POLI+390+S14+Iraq+1


 * IRAQ**


 * Big-picture chronology of the material on this wiki page.**


 * 1990s**

The Gulf War foreshadows conflicts to come in the George W. Bush administration

Wolfowitz's proposal for a new unilateral foreign policy of preemption and toughness []
 * [use here the Timeline: The Evolution of the Bush Doctrine**]

Al Qaeda's international terror network slowly comes into focus for US intelligence


 * 2001**

The George W. Bush presidency begins

Rumsfeld sets out to transform the US military

Iraqi exiles (Ahmed Chalabi) lobby Washington policy-makers


 * 11 September 2011**: America is under attack

The war cabinet gathers at Camp David; Iraq is discussed

CIA takes the lead in Afghanistan against Al Qaeda and the Taliban Bin Laden escapes US offensive at Tora Bora

Planning for Iraq War begins


 * 2002**

Detainees from the war in Afghanistan start arriving at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

President Bush warns of an "Axis of Evil": North Korea, Iran, and Iraq

The State Department and Pentagon clash over postwar planning

The internal battle over whether Bush should keep trying diplomacy at the United Nations http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/blair/etc/cron.html
 * [use here the Timeline: Failure of Diplomacy]**


 * 2003**

President Bush's State of the Union address: essentially a declaration of war

Secretary Powell makes the case for war at the UN

General Shinseki testifies on force level needed to invade, occupy Iraq

The Invasion of Iraq []
 * [use here the Timeline: Invasion of Iraq]**

US troops help Iraqis pull down Saddam Hussein's statue

Widespread looting escalates in Iraq

Things seem to be spinning out of control: Rumsfeld appoints Paul Bremer to take charge http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/yeariniraq/cron/
 * [use here the Timeline: The Lost Year in Iraq**]

General Jay Garner picked to handle postwar Iraq

Bremer's De-Baathification order/Bremer's disbanding of Iraqi army

The insurgency grows

Prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib


 * 2004**

No weapons of mass destruction are found

Battle of Fallujah (April 2004)

Sovereignty is transferred to the Iraqis (28 June 2004)

Bremer leaves Iraq

Following are the Timelines taken from several FRONTLINE websites.

A. Timeline: The Evolution of the Bush Doctrine B. Timeline: Failure of Diplomacy C. Timeline: The Invasion of Iraq in 2003 D. Timeline; The Lost Year in Iraq (April 2003 to June 2004)

[]
 * A. TIMELINE: THE EVOLUTION OF THE BUSH DOCTRINE**

Feb. 28, 1991 The Gulf War's Ragged Ending; U.S. Decides on Containment Policy for Iraq

With a Gulf War cease fire declared, President Bush, Defense Secretary Dick Cheney and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell believe Saddam's hold on Iraq is tenuous. Bush urges Iraqis to rise up. They do, and within days Saddam has lost control of southern Iraq. But the rebellion is soon overwhelmed by Saddam's forces, which include helicopter gunships, and Bush orders U.S. troops not to intervene. It is estimated that thousands of Shiites were killed.

The failed uprising is a defining moment for neo-conservatives such as Richard Perle, William Kristol, and Paul Wolfowitz. Wolfowitz complains that the U.S. inaction is comparable to "idly watching a mugging." With Saddam clinging to power, Bush decides on a containment strategy towards Iraq: tough U.N. inspections, economic sanctions, and no-fly zones to protect the Kurds in the north and south of the country.

1992 First Hints of a Preemption Strategy

Paul Wolfowitz, under secretary of defense for policy (the Pentagon's third-highest ranking civilian), takes the lead in drafting an internal set of military guidelines, called a "Defense Planning Guidance," which is routinely prepared every few years by the Defense Department. Wolfowitz's draft argues for a new military and political strategy in a post-Cold War world. Containment, it says, is a relic of the Cold War. America should talk loudly, carry a big stick, and use its military power to preempt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). And if America has to act alone, so be it. (Read excerpts from the Wolfowitz draft.) Controversy erupts after the draft is leaked to the press. The White House orders Defense Secretary Cheney to rewrite it. In the new draft there is no mention of preemption or U.S. willingness to act alone.

