced as far north as Karbala, where large

battles with Iraqi forces took place. Major combat

continued at Najaf, Nasiriyah, Basra and otherlocations as Iraqi guerrilla forces, many of whombelonged to the Saddam Fedayeen, proved to be

formidable forces for the Coalition to overcome.Bombing raids on Baghdad and other Iraqi cities

continued, as did Iraqi attempts to hit Kuwaiti-basedtargets with surface-to-surface missiles. One missile

successfully hit Kuwait City on March 28, inflictingdamage on a shopping mall and causing minor wounds

to two Kuwaitis.

Also on March 29, the first suicide bombing onCoalition forces occurs, killing four American troops

at Najaf.

March 30: Six hundred British commandoes attack

near Basra, destroying Iraqi tanks and capturing nearly300 prisoners.

April 1: U.S. forces rescue Pfc. Jessica Lynch and

recover the bodies of several other members of the507th Maintenance Company.

April 3: U.S. forces reach Saddam InternationalAirport on the outskirts of Baghdad.

April 5: U.S. armored forces enter Baghdad,

conducting a large raid. Such incursions wouldcontinue for several days. Iraqi civilians begin


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widespread looting of the city.

April 7: British forces reach the center of Basra and

declare the city is under Coalition control.

April 9: U.S. troops help Iraqi crowds topple a largestatue of Saddam Hussein. Coalition forces continue to

extend their control over the city.

April 10: Kurdish fighters seize the northern city of

Kirkuk from the Iraqi forces.

April 11: U.S. and Kurdish troops enter Mosul in thenorth.

April 13: U.S. forces enter Saddam's hometown of

Tikrit.

April 15: Tikrit falls and the Coalition declares the war

to be effectively over. Despite this declaration,violence continues, escalating into a low-grade

guerrilla war.

April 16: U.S. forces capture Abu Abbas, a Palestinianterrorist living in Baghdad. Abbas is best-known as the

leader of a group which hijacked the Italian cruise shipAchille Lauro in 1985. Abu Abbas later died in

American captivity.

July 22, 2003: Udai and Qusay Hussein were killed bytroops of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division.

December 13, 2004: Saddam Hussein is captured.

Between mid-April, 2003 and early April, 2004, mosthostile actions were between the Coalition forces and

the old Saddam holdouts and a growing Sunniresistance. Then, on April 4, 2004, as American troops

were already engaged with Sunni insurgents inFallujah, an uprising was launched by the Shiite Mahdi

Army, a militia organized and led by a Shiite cleric,Muqtada al-Sadr.


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CONSEQUENCES OF CONFLICT: (Thus far)

1. Prior to the outset of the war, the Peace/Anti-

War Movement in North America and Europe

grows and conducts many large-scale

demonstrations against President Bush and the

plans for war.

2. In the United States, a well-organized Pro-

War/Pro-Troops Movement forms in order to

challenge the anti-war activists and to support the

President and the U.S. military.

3. Saddam Hussein, recognized leader of Iraq since

1978, loses power, is captured, put on trial by the

new Iraqi government, and executed.

4. Even though major combat ended, as declared

by President Bush on May 1, 2003, the escalating

guerrilla war damages American public support

for the war.

SOURCES:


10/16

Links to the Iraq War

Petraeus Report Web Sites and Articles--From Google

News

ABCNEWS.com: War With Iraq - news, reporters'notebooks, analysis, live and archived audio and

video.

Redeployment of the Jedi--by Colonel Christine D.Cook, USAR. A Personal Experience Monograph

about reintegration of officers when they return homeafter deployment to a combat zone.

Some US forces will face combat after Iraq pullout--Associated Press, Feb. 25, 2009

CBS News.com: America at War- news, headlines,

live audio and video, polls, and other coverage.

Defense Tech - defense and military weblog featuringnews and links. Edited by Noah Shachtman.

y DefenseLINK News: Saddam's DaysNumbered, Rumsfeld Says - news article where

Secretary Donald Rumsfeld names the invasionof Iraq.

Financial Times UK: War in Iraq - news

coverage, analysis, features, and commentaryabout the war in Iraq.

Frontline: The Long Road To War- offers

photos, video, analysis, and an overallchronology of America's long confrontation

with Iraq.

GlobalSecurity.org: Operation Iraqi Freedom -

offers the latest reports about the militaryinvasion of Iraq.

GuardianUnlimited: War with Iraq - Flash

presentation showing locations of Alliedmilitary bases and plans for the air campaign.

Includes a day-by-day attack chronology.


11/16

Timeline of the War--The Guardian Unlimited

Ha'aretz: Showdown With Iraq - features in-

depth coverage of the conflict.

Iraq Body Count - public database of civiliandeaths in Iraq resulting directly from military

action by the USA and its allies in 2003.

Iraq: A Decade of Defiance and Deception -

official White House page.

Los Angeles Times: War With Iraq - includesthe latest news and analysis of the war in Iraq.

Military.com: Eye on Iraq - features news, war

reports, and information on the equipmentbeing utilized.

MSNBC.com: Target: Iraq - news, features,maps, and more.

New York Times: Iraq Navigator- directory of

online resources relating to Iraq and the war inIraq, including military resources, biographies,

statements, organizations, and media coverage.Free registration required.

