Iraq War

{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict    = Iraq War
| partof      = the Iraqi conflict and the War on Terror
| image       = {{multiple image|border=infobox|perrow=2/2/2|total_width=300px
| image1 = DM-SD-06-01266.png
| alt1 =
| image2 = SaddamStatue.jpg
| alt2 =
| image3 = Baath Party Headquarters, Baghdad (3148598572).jpg
| alt3 =
| image4 = Type 69 Iraq 1.jpg
| alt4 =
| image5 = Mastiff Armoured Vehicles in Basra MOD 45149762.jpg
| alt5 =
| image6 = Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) DVIDS120182.jpg
}}
**Clockwise from top left:**
Iraqi National Guard troops, 2004; toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue in Baghdad by US forces, 2003; destroyed Iraqi Type 69 tank, 2003; U.S soldier during a leaflet drop from a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, 2008; British armored vehicles on patrol in Basra, 2008; destroyed headquarters of the Ba'ath Party in Baghdad, 2003
| date        = 20 March 2003{{Spaced en dash}}{{End date|df=y|2011|12|18}}
({{Age in years, months and days|2003|03|20|2011|12}})
| place       = Iraq
| result      = Inconclusive
- Invasion and occupation of Iraq
- Overthrow of Ba'ath Party government and execution of Saddam Hussein
- Emergence of significant insurgency, rise of al-Qaeda in Iraq, severe sectarian violence
- Subsequent reduction in violence and depletion of al-Qaeda in Iraq
- Establishment of democratic elections and formation of new Shia led government
- Coalition failure to defeat Iraqi insurgency
- Withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq in 2011
- Stronger Iranian influence in Iraq
- Escalation of sectarian insurgency after U.S. withdrawal leading to the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the successor of al-Qaeda in Iraq
| combatant1  = **Invasion phase (2003)**

{{flag|United States}}

{{flag|United Kingdom}}

{{flag|France}}

{{flag|Australia}}

{{flag|Poland}}

{{flagdeco|Kurdistan}} Peshmerga

**Supported by:**
{{flag|Canada}}
{{flag|Netherlands}}
| combatant2  = **Invasion phase (2003)**
{{flagcountry|Iraq}}
| combatant1a = **Post-invasion
(2003–11)**

{{flag|United States}} <small></small>

{{flag|United Kingdom}} <small></small>

{{flag|Iraq}} <small></small>

{{collapsible list
| bullets = yes
| titlestyle = background:transparent;font-weight:normal;text-align:left;
| title = {{flagicon image|Flag of Multi-National Force – Iraq.png}} MNF–I
<small>(2003–09)</small>
| {{flag|United States}} <small>(2003–09)</small>
| {{flag|United Kingdom}} <small>(2003–09)</small>
| {{flag|Australia}} <small>(2003–-09)</small>
| {{flag|Azerbaijan}} <small>(2003–08)</small>
| {{flag|Kuwait}} <small>(2003–08)</small>
| {{flag|Estonia}} <small>(2003–09)</small>
| {{flag|El Salvador}} <small>(2003–09)</small>
| {{flag|Bulgaria}} <small>(2003–08)</small>
| {{flag|Moldova}} <small>(2003–08)</small>
| {{flag|Albania}} <small>(2003–08)</small>
| {{flag|Ukraine}} <small>(2003–08)</small>
| {{flag|Denmark}} <small>(2003–08)</small>
| {{flag|Czech Republic}} <small>(2003–08)</small>
| {{flag|South Korea}} <small>(2003–08)</small>
| {{flag|Singapore}} <small>(2003–08)</small>
| {{flag|Brunei}} <small>(2003–04)</small>
| {{flag|Croatia}} <small>(2003–08)</small>
| {{flag|Bosnia and Herzegovina}} <small>(2003–08)</small>
| {{flag|Macedonia}} <small>(2003–08)</small>
| {{flag|Latvia}} <small>(2003–08)</small>
| {{flag|Poland}} <small>(2003–08)</small>
| {{flag|Kazakhstan}} <small>(2003–08)</small>
| {{flag|Mongolia}} <small>(2003–08)</small>
| {{flag|Georgia}} <small>(2003–08)</small>
| {{flag|Tonga}} <small>(2004–08)</small>
| {{flag|Japan}} <small>(2004–08)</small>
| {{flag|Armenia}} <small>(2005–08)</small>
| {{flag|Slovakia}} <small>(2003–07)</small>
| {{flag|Lithuania}} <small>(2003–07)</small>
| {{flag|Italy}} <small>(2003–06)</small>
| {{flag|Norway}} <small>(2003–06)</small>
| {{flag|Hungary}} <small>(2003–05)</small>
| {{flag|Netherlands}} <small>(2003–05)</small>
| {{flag|Portugal}} <small>(2003–05)</small>
| {{flag|New Zealand}} <small>(2003–04)</small>
| {{flag|Thailand}} <small>(2003–04)</small>
| {{flag|Philippines}} <small>(2003–04)</small>
| {{flag|Honduras}} <small>(2003–04)</small>
| {{flag|Dominican Republic}} <small>(2003–04)</small>
| {{flag|Spain}} <small>(2003–04)</small>
| {{flag|Nicaragua}} <small>(2003–04)</small>
| {{flag|Iceland}} <small>(2003–unknown)</small>
}}
_Supported by:_

