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War Begins
President Bush declares that the US military effort in Iraq has begun. "We are in the early phases of a comprehensive and coordinated effort," the president declares. The initial air attack attempt to "decapitate" Iraq's government fails, paving the door for a military invasion. -
A Regime Crumbles
The Iraqi Army is soon overwhelmed by US, British, and other coalition forces, however those loyal to Saddam Hussein who will form the backbone of a postwar insurgency battle on. Iraqi residents and US forces demolish a monument of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad's Firdos Square three weeks after the invasion. -
Mission Accomplished
From the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, President Bush proclaims the end of significant combat operations in Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld dismisses lawlessness and occasional skirmishing in the country as desperate acts of "dead-enders." -
Aces Fall
Saddam Hussein's sons, Uday and Qusay, are slain by US forces during a raid in the northern city of Mosul, as violence begins to crystallize into organized opposition to the US-led occupation. Saddam Hussein and several of his senior aides had yet to be found in the manhunt that culminated to their deaths. -
Saddam Captured
U.S. forces uncover Saddam Hussein sheltering in a one-man bunker near his boyhood home of Tikrit after receiving reports from the dictator's bodyguard and family members. Military officials hail the capture as a possible turning point, and Washington expresses hope that the growing bloodshed will subside. -
Mutilation in Fallujah
Al-Qaeda in Iraq launches a series of suicide bombs in Baghdad and Karbala, targeting Shiite sacred sites. The assaults kill hundreds of people, inflaming sectarian tensions. Meanwhile, four American contractors are slain, burnt, and hung from a bridge in Fallujah, with video of the massacre being broadcast around the world. -
Retaliation
The captors of US businessman Nicholas Berg record his execution and broadcast it on a jihadist website, blaming Abu Ghraib. Berg, according to the US authorities, was assassinated by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the founder of al-Qaeda in Iraq. -
Signs of Democracy
2005 is an election year for Iraq, and a symbol of optimism for Washington, despite violent outbursts. After voting in Iraq's constitution referendum in the fall, Shiites flash victory signs—ink-stained fingers—in front of a picture of Shiite leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Iraqis voted for their first full-term administration two months later, giving Shiites a majority in parliament. -
Sparks in Samarra
The golden Shiite shrine in Samarra is destroyed by Sunni militants. The bombing sets off a wave of sectarian violence in Baghdad's Shiite Sadr City region, which spreads across the country. Later, analysts refer to the Samarra strike as the beginnings of sectarian bloodshed. -
Maliki Named Prime Minister
December 2005 elections bring the Shiite United Iraqi Alliance into power, and in April 2006, the party names Nouri al-Maliki prime minister. Maliki is a longtime Iraqi politician with close ties to Iran. He forms a unity government with Iraqi Kurds and Sunnis the next month. -
Zarqawi Killed
A US-led air attack in Baquba kills Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the commander of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. Both Americans and Iraqis condemned his violent campaign of suicide bombs, kidnappings, and beheadings. Washington is cautiously optimistic that his death would deter the insurgency. -
Saddam's Day in Court
The former ruler of Iraq is sentenced to death by hanging at the conclusion of his trial. Shiites in the south took to the streets to celebrate. Sunni terrorists to the north of Baghdad have vowed vengeance. A bailiff tries to hush Saddam in the courtroom as the judgement of "guilty of crimes against humanity" is read out. -
Saddam Executed
After a quarter-century of cruel, totalitarian tyranny, Saddam Hussein is hanged, holding a Quran. President Bush claims Saddam received "the type of punishment he denied the victims of his terrible government," but a widely distributed video showing him being abused by his executioners taints an already divisive judgement. -
The Surge
Saddam Hussein is hung, carrying a Quran, after a quarter-century of ruthless, totalitarian rule. President Bush declares Saddam got "the sort of punishment he denied the victims of his horrible dictatorship," but a widely circulated video showing him being mistreated by his executioners taints an already polarizing verdict. -
The Awakening
Sunni tribal members, many of whom were once rebels, are being recruited by US soldiers to fight al-Qaeda-linked extremists in Iraq. The "Awakening" begins in Anbar Province, but quickly sweeps throughout Iraq. Gen. David H. Petraeus and others credit the technique with reducing insurgent bloodshed in the second half of 2007. -
Day of Death
While security in Iraq's core regions improves, expectations for peace in northern Iraq are dashed when coordinated suicide vehicle attacks demolish Yazidi communities west of Mosul. Hundreds of people are killed or injured in the bloodiest hit since the conflict began. -
Iraqis Out Front
Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, is handed over to Iraqi forces by British soldiers. A primary coalition priority is to train and equip Iraqi security forces to take over security tasks. Despite modest improvement in comparably peaceful areas, Basra remains dominated by extremists and criminal gangs more than a year after Britain handed it up. -
Signs of Political Progress
A new law reverses parts of the 2003 "de-Baathification" program, allowing certain former Baathists to rejoin to government. However, progress on other "benchmarks" set by Washington, including as an oil revenue-sharing law and new province elections, has been slow. -
Crackdown on Shiite Militias
Assailants loyal to Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr assault US and Iraqi security troops in Baghdad and Basra, in the southern port city of Basra. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki responds by launching a crackdown on Sadrists, persuading some – but not all – that he is a national leader above sectarianism. -
A Change of Leadership
President Bush names Gen. David Petraeus, the US leading general in Iraq, to oversee Central Command, putting him in charge of both the Iraq and Afghanistan operations. Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, Petreaus' former No. 2 in Iraq, has been named the new commanding general in Iraq. -
Obama Wins the White House
On November 4, Barack Obama is elected president of the United States, campaigning on a promise to remove combat troops from Iraq within sixteen months after assuming office. Three weeks later, the Iraqi parliament passes a pair of accords establishing future military and civilian relations between Washington and Baghdad, reaffirming the US military's intention to leave by 2011. -
The Drawdown Begins
President Obama fulfills a campaign promise by announcing plans to pull combat troops from Iraq by August 2010. Until the end of 2011, he plans to leave a transitional force of 35,000 to 50,000 troops and marines to train, equip, and advise Iraqi security forces. Many see this as the start of the end of the war, but some experts are concerned about the pace. -
Combat Operations End
The US formally terminates its combat operation in Iraq after more than seven years of war, 4,400 US deaths, and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians slain. President Barack Obama emphasizes the war's shared sacrifices in a speech to the country, while emphasizing that the US would not forsake Iraq. Obama stated, "In the end, only Iraqis can resolve their conflicts and police their streets." "What America can and will do is give both friend and partner assistance for the Iraqi people." -
Ending the War
President Barack Obama says that the remaining 39,000 US soldiers would leave Iraq by the end of 2011, bringing the almost nine-year conflict to a close and ushering in "a new era in the US-Iraq relationship." The president's remarks come after US and Iraqi officials failed to reach an agreement on a residual presence of US trainers. -
Final U.S. Troops Leave
The final American troops depart Iraq, bringing an end to a nearly nine-year military engagement. More than a million airmen, soldiers, sailors, and Marines have served in the nation since 2003. The war was expensive, costing the US Treasury $800 billion and killing roughly 4,500 Americans and well over 100,000 Iraqis. With a ceremony in Baghdad two days previously, US forces officially ended the mission.
