THE US-IRAQ WAR - YEAR SIX 2009
US Hands over Green Zone Control to Iraq, US Embassy in Iraq Opens, Remaining Non-US Coalition Forces Leave Iraq
Obama Announces End of Combat Mission in Iraq by Aug. 31, 2010, Deadliest Attack of 2009
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| DATES | EVENTS |
Jan. 1, 2009
US Hands over Green Zone Control to Iraq
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Jan. 5, 2009
US Embassy in Iraq Opens
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The largest and one of the most expensive US embassies ever built opens in Baghdad, Iraq. Originally estimated to cost $592 million, the final tally for construction was $736 million. The embassy has over 20 buildings and houses over 1,200 employees on 104 acres, 10 times bigger than the UN complex in New York. The fortress-like compound was built with high security in mind and is surrounded by concrete walls topped with razor wires.
Campbell Robertson "New U.S. Embassy Dedicated in Baghdad as Bombs Explode Elsewhere," New York Times, Jan. 5, 2009 | .jpg "US embassy in Iraq") |
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Jan. 31, 2009
Iraq Holds First Nationwide Elections Since 2005
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Iraq held its first nationwide elections since Jan. 30, 2005. Voters cast ballots in provincial elections that included about 400 different parties with more than 14,000 candidates seeking 440 empty seats. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Dawa Party scored a sweeping victory.
With a 51% voter turnout, election day was reported to be peaceful and smooth. Sunni participation increased at 40%, up from the 2% Sunni turnout due to a Sunni boycott of elections in 2005.
Kate Stanton "Provinicial Elections Test Iraq's Move Towards Democracy," "Online NewsHour," Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) website, Feb. 3, 2009 |
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Feb. 27, 2009
Obama Announces End of Combat Mission in Iraq by Aug. 31, 2010
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.jpg "President Barack Obama announces that by August 31 2010 our combat mission in Iraq will end") |
President Barack Obama announces that "by August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end." His plan includes withdrawing most of the 42,000 troops in Iraq by the summer of 2010. Between 35,000-50,000 troops will stay in Iraq to train and advise Iraqi security forces, hunt terrorist cells, and protect American civilian and military personnel. These "transitional forces" will leave by 2011 in accordance with the Status of Forces Agreement signed on Nov. 27, 2008.
Peter Baker "With Pledges to Troops and Iraqis, Obama Details Pullout," New York Times, Feb. 27, 2009 |
| [Read our question Was the 2008 Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to withdraw US troops from Iraq by 2011 a good agreement?] |
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May 1, 2009
UK Ends Six Years of Combat Operations in Iraq
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British troops end six years of combat operations with the lowering of a British regimental flag to mark the handover to US forces in Basra and a memorial ceremony for the 179 UK troops who died during the conflict. The majority of Britain's 3,700 troops will leave Iraq by the end of May 2009. Around 400 troops will stay to help train naval officers and assist with patrols around oil platforms.
Michael Settle "Brown Hails 'Success' as UK Soldiers Withdraw," The Herald, May 1, 2009 |
| [See our page on the Coalition Forces in Iraq.] |
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June 30, 2009
Iraq Declares a National Holiday as US Troops Withdraw
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"U.S. combat troops, under agreement with the Iraqi government [Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA)], abandoned the country’s cities today amid public celebrations and private concerns over Iraq’s future security.
The government declared today a national holiday and official cars were decorated with streamers and flowers... In a televised ceremony in Baghdad, Prime Minister Nuri al- Maliki guaranteed the government could keep its citizens safe. 'Those who think that Iraqis are not able to protect their country and that the withdrawal of foreign forces will create a security vacuum are making a big mistake...'