{{flagicon|IRN}} Iran
{{nowrap|{{flag|Iraqi Kurdistan}} }}|{{flag|United States}}|{{flag|United Kingdom}}|{{flag|Australia}}|{{flag|Romania}}|{{flag|Azerbaijan}}|{{flag|Kuwait}}|{{flag|Estonia}}|{{flag|El Salvador}}|{{flag|Bulgaria}}|{{flag|Albania}}|{{flag|Ukraine}}|{{flag|Denmark}}|{{flag|Czech Republic}}|{{flag|South Korea}}|{{flag|Singapore}}|{{flag|Turkey}}|{{flag|Macedonia}}|{{flag|Latvia}}|{{flag|Poland}}|{{flag|Palau}}|{{flag|Micronesia}}|{{flag|Marshall Islands}}|{{flag|Mongolia}}|{{flag|Georgia}}|{{flag|Tonga}}|{{flag|Japan}}|{{flag|Slovakia}}|{{flag|Lithuania}}|{{flag|Italy}}|{{flag|Hungary}}|{{flag|Netherlands}}|{{flag|Portugal}}|{{flag|Philippines}}|{{flag|Honduras}}|{{flag|Dominican Republic}}|{{flag|Spain}}|{{flag|Nicaragua}}|{{flag|Iceland}}
_Supported by:_

{{flagicon|IRN}} Iran
{{nowrap|{{flag|Iraqi Kurdistan}} }}
| combatant2a = **Post-invasion (2003–11)**

{{flagicon image|Flag_of_the_Ba%27ath_Party.svg}} **Ba'ath loyalists**
- Supreme Command for Jihad and Liberation
- Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order
---
**Sunni insurgents**
- {{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda in Iraq.svg}} Al-Qaeda in Iraq (2004–06)
- {{flagdeco|ISIL}} Islamic State of Iraq (from 2006)
- Islamic Army of Iraq
- Ansar al-Sunnah (2003–07)
---
**Shia insurgents**
- {{flagicon image|Flag of Promised Day Brigades.svg}} Mahdi Army
- Special Groups
- Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq
- Others
_supported by:_

{{IRN}}
- {{flagicon image|Seal of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution.svg|border=no}} Quds Force
---
<small>For fighting between insurgent groups, see Sectarian violence in Iraq (2006–08).</small>
| commander1  = {{Flagdeco|Iraq}} Ayad Allawi
{{Flagdeco|Iraq}} Ibrahim al-Jaafari
{{Flagdeco|Iraq}} Nouri al-Maliki
{{flagicon image|Flag of Multi-National Force – Iraq.png|size=23px}} Ricardo Sanchez
{{flagicon image|Flag of Multi-National Force – Iraq.png|size=23px}} George W. Casey, Jr.
{{flagicon image|Flag of Multi-National Force – Iraq.png|size=23px}} David Petraeus
{{flagicon image|Flag of United States Forces – Iraq.png}} Raymond T. Odierno
{{flagicon image|Flag of United States Forces – Iraq.png}} Lloyd Austin
{{flagdeco|United States}} George W. Bush
{{flagdeco|United States}} Barack Obama
{{flagdeco|United States}} Tommy Franks
{{flagdeco|United States}} Donald Rumsfeld
{{flagdeco|United States}} Robert Gates
{{Flagdeco|United Kingdom}} Tony Blair
{{Flagdeco|United Kingdom}} Gordon Brown
{{Flagdeco|United Kingdom}} David Cameron
{{Flagdeco|Australia}} John Howard
{{Flagdeco|Australia}} Kevin Rudd
{{Flagdeco|Italy}} Silvio Berlusconi
{{Flagdeco|Canada}} Walter Natynczyk
{{Flagdeco|Spain}} José María Aznar
{{Flagdeco|Denmark}} Anders Fogh Rasmussen
{{Flagdeco|Poland}} Aleksander Kwaśniewski
| commander2  = **Ba'ath Party**
{{flagdeco|Iraq|1991}} Saddam Hussein{{POW}}
{{flagdeco|Iraq|1991}} Izzat Ibrahim ad-Douri
{{flagicon|Iraq|1991}} Qusay Hussein{{KIA}}
{{flagicon|Iraq|1991}} Uday Hussein{{KIA}}
{{flagicon|Iraq|1991}} Abid Hamid Mahmud{{POW}}
{{flagicon|Iraq|1991}} Ali Hassan al-Majid{{POW}}
{{flagicon|Iraq|1991}} Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti{{POW}}
{{flagicon|Iraq|1991}} Taha Yasin Ramadan{{POW}}
{{flagicon|Iraq|1991}} Tariq Aziz{{POW}}
{{flagicon|Iraq|1991}} Mohammed Younis al-Ahmed