Jan. 20, 1993 Bill Clinton Becomes President; Iraq Containment Policy Continues

During the Clinton administration, Saddam repeatedly pushes the envelope on U.N. inspections and sanctions. For a detailed chronology of Saddam Hussein's battles with U.N. weapons inspectors, see FRONTLINE's 1999 report "Spying on Saddam." In 1995, Saddam's son-in-law, who is head of Iraq's WMD program, defects and tells inspectors about Iraq's arsenal. Armed with the new information, the U.N. inspectors raid Iraq's main biological weapons plant and destroy the equipment and growth medium. But most of the chemical and biological weapons the inspectors believe to have been manufactured is never found.

Jan. 26, 1998 Hawks Send Open Letter to Clinton

A group of neo-conservatives, who have formed The Project for a New American Century, argue for a much stronger U.S. global leadership exercised through "military strength and moral clarity." In an open letter to Clinton, the group warns that the policy of containing Iraq is "dangerously inadequate." They write: The only acceptable strategy is one that eliminates the possibility that Iraq will be able to use or threaten to use weapons of mass destruction. In the near term, this means a willingness to undertake military action as diplomacy is clearly failing. In the long term, it means removing Saddam Hussein and his regime from power. That now needs to become the aim of American foreign policy. The letter's signatories include Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, William Kristol, and other current members of George W. Bush's administration, including Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Under Secretary of State for Arms Control John Bolton.

Summer-Fall 1998 Saddam Blocks Weapons Inspectors

In early August, Saddam suspends cooperation with weapons inspectors and on Oct. 31 shuts down all inspections. The inspectors say they have evidence that Saddam had created thousands of tons of chemical and biological agents and that he is working on a nuclear device. In November, Clinton -- in the midst of the Monica Lewinsky scandal -- orders a bombing campaign against Iraq, but calls it off at the last minute when U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan works out a deal in which Iraq promises to unconditionally cooperate with U.N. inspectors. Within days of the inspectors' return, however, Iraq returns to intimidation and withholding information.

Dec. 16-19, 1998 Operation Desert Fox

U.S. and British military forces launch a four-day air and cruise missile campaign against approximately 100 key Iraqi military targets to punish Saddam for defying U.N. weapons inspections. On Dec. 16, the day the bombing begins, the U.N. withdraws all weapons inspectors. [Inspections will not resume in Iraq until November 2002, following passage of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441.]

March 1999 George W. Bush Considers Presidential Run

Bush sets up an exploratory committee for a presidential campaign and foreign policy experts descend on Austin, Texas, to help prepare him for a White House run. His tutors include both neo-conservative hawks, such as Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld, and pragmatic realists, including Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. During the campaign, neither side will really know where it stands with the candidate.

Jan. 20, 2001 The George W. Bush Presidency Begins

Both hawks and realists present Bush with candidates for foreign policy posts in the new administration. The hawks end up with three important jobs: Lewis "Scooter" Libby becomes Cheney's chief of staff, Donald Rumsfeld becomes secretary of defense, and Paul Wolfowitz becomes deputy secretary of defense. But Colin Powell's nomination as secretary of state is viewed as a formidable counterweight to the Pentagon hawks. The two groups express varying views on how to deal with Saddam Hussein. The hawks develop a military option and push for increased aid to the Iraqi opposition. Colin Powell advocates "smart sanctions" that would allow more humanitarian goods into Iraq, while tightening controls on items that could have military applications.

Sept. 11, 2001 Terrorists Attack World Trade Center and Pentagon

In his address to the nation on the evening of Sept. 11, Bush decides to include a tough new passage about punishing those who harbor terrorists. He announces that the U.S. will "make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them." To many observers, the president's words set the tone and direction for the Bush administration's policy on Afghanistan and Iraq.

