MARCH 19, 2003: Bush launches invasion of Iraq

The Fighting Began with an Aerial Bombardment

US Ground Troops Quickly Advanced Toward Baghdad

The US Military Topples Saddam: APRIL 9, 2003

APRIL 11, 2003---Massive Looting Begins as US Soldiers Watch

MAY 1, 2003: President Bush Declares Major Combat Operations Over

Summer 2003-Spring of 2004: The Insurgency (rebellion) Grows

AUGUST 20, 2003: The UN Mission in Baghdad is Bombed

Who Were the Insurgents?Ba’athists Who Didn’t Want to Give up Power

Other Sunnis Who Resented the American Occupation of Their Towns and Villages

Al Qaeda in Iraq Led By Zarqawi---They Wanted To Defeat America and Establish a Sunni Islamic State. They Used Car Bombings to Maximize Chaos.

Shiite Militias, Including Sadr’s Mahdi Army`

These Groups fought for control of Iraq’s Govt. and To Protect Shiites Against Sunni Groups. They often randomly abducted and kIlled Sunnis and engaged in criminal behavior

MARCH 31, 2004---4 US Contractors are Murdered in Fallujah, a Sunni Town

In Response: The US Attacks Insurgents in Fallujah, Destroying the

City

SEPTEMBER 7, 2004: Death toll of U.S. soldiers in Iraq reaches 1,000

Desperate to Learn More About the Insurgents, US Soldiers Used Abusive Tactics During Interrogations of Iraqis

APRIL 28, 2004: Pictures of US Soldiers Humiliating, Abusing and Killing Iraqis at

Abu Grhraib Prison Comes to Light

Many (Maybe Most)of the Prisoners Are Innocent Civilians –And These Pictures Were

Soiled America’s Reputation Across the World

The Insurgency Gained Strength, and More Iraqi Civilians and US Soldiers Died

Sunni Militants Increasingly Targeted Shiite Civilians and Shiite Shrines, Hoping to Create Civil War

February 22, 2006: Iraq’s Golden Mosque in Samarra badly damaged in a bomb

attack that fuels sectarian tensions

In 2006, Shiites Increasingly Struck Back, and Sectarian (Shiite vs. Sunni) Violence Soared

JANUARY 10, 2007: Faced with escalating violence in Iraq Bush announces “Troop Surge.”

sending 20,000 additional American soldiers.

The Surge Brought Safety for Many

2006--The Sunni Awakening Began. This involved the US Paying Former Insurgents to Work With the US and

To fight Al Qaeda. Together the Surge and the Awakening Dramatically Reduced Violence

In 2007-2008 Violence Came Dramatically Down