Operation Iraqi Freedom - features daily

Defense Department news and briefing aboutthe conflict in Iraq.

President Bush Addresses the Nation -transcript and video of President George W.

Bush announcing the start of the war in Iraq onMarch 19, 2003.

President Says Saddam Hussein Must Leave

Iraq Within 48 Hours - transcript and video ofPresident George W. Bush's address to the

nation on March 17, 2003.

Reuters Raw Video - un-narrarated war-relatedvideo footage and live news conferences,

government briefings, and other events.


12/16

Telegraph: Iraq factfile - archive of news andbackground information on the 2003 war inIraq.

Text of a Letter from the President to the

Speaker of the House - features the text of aletter from the President to the Speaker of the

House of Representatives and the President ProTempore of the Senate from March 19, 2003.

Times Online: Iraq - ongoing coverage of the

war in Iraq, including analysis of PrimeMinister Tony Blair's decision to support the

war.

UNEP Conflict and the Environment in West

Asia - series of reports assessing theenvironmental effects and repercussions of

conflict and war in Iraq, Kuwait, and thesurrounding region.

Turning 18 in the middle of a war--By JoelMino--May 1, 2007

War Casualties

The Memory Hole:Military Personnel

Wounded in Iraq & Afghanistan: A PhotoGallery

o Petraeus Report (2007)

Petraeus Report Web Sites and Articles--From

Google News

o

History and Politics Links on Iraq

The Gulf War--History Guy page on the 1990-

1991 Gulf War.

The "No-Fly Zone War" --History Guy page onthe 1991-2003 conflict between the U.S./U.K.

Coalition and Iraq.


13/16

The Iraq Foundation --"is a non-profit, non-governmental organization working fordemocracy and human rights in Iraq, and for a

better international understanding of Iraq'spotential as a contributor to political stability

and economic progress in the MiddleEast."*Descriptive statement is from the Iraq

Foundation website.

DOD 101: United States Military Operations--Fascinating website run by the Federation of

American Scientists. On this site you will findtons of data on US military operations going

back decades.

Iraq History-- A very detailed accounting of

Iraqi/Mesopotamian history covering Biblicaltimes to the Present.

UNSCOM-- The United Nations Special

Commission, the organization that conducts theweapons inspections in Iraq. This page is part

of the UN website.

Iraqi Rulers--Part of the Iraq4ever website.Lists the rulers of Iraq from independence to

the present.

Iraq History--Part of the Iraq4ever website.Includes quite a bit of detail on the history of

Iraq and the Mesopotamia region.

Saddam Hussein

ABCNews.com: Saddam Hussein - Provides

biographical background and links to news stories.

BBC News: Saddam Hussein - His Rise to Power

Biography of President Saddam Hussein, President of

the Republic of Iraq - From the Republic of IraqMinistry of Foreign Affairs.

CNN.com: Hussein - The Man the U.S. Loves to Hate

-Analyzes Hussein's background and motives.


14/16

CNN.com: Transcript of Saddam Hussein's Speech toIraqis - From September 3, 1996.

Emergency Net: Hussein - Offers biographicalbackground.

Iraq Today: Saddam Hussein's Speech - Provides text

of President Hussein's speech on the 11th anniversaryof the Great Victory Day.

Megastories: Saddam's Early Life, the Lust for Power- Provides background on Hussein and his family.

MSN Encarta Encyclopedia: Saddam Hussein -

Features career overview.

Saddam Hussein and His Profile - Critical analysis ofHussein's leadership.

Saddam Hussein, President of Iraq - Features personaland professional background.

Who 2: Saddam Hussein - Features background and

annotated links.

Frontline: The Survival of Saddam - Portrait ofSaddam Hussein's life and the secrets behind his

leadership. Features interviews, rare photographs, andSaddam "music videos."

Gulf War Syndrome Links (from the 1991 war)

Official Government Resources

CDC Persian Gulf War Study Fact Sheet -

Department of Veterans Affairs

Dept. of Veterans Affairs Gulf War Fact Sheet--Includes information on Programs available for Gulf

War Veterans.


15/16

Gulf War Veteran's Homepage--Dept. of VeteransAffairs web page on Gulf War Vets.

GulfLINK--Office of the Special Assistant for the Gulf

War Illnesses. An official Dept. of Defense site.

GulfLINK Declassified Documents - Recentlydeclassified military and CIA documents concerning

Gulf War Illnesses.

SVAC Hearing Testimony-- UNITED STATES

SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS.

Hearings on Persian Gulf War Illnesses.

Senate Veteran's Affairs Committee Press Releases

Gulf War Veterans Links

American Gulf War Veterans Association

Gulf Veteran Resource Pages - the first and primary

source of information on the Web for Gulf WarVeterans suffering the mysterious collection of

maladies known as Gulf War Syndrome.

Gulf War Veterans of Wisconsin - assists Wisconsin

residents affected by the complexities of Gulf Warrelated illnesses. Keeps the public informed of issuesthat affect their veterans' well-being.

Middle East/Arab Links

GulfNet Kuwait--


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KuwaitOnline- Internet source for Kuwait information.

ArabNet: Iraq--

Iraq Action Coalition

National Committee for Missing and POW's Affairs -Kuwait

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Media; Last Modified: 10.24.10

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