Fall of Baghdad and

Occupation

Fall of Baghdad

• April 9, 2003 fall of statue of Saddam in downtown Baghdad – most memorable image

• Marines largely welcomed, applauded upon arrival• Premature victory in U.S. is celebrated…comparison to Israel• Col. Jonny Brooks, “We can easily win the fight but lose the peace. If we do

not give the people positive signals, and soon, that Iraq is getting better rapidly, and that they have hope, then the gunmen will start appearing and taking shots at U.S. military. Then the suicide bombers will appear.”

• “Mission Accomplished” May 1, 2003• Mission as defined, getting rid of regime, was accomplished

Looting• In the days after Saddam’s regime fell vandalism swept over Baghdad• Mobs of looters attacked government buildings incl. museum• Took valuables and everything they could pry off walls and floors• U.S. military couldn’t control or stop the looters• Soldiers were waiting to go home• Gave perception that U.S. didn’t know what to do next• “It wasn’t like all hell broke loose. It was more like the situation eroded.”

-Special Operations officer• Sent message that we either didn’t care, or were incapable of acting• Bad start to occupation• Experts predict that Saddam’s supporters will move underground (take off

uniforms and blend w/ the people) or move to Syria to wait and plan a counterattack

The Occupation

• Peacekeeping mission vs. war• Various leaders take various approaches• Cultural misunderstandings• Lack of soldiers and soldiers not properly

trained/prepared for counterinsurgency• From liberators to occupiers

Fallujah

• Home to Baathist Party operatives• Opposition assumed to be nonexistent by U.S.• Patrols were seen as an insult to personal dignity, core

value in Iraqi culture• April 28 (Saddam’s b-day) 82nd Airborne Division is

attacked w/ grenade, they shot civilians the next day• Leads to fighting for years to come• 5 different units in 1 year…led to mistrust of U.S.

Tikrit• Saddam’s hometown• Marine’s handed city over to Army• Marine’s considered the area peaceful• Had established relations with local tribal leaders• Area was self-governing, businesses operating• Trust and mutual respect established• Army came in very aggressively, used intimidation w/ weapons• Army officials refuse to attend meeting with local leaders• Situation deteriorates under Army control

Search for WMDs

• No WMDs ever found• Stockpiles of conventional weapons did exist• Military didn’t bomb bunkers full of conventional

weapons for fear that they contained WMDs• Insurgents armed themselves w/ these weapons• Search for WMDs pulled valuable people away from

other areas of war

Unemployment and Instability• Iraqi military provided structure, discipline & credibility in Iraq• U.S. strongly advised to keep military and use them as aid to

Coalition Forces• Could be used to maintain order, suppress militias, put an Iraqi face

on security and reconstruction• Bremer replaces Garner, disbands Iraqi army & national police force

upon arrival• Leaves 300,000-400,000 unemployed, angry, humiliated men• Also fires former Baathist Party members from National Ministries

as part of de-Baathification policy• Garner shut down state-run industries, aim at free-market

economy

The Insurgency

• 3 needs of insurgencies: arms, finances, recruits

• Arms – Provided in un-guarded weapons caches

• Finances – Coalition didn’t immediately control borders, allowed people to flee w/ money to Syria

• Recruits – unemployed military, police, and Baathist leaders

Isolating the U.S.• Attacks on allies of U.S. effort – divide the coalition• Iraqi security forces• Red Crescent (Red Cross)• Politicians • United Nations- headquarters attacked by truck bomb, killed 22,

wounded 70+• UN cut its staff from 800 to 15 in Iraq• UN had acted has bridge between Americans and some Iraqis• Other international organizations begin to pull out, the World Bank,

IMF, Oxfam

The IED• Inexpensive, low-tech• Number one threat to U.S. soldiers• Hardwired at first, soldiers learned to follow wire to kill person on

other side• Within months most were remote-controlled using cell phone, car

alarm transmitters, toy car controllers• 155 mil. Artillery shells, TNT, mortar rounds, plastic explosives• Hidden in piles of trash, dead dogs, stalled out trucks or busses

forcing convoys to stop• Soldiers spied on spots and used snipers to kill IED planters

IEDs Cont.• Solders trained to stop 200ft short when IED was spotted• Started planting IED in open, then hid more up the road where

troops would stop• Planted them in tree branches• Car bombs- vehicle-borne IEDs• IED cells: 6-8 people, planner/financer, bomb maker, planter,

triggerman, security, cameraman – propaganda• Reactive, armored vehicles, jamming frequencies• Made soldiers scared of operating around the people

The Green Zone• Section of Baghdad including CPA and government headquarters• CPA- Coalition Provisional Authority• “Never-never land” “Oz” behind walls of Saddam’s old palace

complex• Isolated from chaos in rest of country• New York area code, houses with hot tubs and maids, high school

lunch room food• Gym and drinking only nightlife • Home to 7,000 or so• Drove wedge between occupation authority and Iraqi people

Abu Ghraib

• Oct-Dec 2003• Large numbers of detainees picked up in

security “sweeps” leads to overcrowding• Not enough troops to manage prisons• Prisoner abuses• Inexperience of soldiers• Tarnished U.S. effort in Iraq• Violation of Geneva Conventions• Internet photos & international reaction