Sept. 13, 2001 Wolfowitz versus Powell

Two days later, Wolfowitz expands on the president's words at a Pentagon briefing. He seems to signal that the U.S. will enlarge its campaign against terror to include Iraq: "I think one has to say it's not just simply a matter of capturing people and holding them accountable, but removing the sanctuaries, removing the support systems, ending states who sponsor terrorism. And that's why it has to be a broad and sustained campaign." Colin Powell and others are alarmed by what they view as Wolfowitz's inflammatory words about "ending states." Powell later responds during a press briefing: "We're after ending terrorism. And if there are states and regimes, nations that support terrorism, we hope to persuade them that it is in their interest to stop doing that. But I think ending terrorism is where I would like to leave it, and let Mr. Wolfowitz speak for himself."

Sept. 15, 2001 Camp David Meeting: Iraq Debated

Four days after the Sept. 11 attacks, Bush gathers his national security team at Camp David for a war council. Wolfowitz argues that now is the perfect time to move against state sponsors of terrorism, including Iraq. But Powell tells the president that an international coalition would only come together for an attack on Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan, not an invasion of Iraq. The war council votes with Powell. Rumsfeld abstains. The president ultimately decides that the war's first phase will be Afghanistan. The question of Iraq will be reconsidered later.

Sept. 20, 2001 Speech by President Bush to Joint Session of Congress

Bush's address to Congress builds on his speech on the night of Sept. 11: "We will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime." Bush's speech also outlines a vision for a strong American leadership in the world, a leadership that would project America's power and influence: "Freedom and fear are at war. The advance of human freedom -- the great achievement of our time, and the great hope of every time -- now depends on us. Our nation -- this generation -- will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future. We will rally the world to this cause by our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail."

Jan. 2002 State of the Union Speech Signals Possible Action in Iraq

Bush's State of the Union address introduces the idea of an "axis of evil" that includes Iraq, Iran, and North Korea, and signals the U.S. will act preemptively to deal with such nations.

"We'll be deliberate, yet time is not on our side. I will not wait on events, while dangers gather. I will not stand by, as peril draws closer and closer. The United States of America will not permit the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most destructive weapons."

June 2002 Bush Calls for a Policy of Preemption

In a graduation speech at West Point, Bush cites the realities of a new post-Cold War era and outlines a major shift in national security strategy -- from containment to preemption. "Our security will require all Americans to be forward-looking and resolute, to be ready for preemptive action when necessary to defend our liberty and to defend our lives." The president also calls for an American hegemony: "America has, and intends to keep, military strengths beyond challenge." Both strategic aims -- preemption and hegemony -- echo the recommendations Paul Wolfowitz made back in 1992 in his controversial Defense Planning Guidance draft.

August 2002 Within Administration, Open Debate on Iraq

Powell reports trouble getting U.S. allies on board for a war with Iraq and wants to consult the U.N. At a private dinner with Bush on Aug. 5, Powell warns the president that the U.S. should not act unilaterally and must fully consider the economic and political consequences of war -- particularly in the Middle East.

Powell's view is championed by Brent Scowcroft, former National Security Adviser in the Bush I administration, who publishes an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal on Aug. 15 in which he argues that Bush is moving too quickly on Iraq, and advocates pressing for the return of U.N. inspectors.

Soon after, Vice President Cheney emerges as the administration voice advocating action against Iraq. In a Nashville speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Cheney warns that "a return of inspectors would provide no assurance whatsoever of [Saddam's] compliance with U.N. resolutions."

Cheney also outlines a larger, long-term strategy whereby regime change in Iraq could transform the Middle East: "Regime change in Iraq would bring about a number of benefits to the region. When the gravest of threats are eliminated, the freedom-loving peoples of the region will have a chance to promote the values that can bring lasting peace. As for the reaction of the Arab 'street,' the Middle East expert Professor Fouad Ajami predicts that after liberation, the streets in Basra and Baghdad are 'sure to erupt in joy in the same way the throngs in Kabul greeted the Americans.' Extremists in the region would have to rethink their strategy of Jihad. Moderates throughout the region would take heart. And our ability to advance the Israeli-Palestinian peace process would be enhanced, just as it was following the liberation of Kuwait in 1991."

As Bush leaves for an August vacation in Crawford, Texas, he agrees to take his case to the U.N. and asks his advisers to start preparing the speech.