The American pullout is a step toward a complete U.S. withdrawal from all of Iraq at the end of 2011. The schedule was set under an agreement reached last November between the Bush administration and the Iraqi al-Maliki’s government. President Barack Obama wants to reduce U.S. troop strength in Iraq, currently at 131,000, to no more than 50,000 by August, 2010." | .jpg "Iraqi police celebrate withdrawal of US troops from Basra on June 30 2009")
Iraqi police celebrate withdrawal of US troops from Basra on June 30, 2009. Source: www.nytimes.com |
| Daniel Williams "U.S. Combat Troops Exit Iraqi Cities Amid Celebration," Bloomberg.com, June 30, 2009 |
| [Read our question: Was the 2008 Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to withdraw US troops from Iraq by 2011 a good agreement?] |
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June 30, 2009
Iraq Begins Major Oil and Gas Auction
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"Iraq will auction off eight giant oil and gas fields... in its first major tender since 2003, giving oil firms a foothold in a country that may hold some of the world's largest untapped energy reserves.
Private jets flew representatives from leading global firms like Exxon Mobil and Total into Baghdad, a city still ringed by blast walls and gripped by violence, to place their bids for the 20-year development contracts.
The companies are wading into a morass of controversy surrounding the deals, which some Iraqi lawmakers condemn as illegal and which even some within the state-run oil industry have criticised for selling Iraq's vast oil wealth short.
Over six years after Saddam Hussein's ouster was supposed to unleash Iraq's oil potential, the auction marks the first real centre-stage moment for the Oil Ministry, under growing pressure to boost disappointing output around 2.4 million barrels a day.
Iraq has proven oil reserves of 115 billion barrels, the world's third largest, but the true amount of black gold sitting beneath Iraq's desolate deserts could be far greater...
Firms from the countries that launched the 2003 invasion, which triggered years of chaos and bloodshed, will be neither favoured nor disadvantaged, [Iraqi officials] say."
Missy Ryan "Iraq Launches Historic Oil and Gas Auction," guardian.co.uk, June 29, 2009 |
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July 2009
Remaining Non-US Coalition Forces Leave Iraq |
"Two days from now [July 31, 3009], there will no longer be any other nations with troops in Iraq - no 'multi' in the Multi-National Force. As Iraqi forces have increasingly taken the lead, the United States is the last of the 'coalition of the willing' that the Bush administration first brought together in 2003.
That is partly because the Iraqi Parliament left suddenly for summer recess without voting to extend an agreement for the British military to keep a residual training force of 100 soldiers in Iraq. As a result, those troops must withdraw to Kuwait by Friday, according to a British diplomat, who declined to be identified in keeping with his government’s practice.
As for the other two small remnants of the coalition, the Romanians and Australians, the Australians will be gone by July 31, too, and the Romanians left last Thursday [July 23]...
Many coalition contributors lost soldiers in Iraq. Britain suffered the most, with 179 killed, since its troops were deployed in the restive southern province of Basra. The other 37 contributors lost a total of 139 soldiers. American fatalities have exceeded 4,300."
Rod Nordland and Timothy Williams "Iraq Forces Soon to Be a Coalition of One," www.nytimes.com, July 29, 2009 |
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Aug. 19, 2009
Deadliest Attack of 2009 |
"At least 95 people have been killed and hundreds injured by a series of co-ordinated bomb attacks in Baghdad today. In the deadliest attack in Iraq this year, and the most audacious one in the capital for several more, truck and car bombs and mortar fire were directed against the main centres of power. The targets included the ministries of finance, foreign affairs, health and housing, as well as the Parliament and Cabinet buildings...
Blast walls surrounding the Foreign Ministry compound, which might have limited the devastation, were removed two months ago. The move was part of a process of 'normalisation' by the Iraqi government, after US troops withdrew from Iraqi cities on June 30...
Today is the sixth anniversary of a truck bombing that hit the United Nations compound in Baghdad, killing 22 people including special envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello."
