Issues for NATO today 1 The War in Iraq

The War in Iraq 1 Iraq under Saddam Hussein had engaged in two previous wars, against Iran in the 1980s and against an American-led alliance in 1991 after it invaded Kuwait. He was then accused of having ‘Weapons Of Mass Destruction’ [chemical, biological and nuclear] with which he could attack the west. This formed the main reason for the actions taken against Iraq.

The War In Iraq 2 American missiles hit targets in Baghdad in the early hours of 20 March, heralding the start of a campaign to remove the Iraqi leader. US and British ground forces entered the country from the south, with the leadership in Baghdad remaining defiant. By 9 April US forces had advanced into central Baghdad and Saddam Hussein's grip on power had withered. Saddam Hussein's regime collapsed in April 2003, three weeks into a major US-led military campaign. UK troops concentrated on taking Basra in the South.

The War In Iraq 3 Baghdad under fire: The skyline of Baghdad lights up under fire from US cruise missiles early in the war. The initial strikes on the 20 March were targeted at Saddam Hussein and his sons. Chemical risk: Throughout the war there were fears that Saddam Hussein could order his troops to use chemical or biological weapons.

The War In Iraq 4 'Shock and awe': The coalition launches a massive aerial assault on targets in Baghdad in a major escalation of the war. Bombs rained down on the Iraqi capital as the US unleashed what it called its "shock and awe" strategy. Fatal mistakes: This US marine supply convoy was destroyed by so-called "friendly fire". Some 40 coalition soldiers died as a result of accidental attacks by their own side during the war.

The War In Iraq 5 Basra encircled: Refugees stream from Basra in southern Iraq, which was encircled by British forces on 22 March. Humanitarian concerns grew for Basra residents when the city's utilities – including the water supply - were cut off. Air power: A British Lynx 2 helicopter sets off for a mission as dusk falls near Basra. Air power was a critical advantage the coalition had over the defending Iraqi forces throughout the campaign

The War In Iraq 6 Baghdad airport falls: The capture of Saddam International airport on the outskirts of Baghdad on 4 April deals a massive psychological blow to the regime. To Baghdad residents the war suddenly seemed very close, and the regime teetering on the brink of collapse. The brink of defeat: With no defence against air strikes, Iraqi tanks were vulnerable. When British forces moved into al-Dawr on the outskirts of Basra on 6 April, few Iraqi units responded in any strength. Many tanks were quickly destroyed.

The War In Iraq 7 The fall of Basra: British troops finally overcome Iraqi resistance and take control of Basra of 6 April. They face an urgent task to restore water, essential services and law and order to the city. The collapse of the regime: In a symbolic move, US soldiers pull down a statue of Saddam Hussein in central Baghdad, cheered on by a crowd of Iraqis.

Mass Grave Sites Part of the grim legacy of Saddam Hussein has been the discovery of mass grave sites across Iraq, some thought to contain thousands of bodies. At one of the largest sites near al- Mahawil, investigators believe the remains of up to 15,000 people could be buried, probably executed by the former regime. Another site near Kirkuk is thought to contain some 2,000 bodies.

Iraq after the war More than 30 countries have contributed troops to the multinational forces in Iraq. The US is overwhelmingly the biggest foreign contributor, followed by the UK, Italy and Poland. On 19 July 2004 there were about 133,000 foreign troops in Iraq, of whom about 112,000 were American. Any major engagement with insurgents is run by US forces, except in the south-east, where British forces take the lead.

Multinational Division South-East: UK troops have been a very important part of the peace keeping and rebuilding in post war Iraq. UK (8,300) Italy (2,800) The Netherlands (1,300) Japan (500) Romania (500) Denmark (400) Norway (130, in the process of leaving) Portugal (124) Czech Republic (90) Lithuania (60) New Zealand (60)

The People More than 26 million people are estimated to live in Iraq. Most Iraqis are Muslim and are divided along religious lines (between Shias and Sunnis) and ethnic lines (between Arabs and Kurds). The mainly-Arab Shias are thought to form a 60% majority and expect to dominate political life after the January election.

Security Unofficial estimates for Iraqi civilian deaths range from at least 15,000 to almost 100,000 since the March 2003 invasion. More than 1,300 US troops have been killed in the same period. Iraq's fledgling security forces are having to deal with a growing insurgency. Iraq says it hopes to increase its security forces from 100,000 to 150,000 by the end of 2005.

Reconstruction Wars and years of sanctions have devastated the oil-rich country's infrastructure. In 2003 the World Bank said Iraq needed $36bn for reconstruction until The US authorities in Baghdad added another $19bn to the estimate, to cover areas such as security and the oil industry. At a special conference held in October 2003, donor nations and institutions pledged to contribute $32bn toward the reconstruction effort. Over half that sum was pledged by the US. By September 2004 only $2.5bn had been released, largely because the security situation has not allowed rebuilding work to proceed.

Government The main aim of the coalition forces is to have a democratically elected government in Iraq. The election of the National Assembly on 30 January marks the start of a transitional period scheduled to end in December The 275-member assembly has two tasks. First to elect a president and two deputies, who in turn must select a prime minister responsible for the day-to-day running of Iraq. Then it must draft a constitution to be ready by 15 August. If it is approved, elections for a new government will be held no later than 15 December.

Withdrawl from Iraq As the Iraq elections happen there is going to be a gradual move out of Iraq. This will mean a gradual change over from … Multi National Forces To Iraqi Security Forces