Sept. 12, 2002 Bush U.N. Address on Iraq

In the United Nations speech, Bush seems to be siding with Powell in calling for a new U.N. resolution on Iraq. But the president also warns: "The purposes of the United States should not be doubted. The Security Council resolutions will be enforced -- the just demands of peace and security will be met -- or action will be unavoidable. And a regime that has lost its legitimacy will also lose its power."

Sept. 17, 2002 U.S. National Security Strategy Released

Twenty months into his presidency, George W. Bush releases his administration's National Security Strategy (NSS). It is the first time the various elements of the Bush Doctrine have been formally articulated in one place. The 33-page document presents a bold and comprehensive reformulation of U.S. foreign policy. It outlines a new and muscular American posture in the world -- a posture that will rely on preemption to deal with rogue states and terrorists harboring weapons of mass destruction. It states that America will exploit its military and economic power to encourage "free and open societies." It states for the first time that the U.S. will never allow its military supremacy to be challenged as it was during the Cold War. And the NSS insists that when America's vital interests are at stake, it will act alone, if necessary. Policy analysts note that there are many elements in the 2002 NSS document which bear a strong resemblance to recommendations presented in Paul Wolfowitz's controversial Defense Planning Guidance draft written in 1992 under the first Bush administration.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/blair/etc/cron.html
 * B. TIMELINE: FAILURE OF DIPLOMACY**

Sept. 12, 2001 Europe Offers Support After Sept. 11

Immediately following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, NATO offers the U.S. European troops to help fight the coming war in Afghanistan.

But the Bush administration is cautious, not wanting to relive the U.S. military's frustrating experience with NATO during the Kosovo war.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz tells NATO: "If we need collective action, we'll ask for it," Wolfowitz says. "We don't anticipate that at the moment."

Jan. 29, 2002 Bush's 'Axis Of Evil' Speech Unnerves Europe

With the Taliban's defeat in Afghanistan, President Bush gives his January 2002 State of the Union address and expands the list of states who pose a threat to the U.S. to include both states supporting terrorists and those developing weapons of mass destruction. Citing North Korea, Iran, and Iraq, Bush says, "states like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world."

April 5, 2002 British Prime Minister Tony Blair urges the president to build a coalition of partners through the U.N., and offers to serve as a bridge between the U.S. and Europe.

June 2002 Alarm Over U.S.'s New Pre-emptive Policy

In a graduation address at West Point, President Bush reveals his vision for a new world order and a new national security approach. "For much of the last century, America's defense relied on the Cold War doctrines of containment and deterrence," Bush says. "Our security will require all Americans to be forward-looking and resolute, to be ready for pre-emptive action when necessary to defend our liberty and to defend our lives."

Early August 2002 Powell Urges President to Go to U.N.

The British are doing everything they can to bolster U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's position on taking a multilateral approach on Iraq.

In early August, Powell arranges a private dinner with Bush in the White House and tells him that having allies for a war on Iraq is important to the success of the operation. He tells Bush he should go through the U.N. on Iraq.

Aug. 26, 2002 Cheney Challenges U.N. Process

Vice President Dick Cheney publicly declares his opposition to the return of U.N. inspectors to disarm Iraq. "There is a great danger that it would provide false comfort that Saddam was somehow 'back in his box,'" Cheney says. "What we must not do in the face of a mortal threat is to give in to wishful thinking or willful blindness."

Sept. 7, 2002 Blair Secures Bush's Commitment to go to the U.N.

Bush decides to go through the U.N., but he exacts a high price. "By the time Bush committed to the U.N. route," says Matthew D'Ancona of the Sunday Telegraph, "he had obtained a private assurance from Blair that he would go to war with him, pretty much no matter what."

Sept. 12, 2002 Bush Confronts the U.N. on Iraq

Bush says that he will go to the Security Council for a new resolution to disarm Saddam. But he avoids saying that he will abide by the will of the United Nations if it vetoes such a resolution.