Oliver August "Scores Dead as Baghdad Rocked by Series of Massive Explosions," www.timesonline.co.uk, Aug. 19, 2009 | .jpg "Iraqi foreign ministry building left at the site of a massive bomb attack on August 19 2009")
Iraqi Foreign Ministry building, left, at the site of a massive bomb attack on Aug. 19, 2009. Source: www.washingtonpost.com |
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THE US-IRAQ WAR - YEAR SEVEN 2010Multi-National Force-Iraq Becomes United States Forces-Iraq, Official End to US Combat Operations in Iraq,
Wikileaks Publishes Classified US Military Logs on the War in Iraq
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| DATES | EVENTS |
Jan. 1, 2010
Multi-National Force-Iraq Becomes United States Forces-Iraq | "The first of January will bring in more than a new year for U.S. troops serving in Iraq; it will also bring them a new name, as the moniker Multi-National Forces-Iraq (MNF-I) is replaced by the new term, U.S. Forces-Iraq.
The dropping of the name 'multi-national' removes one of the last reminders to the 'coalition of the willing' that the Bush administration used to describe the 2003 allied invasion of Iraq and the subsequent effort to stabilize the country.
The long-awaited name change reflects the reality that, since July, only U.S. troops have continued to serve in Iraq...
The move also consolidates U.S. forces into a new command structure ahead of the planned troop reductions scheduled for 2010. By the end of August 2010, the current force levels of 110,000 U.S. troops will be reduced to 50,000 troops who will be serve in a new training mission.
Under the security agreement between the United States and Iraq, all U.S. forces are supposed to be out of Iraq by the end of 2011."
Luis Martinez "The Name Change in Iraq," abcnews.go.com, Jan. 1, 2010 |
Aug. 24, 2010
US Withdraws More Than 90,000 Combat Troops in Iraq | "The U.S. military said on Tuesday [Aug. 24, 2010] it had cut its troops in Iraq to below 50,000 before an Aug. 31 deadline set by President Barack Obama as he seeks to keep a promise to end the war.
The withdrawal of 90,000-plus soldiers, 40,000 vehicles and 1.5 million items from radios to generators has progressed steadily over the past months, despite continuing violence and a political impasse five months after an inconclusive election.
The U.S. military commander in Iraq, General Raymond Odierno, said troop numbers were at around 49,700 and would stay at that level for the next year before a full withdrawal by the end of 2011 agreed in a bilateral security pact...
The end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq comes 7-1/2 years after the invasion launched by former President George W. Bush to topple Saddam Hussein."
Reuters "U.S. Troops in Iraq below 50,000 as Combat Ends," www.reuters.com, Aug. 24, 2010 |
Aug. 31, 2010
Official End to US Combat Operations
in Iraq
| "...[T]onight, I am announcing that the American combat mission in Iraq has ended. Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country.
This was my pledge to the American people as a candidate for this office. Last February, I announced a plan that would bring our combat brigades out of Iraq, while redoubling our efforts to strengthen Iraq’s Security Forces and support its government and people.
That’s what we’ve done. We’ve removed nearly 100,000 U.S. troops from Iraq. We’ve closed or transferred to the Iraqis hundreds of bases. And we have moved millions of pieces of equipment out of Iraq.
This completes a transition to Iraqi responsibility for their own security. U.S. troops pulled out of Iraq’s cities last summer, and Iraqi forces have moved into the lead with considerable skill and commitment to their fellow citizens. Even as Iraq continues to suffer terrorist attacks, security incidents have been near the lowest on record since the war began. And Iraqi forces have taken the fight to al Qaeda, removing much of its leadership in Iraqi-led operations...
Going forward, a transitional force of U.S. troops will remain in Iraq with a different mission: advising and assisting Iraq’s Security Forces, supporting Iraqi troops in targeted counterterrorism missions, and protecting our civilians. Consistent with our agreement with the Iraqi government, all U.S. troops will leave by the end of next year. As our military draws down, our dedicated civilians -- diplomats, aid workers, and advisors -- are moving into the lead to support Iraq as it strengthens its government, resolves political disputes, resettles those displaced by war, and builds ties with the region and the world."
