Combatants of the Iraq War
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2018) |
The combatants of the Iraq War include the
Invasion
 United States and allies
|
 Ba'athist Iraq
|
 Ansar al-Islam
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|---|---|---|
United States United Kingdom Australia PolandMilitary support: Iraqi National Congress[1][2][3] |
Ba'athist Iraq
|
Post-invasion
Spillover
Syria
Syrian government and allies
|
 Syrian opposition and allies Al-Qaeda and allies
|
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
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|---|---|---|
Syrian government
|
 Syrian opposition
Jabhat Ansar al-Din
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Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
|
Coalition troop deployment
The Multinational Force in Iraq is a military
Troop numbers
As of September 2009, all non-U.S. coalition countries have withdrawn their troops.
United States – 128,000
United Nations
The United Nations deployed a small contingent to Iraq to protect UN staff and guard their compounds. The U.N. mandate for this force expires in August 2009.[citation needed]
United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (
Fiji: 219 blue-helmets
Denmark: 2 military observers
New Zealand – 1 military observer
United Kingdom – 1 military observer
Austria – 1 military observer
NATO
Several NATO member-states have deployed instructors to Iraq to train Iraqi security and military forces in conjunction with the MNF:
Armed Iraqi groups
The
Insurgents
By fall 2003 these insurgent groups began using typical
There is evidence that some guerrilla groups are organised on a large scale, most likely by the Fedayeen Saddam, Ba'ath loyalists, religious radicals and nationalist Iraqis that are angered by the occupation.[12]
Militias
Two of the most powerful current militias are the Mahdi Army and the Badr Organization, with both militias having substantial political support in the current Iraqi government. Initially, both organisations were involved in the Iraqi insurgency, most clearly seen with the Mahdi Army at the Battle of Najaf. However, in recent months, there has been a split between the two groups.
This violent break between Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army and the rival Badr Organization of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, seen in the fighting in the town of Amarah on October 20, 2006, would severely complicate the efforts of Iraqi and US officials to quell the soaring violence.[13]
More recently in late 2005 and 2006, due to increasing sectarian violence based on either tribal/ethnic distinctions or simply due to increased criminal violence, various militias have formed, with whole neighborhoods and cities sometimes being protected or attacked by ethnic or neighborhood militias. One such group, known as the Anbar Awakening, was formed in September 2006 to fight against Al Qaeda and other radical Islamist groups, in the particularly violent Anbar province. Led by Sheik and Abdul Sattar Buzaigh al-Rishawi, who heads the
Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Al-Qaeda is a group which is playing an active role in the
)See also
- List of armed groups in the War in Iraq (2013–2017)
- Belligerents in the Syrian civil war
- List of armed groups in the Yemeni Civil War
- List of armed groups in the Second Libyan Civil War
- List of armed groups in the Syrian civil war spillover in Lebanon
References
- ^ Graham, Bradley (April 7, 2003). "U.S. Airlifts Iraqi Exile Force For Duties Near Nasiriyah". Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 8, 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
- ^ John Pike (March 14, 2003). "Free Iraqi Forces Committed to Democracy, Rule of Law – DefenseLink". Globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on September 10, 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
- ^ "Deploying the Free Iraqi Forces – U.S. News & World Report". Usnews.com. April 7, 2003. Archived from the original on February 4, 2004. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
- ^ Kim Ghattas (April 14, 2003). "Syrians join Iraq 'jihad'". BBC News. Archived from the original on September 21, 2011. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
- ^ "Arab volunteers to Iraq: 'token' act or the makings of another Afghan jihad?". Archived from the original on November 27, 2011. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
- ^ Partlow, Joshua (December 7, 2007). "List of 'Willing' U.S. Allies Shrinks Steadily in Iraq". Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 30, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
- ^ Abramowitz, Michael (September 10, 2008). "Most Members of Iraq Coalition Preparing to Pull Up Stakes - washingtonpost.com". Washingtonpost.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2008.
- ^ Insurgent Ambush Kills 24 Iraqi Police October 27, 2006 Archived February 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- Knight-Ridder. Archived from the originalon October 7, 2008. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
- ^ Arun, Neil (October 10, 2005). "Shaped bombs magnify Iraq attacks". BBC News. Archived from the original on December 19, 2008. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
- ^ "Comprehensive Report of the Special Advisor to the DCI on Iraq's WMD" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "Iraqi attacks could signal wide revolt". The Seattle Times. June 30, 2003. Archived from the original on March 4, 2008. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
- ^ Semple, Kirk (October 20, 2006). "Attack on Iraqi City Shows Militia's Power". New York Times. Archived from the original on January 27, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^ Wong, Edward (March 3, 2007). "In Lawless Sunni Heartland of Iraq, a Tribal Chief Opposes the Jihadists, and Prays". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 11, 2008. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
- ^ "Al-Qaeda in Iraq names new head Archived January 12, 2009, at the Wayback Machine", BBC News, June 12, 2006.
- ^ Tran, Mark. "Al-Qaida in Iraq leader believed dead", The Guardian, May 1, 2007.