December 2002 Inspectors Return to Iraq; Military Build-Up Begins

Saddam Hussein agrees to let the inspectors back in and says Iraq will fully comply with Resolution 1441. As the inspectors work, the U.S. begins deploying troops to the Middle East, sending 25,000 in late December and 62,000 more in early January.

Many in Europe see the military build-up as proof that the U.S. never intended to do anything but go to war. Across much of Western Europe, public opinion is running strongly against an American-led war to disarm Iraq. German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's recent reelection is largely due to his tough anti-war platform.

January 2003 France and Germany Make a Stand Against U.S.

With tempers fraying on both sides of the Atlantic, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld bluntly discounts the influence of France and Germany in the debate. "You're thinking of Europe as Germany and France," Rumsfeld says. "I don't. I think that's Old Europe. If you look at the entire NATO Europe today, the center of gravity is shifting to the east."

Jan. 31, 2003 Bush Agrees to a Second U.N. Resolution

Fearing a political backlash, Blair returns to Washington to secure the president's commitment to weather the storm and continue on the U.N. route. Bush agrees to try for a second Security Council resolution on Iraq.

However, following his meeting with Blair, a clearly frustrated Bush states: "This thing needs to be resolved quickly. Should the United Nations decide to pass a second resolution, it would be welcomed. ... But 1441 gives us the authority to move without any second resolution."

Feb. 5, 2003 Powell Presents Evidence to U.N.

Although Powell's report is extensive and detailed about what Iraq is hiding, the French and other Europeans are not swayed. They feel that the U.N. inspectors are dealing with the weapons question, and have deep doubts about Powell's claims of connections between Iraq and Al Qaeda.

March 6, 2003 Bush's Last Effort at U.N.

Blair asks a reluctant Washington to try one more time at the U.N. and Bush, at a rare primetime news conference on March 6, challenges the members of the Security Council to support a second resolution. "We'll call for a vote [on the second resolution]," says Bush. "It's time for people to show their cards, to let the world know where they stand when it comes to Saddam."

March 19, 2003 War on Iraq

At 9:33 p.m. EST, the war to oust Saddam Hussein officially begins. The U.S. and Britain are now fighting the war virtually alone.

[]
 * C. TIMELINE: INVASION OF IRAQ IN 2003**

March 6 Two weeks before he would launch the invasion of Iraq, President Bush announces at a press conference that time is running out on the UN inspections process and on Saddam Hussein

March 17 President Bush delivers his final ultimatum: "Saddam Hussein and his sons must leave Iraq within 48 hours. Their refusal to go will result in military conflict commenced at a time of our choosing."

Coalition troops, massed in the Persian Gulf on the eve of the invasion, fully expect an Iraqi chemical attack as they near Baghdad. 200,000 ground troops, almost all of them American and British, are backed by an armada of ships in the Gulf and hundreds of Navy and Air Force warplanes.

At the insistence of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the ground force is only half the size of the force that ejected Iraqi forces from Kuwait in 1991.

March 20 The invasion begins. General Franks's ground war plan is for the Army's 5th Corps to cross the Iraq-Kuwait border and attack Baghdad from the desert west of the Euphrates.

The Marine Corps will attack through the inhabited areas east of the river, by heading toward Nasiriya to cross the Eurphates and make a parallel advance.

The British, with support from U.S. Marines, will secure Iraq's second city, Basra.

Secretary Rumsfeld is upbeat, convinced the Iraqi people will assist the invasion: "There will be Iraqis who offer not only to help us but to help liberate the country and to free the Iraqi people. More of them there are, the greater the chance that the war will be limited and less broad."

March 21 The coalition launches its bombing campaign in Baghdad against Saddam's palaces and ministries. The spectacle is designed to convince the Iraqi people that it is safe to overthrow the regime.

American commanders advancing across the Kuwait border report Iraqi regular forces are simply falling apart, taking off uniforms and disappearing among the civilian population.

March 22 By nightfall in Iraq, the forward elements of the 3rd Infantry are over 150 miles inside Iraq and roughly halfway to Baghdad.

March 23 A unit from the 507th Maintenance Company supporting the U.S. Army's advance takes a wrong turn in the pre-dawn darkness and stumbles into Nasiriya behind enemy lines. Jessica Lynch, among others, is taken prisoner.