Barack Obama, JD "Remarks by the President in Address to the Nation on the End of Combat Operations in Iraq," www.whitehouse.gov, Aug. 31, 2010 |
Sep. 2010
GAO Report Finds Iraq Has Budget Surplus of $52.1 Billion
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(Click to enlarge)
Table 1: Iraq's Estimated Annual Surpluses and Cumulative Budge Surplus, through 2009
Source: "Iraq Has a Cumulative Budget Surplus, Offering the Potential for Further Cost-Sharing," www.gao.gov, Sep. 2010 |
"Since 2003, the United States has reported obligating about $642 billion for U.S. military operations in Iraq and provided about $24 billion for training, equipment, supplies, facility construction, and other services for Iraqi security forces...
GAO believes that Congress should consider Iraq’s available financial resources when it reviews the administration’s fiscal year 2011 budget request and other potential future budget requests for additional funds to train and equip Iraqi security forces. Iraq generated an estimated cumulative budget surplus of $52.1 billion through December 2009."
"Iraqi-U.S. Cost-Sharing: Iraq Has a Cumulative Budget Surplus, Offering the Potential for Further Cost-Sharing," 1.75 MB Government Accountability Office (GAO), Sep. 2010 |
Oct. 22, 2010
Wikileaks Publishes Classified US Military Logs on the War in Iraq | "Wikileaks has released almost 400,000 secret US military logs, which suggest US commanders ignored evidence of torture by the Iraqi authorities.The documents also suggest 'hundreds' of civilians were killed at US military checkpoints after the invasion in 2003.
And the files show the US kept records of civilian deaths, despite previously denying it. The death toll was put at 109,000, of whom 66,081 were civilians...
Speaking to reporters in Washington on Friday [Oct. 22, 2011], US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she condemned the disclosure and suggested the leaks put lives at risk.
However, Wikileaks said it was confident that the documents - published in a heavily censored form - contain 'no information that could be harmful to any individual'.
Wikileaks says it expects to launch legal proceedings as a result of information contained in the documents."
BBC "Huge Wikileaks Release Shows US 'Ignored Iraq Torture'," www.bbc.co.uk, Oct. 23, 2010 |
THE US-IRAQ WAR - YEAR EIGHT 2011Iraqi Leaders and al-Sadr Debate US Troop Departure,
New US Defense Secretary Leon Panetts Makes First Trip to Iraq, United States Declares Official End to War in Iraq with Final Troop Drawdown |
| DATES | EVENTS |
Jan. 13, 2011
Iraqi Leaders and al-Sadr Debate US Troop Departure | "Iraqi politicians face the contentious question this year of whether to ask U.S. troops to stay beyond an end-of-2011 deadline for their departure. That decision has become far more complicated with the return to Iraq of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr...
The case for an extension centers around concerns that Iraqi forces may not be ready to keep security. Many Sunnis want U.S. troops to stick around for their protection, fearing domination by the Shiite majority. Kurds see the Americans as a guarantee of their autonomous region in the north. And some in the party of Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki also want the U.S. forces to stay.
But al-Sadr, a Shiite who came home last week from nearly four years in voluntary exile in Iran, is a formidable obstacle. He immediately put the government on notice that he and his movement, which is a pivotal member of the ruling coalition, will not tolerate any lingering American troop presence."
Qassim Abdul-Zahra Rebecca Santana "Sadr Return Complicates US Troop Presence in Iraq," abcnews.go.com, Jan. 13, 2011 |
July 10, 2011
New US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta Makes First Trip to Iraq |
.png "US Defens Secretary Leon Panetta at Camp Victory in Baghdad, Iraq") |
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta at Camp Victory in Iraq, in an undated photo.
Source: "World Week Ahead: Panetta Visits Iraq," www.pbs.org, July 11, 2011; photo by US Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey |
"Leon Panetta arrived in Iraq on Sunday [July 10, 2011] on his first trip there as U.S. defense secretary, saying he would press Baghdad on the future U.S. military presence...
