The following outline is provided as an overview of, and topical guide to, the Iraq War.
The Iraq War was a protracted armed conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011, which began with the invasion of Iraq by a United States-led coalition that overthrew the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein. The conflict continued for much of the next decade as an insurgency emerged to oppose the coalition forces and the post-invasion Iraqi government. US troops were officially withdrawn in 2011. The invasion occurred as part of the George W. Bush administration's war on terror following the September 11 attacks.
Overview of articles
Top level overview articles
Iraq War 2003 invasion of Iraq
Major overview subdivisions
Prelude to the Iraq War Rationale for the Iraq War Occupation of Iraq (2003–2011) American occupation of Ramadi Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011) Anbar campaign (2003–2011) Fallujah during the Iraq War Execution of Saddam Hussein (2006) Iraqi civil war (2006–2008) Iraq War troop surge of 2007 Withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq (2007–2011)
Timelines Timeline of the Iraq War Timeline of the 2003 invasion of Iraq Timeline of the Iraq War troop surge of 2007 Iraq disarmament timeline 1990–2003 Timeline of Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda link allegations Timeline of the Plame affair
Years in Iraq 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Background to the Iraq War Historical background Cold War Iraqi–Kurdish conflict British foreign policy in the Middle East Iraq–United Kingdom relations United States foreign policy in the Middle East Iraq–United States relations
Before 1990 14 July Revolution Ramadan Revolution 17 July Revolution Iranian Revolution 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge Iran–Iraq War United States support for Iraq during the Iran–Iraq War British support for Iraq during the Iran–Iraq War Arms-to-Iraq affair (Scott Report) Iraqi chemical attacks against Iran Anfal campaign Iran–Contra affair
1990–2001 Gulf War (1990–1991) Iraqi invasion of Kuwait Nayirah testimony International sanctions against Iraq (1990–2003) Iraqi uprisings (1991) Iraqi no-fly zones conflict (1991–2003) Operation Provide Comfort United Nations Special Commission regarding Iraq's use of weapons of mass destruction (1991–1998) Oil-for-Food Programme (1995–2003) Oil-for-Food Program Hearings (2004–2005) Iraq Liberation Act (1998) 1998 bombing of Iraq September 11 attacks (2001) Motives for the September 11 attacks Aftermath of the September 11 attacks Authorization for Use of Military Force of 2001 Patriot Act War on terror 2001 anthrax attacks War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) United States invasion of Afghanistan (2001)
Participants of the Iraq War
Multi-National Force – Iraq
Balad Air Base Multi-National Division – Baghdad Multinational Division Central-South Multi-National Division (South-East) Multi-National Force West Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq
March 2003 invasion forces United States Foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration United Kingdom (until May 2011) Australia (until July 2009) Al Muthanna Task Group Poland (until October 2008) Polish zone in Iraq
Other contributors Denmark (April 2003–2008) South Korea (May 2003–2008) Italy (July 2003–2006) Plus Ultra Brigade (July 2003–2004) Georgia (August 2003–2008) Ukraine (August 2003–2008) Thailand (September 2003–2004) Japan (2004–2006)
Iraq
Ba'athist Iraq (until April 2003) Coalition Provisional Authority (2003–2004) Republic of Iraq
Insurgent groups
Ba'athist insurgents
Sunni insurgents
Shi'a insurgents
Private militaries Private militias in Iraq Private military company § Iraq Aegis Defence Services Asgaard – German Security Group Blackwater (company) Custer Battles DynCorp KBR, Inc. Unity Resources Group
Others Canada Iran
Prelude
Failed Iraqi peace initiatives United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441 2003 United States–British–Spanish Draft Resolution on Iraq
Rationale for invasion
Colin Powell's presentation to the United Nations Security Council Human rights in Ba'athist Iraq Iraq and weapons of mass destruction Allegations of Iraqi mobile weapons laboratories Curveball (informant) Iraq disarmament crisis Iraqi aluminum tubes Iraqi biological weapons program Niger uranium forgeries Iraq War and the war on terror Mohamed Atta's alleged Prague connection Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda link allegations Wood Green ricin plot
Media and communications of the Iraq War
Documents Articles are sorted chronologically.
Public relations, propaganda and disinformation
Slogans, symbols and neologisms
Battles of the Iraq War
All battles are sorted in chronological order.
Invasion phase (2003)
First insurgency phase (2003–2006)
2003 battles
Battle of Majar al-Kabir Ramadan Offensive (2003)
2004 battles
2005 battles
Civil war (2006–2008)
2006 battles
2007 battles
2008 battles
Second insurgency phase (2008–2011)
Operation Augurs of Prosperity 2008 Abu Kamal raid Battle of the Palm Grove
Economics of the Iraq War Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP) Development Fund for Iraq (DFI) Economic reform of Iraq Financial cost of the Iraq War Allegations of misappropriations related to the Iraq War Investment in post-invasion Iraq Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) Task Force Shield
Human rights and war crimes in the Iraq War Human rights in post-invasion Iraq Humanitarian crises of the Iraq War
Casualties Casualties of the Iraq War List of private contractor deaths in Iraq
Estimates of Iraqi casualties
Iraq Family Health Survey (2008) Lancet surveys of Iraq War casualties (2004, 2006) Iraq Body Count project (2003–2011) ORB survey of Iraq War casualties (2007, 2008)
Chemical weapons Chlorine bombings in Iraq White phosphorus munitions § Use by US forces in Iraq
Disease 2007 Iraq cholera outbreak
Ethnic and religious attacks Attacks are sorted in chronological order.