---
**Sunni insurgency**

{{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda in Iraq.svg}} Abu Musab al-Zarqawi{{KIA}}
{{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda in Iraq.svg}} Abu Ayyub al-Masri{{KIA}}
{{flagicon image|Flag of the Islamic State in Iraq.svg}} Abu Omar al-Baghdadi{{KIA}}
{{flagicon image|Flag of the Islamic State in Iraq.svg}} Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
 Ishmael Jubouri
{{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda in Iraq.svg}} Abu Abdullah al-Shafi'i{{POW}}
---
**Shia insurgency**

{{flagicon image|Flag of Promised Day Brigades.svg}} Muqtada al-Sadr
 Abu Deraa
 Qais al-Khazali
{{flagicon image|}} Akram al-Kaabi
- {{flagicon image|Flag of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution.svg|size=23px}} Qasem Soleimani
| strength1   = **Invasion forces** <small>(2003)</small>
309,000

{{flag|United States}}: 192,000

{{flag|United Kingdom}}: 45,000

{{flag|Australia}}: 2,000

{{flag|Poland}}: 194

{{flagicon|Kurdistan}} Peshmerga: 70,000

---
**Coalition forces** <small>(2004–09)</small>
176,000 at peak

**United States Forces – Iraq** <small>(2010–11)</small>
112,000 at activation

**Security contractors** 6,000–7,000 <small>(estimate)</small>

**Iraqi security forces**
805,269 <small>(military and paramilitary: 578,269, police: 227,000)</small>

**Awakening militias**
≈103,000 (2008)
**Iraqi Kurdistan**
≈400,000 <small>(Kurdish Border Guard: 30,000, **Peshmerga** 375,000)</small>
| strength2   =  **Iraqi Armed Forces**: 375,000 <small>(disbanded in 2003)</small>
 Special Iraqi Republican Guard: 12,000
 Iraqi Republican Guard: 70,000–75,000
 Fedayeen Saddam: 30,000
---
**Sunni Insurgents**
≈70,000 <small>(2007)</small>
**al-Qaeda**
≈1,300 <small>(2006)</small>

**Islamic State of Iraq**
≈1,000 <small>(2008)</small>
**Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order**
≈500–1,000 <small>(2007)</small>
| casualties1 = **Iraqi security forces** (post-Saddam)

**Killed:** 17,690

**Wounded:** 40,000+

**Coalition forces**
**Killed:** 4,815 <small>(4,496 U.S., 179 UK, 139 other)</small>

**Missing/captured** (U.S.): 17 (8 rescued, 9 died in captivity)

**Wounded**: 32,776+ <small>(32,252 U.S., 315 UK, 212+ other)</small>
**Injured/diseases/other medical***: 51,139 <small>(47,541 U.S., 3,598 UK)</small>

**Contractors**

**Killed**: 1,554

**Wounded & injured**: 43,880

**Awakening Councils**

**Killed:** 1,002+
**Wounded:** 500+ (2007), 828 (2008)

**Total dead: 25,285 (+12,000 policemen killed 2003–2005)**
**Total wounded: 117,961**
| casualties2 = **Iraqi combatant dead** (invasion period): 7,600–10,800

**Insurgents** (post-Saddam)

**Killed:** 26,544 (2003–11)

**Detainees:** 12,000 (Iraqi-held)

**Total dead: 34,144–37,344**
| casualties3 = **Estimated deaths:**

**_Lancet_ survey**** (March 2003 – July 2006): **654,965** (95% CI: 392,979–942,636)

**Iraq Family Health Survey***** (March 2003 – July 2006): **151,000** (95% CI: 104,000–223,000)

**PLOS Medicine Study****: (March 2003 – June 2011): **405,000** (95% CI: 48,000–751,000), in addition to 55,000 deaths missed due to emigration.

**Documented deaths from violence:**

Iraq Body Count (2003 – 14 December 2011): **103,160–113,728** civilian deaths recorded, and **12,438** new deaths added from the Iraq War Logs
**Associated Press **(March 2003 – April 2009): **110,600**