March 25 By now, there have been more setbacks: A brutal three-day sandstorm has been swirling across southern Iraq and Fedayeen fighters are leaving the cities and attacking supply lines of the lead units. Five days into the invasion, the American advance on Baghdad stalls.

Back in Washington, retired generals have been appearing on television and commenting that the war is not going as well as it should because there are not enough combat forces on the ground.

March 28-29 The American army prepares to attack Baghdad. Lead units will have to funnel through a mile-wide gap between a lake and the city of Karbala -- the so- called Karbala Gap -- and then assault across the Euphrates towards Baghdad.

April 3-4 Troops from the 3rd Infantry reach Saddam International Airport on the western outskirts of Baghdad.

But the Americans aren't yet ready for the final assault on Baghdad.

April 5 At dawn, in a surprise armed reconnaissance raid into Baghdad, Col. David Perkins's 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry makes the first "Thunder Run" into the city, driving straight up Highway 8 and taking intense fire.

The Americans encounter morning traffic and many Iraqi defenders are dressed in civilian clothes. American troops are not always successful in distinguishing fighters from civilians. By late morning the Americans have sliced through Baghdad's south-western suburbs and arrive safely back at the airport.

April 6 In Baghdad U.S. Marines now join the American 5th Corps and are given the job of storming the east of the city. Marine commanders anticipate serious resistance, but the Iraqi army is retreating in chaos.

April 7 A second "Thunder Run" is made by Col. Perkins. He decides to head straight downtown for Saddam's palaces, spreading panic among the Iraqi defenders.

Colonel Perkins spends the night in Saddam's palace. Nineteen days after crossing the Kuwait border, less than a week after the breakthrough at the Karbala Gap, the Americans have penetrated to the very heart of the regime.

April 8-9 U.S. forces secure Baghdad after final desperate resistance by Fedayeen and Ba'ath Party militias who are fighting almost alone. The regular Iraqi Army soldiers don't fight or even surrender en masse, as the Americans hoped; they simply go home.

Late in the afternoon of April 9, in Baghdad's Firdos Square, the **statue of Saddam Hussein is pulled down**.

American columns continue to roll into Baghdad. But there are few of the triumphal scenes Americans had hoped for. The people of Baghdad are wary, suspicious. And as in Basra, looting spreads quickly.

April 11 Television images of looting and chaos dominate American newscasts in the days following Baghdad's fall. At a briefing this day, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld reacts bitterly to suggestions the military is not in control of the situation and in a statement dealing with looting, says, "… freedom's untidy and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things…."

After a few days of inaction, U.S. troops begin cracking down on looters.

April 16 General Tommy Franks, the commander of the invasion, flies into Baghdad to congratulate the American commanders on their swift victory over Saddam Hussein.

But in the weeks that follow, a violent insurgency grows against coalition forces.

May 1 President Bush lands on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln off the coast of California and announces the official end of combat operations in Iraq.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/yeariniraq/cron/
 * D. TIMELINE: THE LOST YEAR IN IRAQ (APRIL 2003 TO JUNE 2004)**

April 9, 2003 The End of Saddam

Iraqis topple an iconic statue of Saddam Hussein in central Baghdad with help from U.S. soldiers. In hindsight, the event foreshadows what is to come: One of the Americans covers the statue's face with a U.S. flag, which is quickly replaced by an Iraqi one.

It had taken just three weeks after the U.S. invasion for Baghdad to fall.

April 11 "Freedom is Untidy"

As soon as Baghdad falls, Iraqis begin looting on a grand scale and attacking government ministries. During this first postwar week, the looting verges on chaos. But less than two U.S. brigades are in isolated positions in the city of over 5 million. U.S. troops don't stop the looters.

As the world watches the scenes of looting across Iraq, Rumsfeld tries to downplay concerns, saying: "Freedom is untidy."

April 16 A Surprise Announcement by General Franks

Gen. Tommy Franks makes his first triumphant visit to Baghdad and tells his troops -- more than 110,000 -- to prepare for takeover by a new Iraqi government within 60 days and a U.S. troop withdrawal by September.