The United States is scheduled to withdraw all of its remaining 46,000 troops from Iraq by the end of this year, under the terms of a bilateral security pact -- despite US and Iraqi military concerns about expected gaps in security.
Panetta, who is fresh from a trip to Afghanistan, made hopeful remarks to Congress last month that Iraq's government might eventually ask some U.S. forces to remain beyond 2011. But he was cautious in his comments to reporters in Afghanistan, just before departing for Iraq.
Asked whether he would encourage Iraq to ask some US forces to stay, Panetta said: 'I'll encourage them to make a decision so that we'll know where we're going.'
US officials say that the clock is ticking and that the longer the Iraqis wait, the more difficult it becomes for Washington to say 'yes'."
Reuters "New U.S. Defence Chief in Iraq, to Press on Drawdown," af.reuters.com, July 10, 2011 |
Dec. 15, 2011
United States Declares Official End to War in Iraq with Final Troop Drawdown
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"After nearly nine years of war, the loss of more than 100,000 lives and hundreds of billions of dollars spent, the U.S. military mission in Iraq has formally ended…
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and other top U.S. officials conducted a low-key ceremony on a military base at the Baghdad airport Thursday, furling the flag to signal the official conclusion of one of the most divisive wars in American history…
‘With the departure of the remaining U.S. forces within these last few days to the end of the year, we salute the fact that Iraq is now fully responsible for directing its own path to future security and future prosperity,’ Panetta told about 200 troops and a few Iraqi officials during the 45-minute ceremony…
Only two U.S. bases and about 4,000 troops remain in Iraq, the rear guard of a force that was more than 170,000 strong at the height of the war and once controlled hundreds of bases. The last of the troops will leave this weekend, officials said. About 200 U.S. military personnel will stay in Baghdad to administer arms sales and other limited military exchanges as members of the U.S. diplomatic mission…
The security of civilians is now the responsibility of Iraqi troops and police, visible on virtually every major street in Baghdad, searching passing cars and patrolling avenues. More than a year ago, they took over security responsibilities after U.S. forces withdrew from Iraq's cities…
Of the 16,000 employees expected to be working at the embassy next year, only 1,500 to 2,000 will be State Department staffers. Many of the rest will be security contractors…
Even so, U.S. involvement in Iraq is not over. This week, Iraqi President Nouri Maliki met with Obama in Washington, where they pledged to proceed with a new, vaguely defined ‘equal partnership’ between the nations. Iraq has requested more U.S. military training, the details of which will be negotiated next year. Meanwhile, American military and civilian trainers with the Office of Security Cooperation at the U.S. Embassy train Iraqis to use warplanes and tanks purchased from the U.S.”
Los Angeles Times "'Iraq War 'Not in Vain,' Panetta Says at Withdrawal Ceremony: After Nine Years, the U.S. Military Mission in Iraq Formally Ends,” latimes.com, Dec. 15, 2011 |
Sixth Edition, 2001-2005, "Iraq," www.bartleby.com, Mar. 28, 2007.jpg "President Bush remarks at the United Nations General Assembly September 12 2002.jpg")
Oct. 10-11, 2002.jpg "US Secretary of State Colin Powell addresses the un security council presenting evidence on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq")
.jpg "Bush on USS Abraham Lincoln gives mission accomplished victory speech")
.jpg "Saddam Hussein captured haggard and disoriented")
.jpg "Four Blackwater private security contractors killed and hanged from bridge")
.jpg "Iraqi woman shows purple finger indicating she voted in first competitive election in a half century")
.jpg "Saddam Hussein goes on trial for crimes against humanity")
.jpg "Saddam shouted God is great as chief judge Raouf Abdul Rahman read out the court verdict")
.jpg "Deployment of five additional US army brigades to Iraq")
.jpg "Baghdad wall a 12-foot high three mile long wall separating an historic Sunni enclave from shiite neighborhoods")
.jpg "Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr publicly orders his Mahdi army militia to freeze operations")
.jpg "Iraq prime minister Nouri al-Maliki")
.jpg "Iraq street")