2003 attacks
2004 attacks
2005 attacks
2006 attacks
2007 attacks
2008 attacks
2009 attacks
2010 attacks
2011 attacks
Hostages and kidnapping
Foreign hostages in Iraq Hostage Working Group
Hostage-taking and kidnapping by insurgents
June 2006 abduction of United States soldiers in Iraq May 2007 abduction of United States soldiers in Iraq Abduction of Russian diplomats in Iraq Christian Peacemaker hostage crisis Kidnapping of Angelo dela Cruz Nepal hostage crisis
Hostage-taking and kidnapping by coalition forces
Kidnapping of Jalal Sharafi United States raid on the Iranian Liaison Office in Erbil
Prisons and torture
Iraq prison abuse scandals Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse Camp Bucca Camp Cropper Camp Nama Invasion of Iraq prisoner escapes Iraq War prisoners of war (category) United States prisoners of war in the 2003 invasion of Iraq United States prison operations in the Iraq War Ghost detainees Wolf Brigade (Iraq)
Torture methods
Copper Green Enhanced interrogation techniques Five techniques
Refugees and internal displacement Internally displaced persons in Iraq Refugees of Iraq Assyrian exodus from Iraq Diavata refugee camp Iraqi Refugee Camp, West Azerbaijan List Project
Targeted violence Sectarian violence in Iraq Violence against academics in post-invasion Iraq 2003 Palestinian exodus from Iraq War crimes by U.S.-led coalition forces War crimes are listed in roughly chronological order.
War crimes by the Iraqi Army
2011 raid on Camp Ashraf
Other human rights topics
Archaeological looting in Iraq Damage to Baghdad during the Iraq War United States kill or capture strategy in Iraq
Law and the Iraq War
Legality of the Iraq War Iraqi sovereignty during the Iraq War
Case law
UK case law
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs v Rahmatullah
US case law
Commissions, inquiries and reports
Unofficial commissions
Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Commission
Courts-martial
United States v. Hasan K. Akbar United States v. Manning
International law
International Criminal Court and the 2003 invasion of Iraq United States and the International Criminal Court American Non-Governmental Organizations Coalition for the International Criminal Court United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI)
Resolutions, agreements and legislation
De-Ba'athification
100 Orders Coalition Provisional Authority Order 1 Coalition Provisional Authority Order 2 Coalition Provisional Authority Order 17
United Nations Security Council resolutions (2003–2011)
Saddam Hussein
Capture of Saddam Hussein (December 2003) Interrogation of Saddam Hussein (2003–2004) Trial of Saddam Hussein (2005–2006) Execution of Saddam Hussein (December 2006) Reactions to the execution of Saddam Hussein
Governments, elections and referendums of the Iraq War
Governments
Governments of Iraq
Revolutionary Command Council (1968–2003) Coalition Provisional Authority (2003–2004) Iraqi Governing Council (2003–2004) Iraqi Interim Government (2004–2005) Iraqi Transitional Government (2005–2006) Federal government of Iraq (since 2006) Governments of Nouri al-Maliki (2006–2010, 2010–2014) 2006 Iraqi government formation 2010 Iraqi government formation
Governments of the United Kingdom Premiership of Tony Blair (1997–2007) Premiership of Gordon Brown (2007–2010) Premiership of David Cameron (2010–2016)
Governments of the United States Presidency of George W. Bush (2001–2009) Presidency of Barack Obama (2009–2017)
Elections and referendums
In Iraq
In the United Kingdom 2001 United Kingdom general election 2005 United Kingdom general election 2010 United Kingdom general election
In the United States 2000 United States presidential election 2004 United States presidential election 2008 United States presidential election
Protests against the Iraq War
Protests are sorted in chronological order.
Anti-Iraq War groups Groups are sorted in alphabetical order.
Scandals and controversies of the Iraq War Scandals and controversies are sorted in roughly chronological order.
American scandals and controversies
British scandals and controversies
190th Fighter Squadron, Blues and Royals friendly fire incident Death of David Kelly Al Jazeera bombing memo
Other scandals and controversies
Iraq leak, Finland Hood event, Turkey
Views on the Iraq War
Aftermath of the Iraq War
Aftermath in Iraq
Memorials
Lists of the Iraq War
See also
Contemporaneous conflicts in Iraq
Iran–PJAK conflict (from 2004) Kurdistan Workers' Party insurgency List of Turkish operations in northern Iraq December 2007 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq 2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq August 2011 Turkey–Iraq cross-border raids 2011 Hakkâri attack
References
Notes
Citations
External links
A timeline of the Iraq War – PBS News Hour (March 7, 2023) CPA Official Documents – official documents of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), archived at the University of North Texas Iraq Body Count website Iraq Body Count database