Per Franks: one division -- about 30,000 troops -- would be left to occupy Iraq.

April 21 The First Postwar Civil Administrator: Jay Garner

Retired Lt. Gen. Jay Garner arrives in Baghdad to head the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA). One of his first meetings is with Kurdish leaders to begin discussions about a transition to an inclusive interim Iraqi government.

Washington officials, worried that Garner is "off the reservation" decide to make a change. Within hours of his arrival in Baghdad, Garner is informed that presidential envoy L. Paul Bremer III will soon replace him.

May 1 "Mission Accomplished"

President Bush announces an end to major military combat. Onboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, the president stands in front of a banner reading "Mission Accomplished."

Looting escalates across Iraq

May 6 Bremer replaces Garner

President Bush announces L. Paul "Jerry" Bremer III, a diplomat and protégé of Henry Kissinger, will head a new temporary administrative entity for Iraq, the Coalition Provisional Authority. Bremer was not viewed as an "Arabist," nor did he have much prior experience in nation-building -- two factors that seemed to be pluses for the administration.

May 12 Bremer Arrives, Suggests Shooting Looters

In a private meeting during his first day in Baghdad, Bremer suggests the possibility of shooting looters to quell lawlessness. This leaks to reporters, outraging Iraqis and the U.S. military.

May 16 CPA Replaces ORHA; "De-Baathification" Announced

The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) absorbs duties previously held by ORHA and issues CPA Order No. 1, which calls for the "de-Baathification" of Iraq -- dismantling Saddam's Baath Party and removing all Baath Party members from positions of authority.

Bremer brushes off a strong warning from the CIA station chief in Baghdad that the action will drive up to 50,000 people underground.

May 23 The CPA Disbands the Iraqi Army

The CPA issues CPA Order No. 2, disbanding the Iraqi army in favor of building a completely new force. The action takes many coalition troops by surprise. They have to scratch plans they had for reconstruction that involved getting help from an Iraqi military.

June 1 Garner Leaves

After spending just over a month struggling to get a handle on Iraq's situation and to define his position in relation to Bremer, Garner heads back to Washington. Later that month, he reports to Rumsfeld that the mission's success is seriously in jeopardy.

June 14 Sanchez Appointed Head of Ground Forces

Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez is appointed to lead Coalition Joint Task Force 7 (CJTF-7), a newly created agency to oversee ground forces in Iraq.

July 7 Gen. Tommy Franks Retires

In a further sign of turmoil and dissent within the U.S. military, Gen. Tommy Franks, head of the force that invaded Iraq, retires. Frustrated by ongoing clashes with Rumsfeld over the secretary's vision of creating a "faster" and "lighter" army, Franks turns down an offer to become Army chief of staff in June and announces his retirement. Gen. John Abizaid replaces Franks.

July 13 The Iraqi Governing Council

This 25-seat organization, created temporarily by the CPA to fill Iraq's power vacuum, meets for the first time. Its membership, handpicked by CPA, reflects all Iraqi ethnic groups and includes several women. White House favorite Ahmad Chalabi gets a seat and is given control over de-Baathification efforts. The council's limited powers and U.S. control over its membership foster distrust among many Iraqis.

July 22 Uday and Qusay Hussein Killed

Saddam Hussein's sons Uday and Qusay are killed in a U.S.-led raid after an Iraqi informant leads soldiers to the brothers' hideout in Mosul. The news is welcomed as a sign of progress toward stabilizing Iraq.

Aug. 1 Memo to Saddam's Secret Police Sheds Light on Iraqi Resistance

The chief of the CIA's Baghdad station shows Bremer a document recovered from a trashed office of Saddam's secret police. The memo instructs them to organize sabotage, looting, sniper attacks and ambushes across Iraq to thwart coalition efforts. It helps make sense of the growing insurgency.

Aug. 7 Jordanian Embassy Attacked

A large car bomb explodes outside the embassy in Baghdad, killing 17 people and injuring dozens. It's the first terrorist-style car bombing in Iraq.

