The 2003 conflict
When Saddam didn’t leave Iraq, the United States and its allied forces attacked on March 20. They started by bombing a place where Saddam might be. Then, they bombed other places in Iraq. American soldiers came from the south, while some were already in the north with Kurdish friends. Many Iraqi soldiers didn’t fight much, and there wasn’t much damage when they left.
In the south, American soldiers faced some trouble from Saddam’s supporters. In the middle of Iraq, Saddam’s special guards tried to protect Baghdad. American soldiers moved toward Baghdad along rivers, avoiding places where they might meet more trouble. They stopped for a bit because of bad weather but started again soon. They took control of Baghdad’s airport on April 4. Iraqi people didn’t fight much, and Baghdad fell on April 9. Basra, in the south, was taken by British soldiers on the same day.
In the north, American plans were stopped by another country, Turkey, but some American soldiers still reached there. American soldiers, along with Kurdish friends took Kirkuk on April 10 and Mosul on April 11. Saddam’s hometown Tikrit fell easily on April 13. Some of Saddam’s supporters kept fighting, but the big fighting ended on May 1. Saddam was caught on December 13, 2003,and later punished for his crimes.
Iraq War: Summary, Causes, Dates & Facts
Iraq War: The Iraq War, which lasted from 2003 to 2011, had two main parts. First, there was a short war in March–April 2003. The United States and Great Britain, along with some other countries, invaded Iraq and quickly defeated Iraqi military forces.
Then, there was a longer phase where the United States led an occupation of Iraq, but faced opposition from insurgents. Violence started to decrease in 2007, and the United States began to bring its troops home, completing the withdrawal in December 2011. Around 4,500 American soldiers were killed, and about 32,000 were wounded during the conflict.
In this article, we will talk about the Iraq War: what happened, why it happened, when it took place, and some important facts about it.
Table of Content
- Iraq War: Overview
- Iraq War Background
- Iraq War: Interesting Facts
- The 2003 conflict
- Iraq War: Occupation and Continued Warfare
- Iraq War: Causes
- Iraq War: Timeline
- Iraq War: Consequences
- Iraq War: Summary