Aug. 18 Bremer Refused Authorization to Arrest Moqtada al-Sadr

In July, the influential Shiite cleric begins preaching against the U.S. occupation. On Aug. 18, Bremer receives word that Rumsfeld has given orders not to arrest al-Sadr until further notice, for fear it would incite greater violence. The next day, concerned that al-Sadr's supporters, known as the Mehdi army, will further derail reconstruction efforts, Bremer requests Washington's support to bring al-Sadr under control. Rumsfeld refuses. The Mehdi army continues gaining strength as a key force in the insurgency.

Aug. 19 Truck Bomb Destroys U.N. Headquarters

A truck bomb explodes outside the hotel housing U.N. headquarters in Baghdad, killing the U.N. special envoy to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, and at least 21 others. The increasing scale of the insurgents' attacks puts Iraqis on edge.

A major turning point

Aug. 20 Impatience

Washington's worries grow over the summer about how long U.S. troops would remain in Iraq; Rumsfeld tells Bremer the Pentagon is growing impatient. But Bremer has no idea to whom he should hand over sovereignty. On Aug. 20, he urges the Governing Council to act more quickly so as to give Iraqis evidence of progress in rebuilding the country. But he has no confidence in them.

Aug. 29 Attack on Mosque in Najaf

A car bomb explodes outside a mosque in the Shiite holy city of Najaf as crowds leave midday prayers. The blast kills more than 100 people, including Shiite spiritual leader Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir al-Hakim.

By the end of this summer, any debate about whether there is an insurgency is settled.

September Rumsfeld Visits Iraq

He's there to assess possible approaches for reducing U.S. troop numbers and makes clear that the Pentagon is anxious for more intelligence to help quell the violence. He also continues to press for a transfer of sovereignty to Iraqis.

September Coalition Forces Round Up Suspected Insurgents

Massive sweeps start to arrest suspected insurgents. Available prisons, including Abu Ghraib, are quickly filled.

Sept. 8 Bremer Publishes Seven-Step Plan

Without the White House or Pentagon's knowledge, Bremer publishes an op-ed in The Washington Post -- "Iraq's Path to Sovereignty" -- in which he describes a multi-step, multi-year process toward the ultimate goal of creating a constitution and holding elections.

Later that month, Bremer visits Washington and continues to lobby for his slow and steady approach to moving Iraq toward sovereignty. But with an eye on the 2004 election, the administration remains committed to handing Iraq over to Iraqis as soon as possible.

October - December Abu Ghraib

During the fall of 2003, some U.S. troops guarding prisoners at Abu Ghraib begin photographing prisoner torture and abuse.

October Rice Given Control Over the CPA

Bremer's multi-year plan for turning over sovereignty is a big political problem for the president. The White House decides to rein him in. National Security Council Adviser Condoleezza Rice sends Robert Blackwill to advise Bremer and assert White House influence over the CPA.

Moqtada al-Sadr Gains Strength

His followers continue to grow as the cleric spreads his message of resistance and violence against U.S. occupation.

Nov. 15 Deadline for Sovereignty Transfer Announced

The CPA announces an agreement with the Iraqi Governing Council to hand over sovereignty to an Iraqi government by June 30, 2004. The agreement is built around a seven-step process, beginning with the drafting of an interim constitution by March 1, 2004. The following day Bremer meets with staff and reshapes the CPA's mission to meet the shortened timeline.

Dec. 13 Saddam Hussein Captured

Saddam Hussein is found hiding outside his hometown of Tikrit, in a dirt hole. The capture is highly publicized, but does not deter the growing violence across Iraq.


 * Begin 2004**

January, 2004 Intercepted Letter From Zarqawi

The letter is from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, and details his plans for the insurgency. His goals include fomenting violence between Shiite and Sunni Muslims, targeting the emerging Iraqi police and military, and killing Kurds -- any measure to derail progress toward a democratic Iraq.

March 2 Karbala Mosque Attack

On a holy day for Shi'a Muslims, suicide attacks in Karbala kill over 85 people. It's a sign of the growing ethnic and religious strife.

March 8 Interim Constitution Passed

Overcoming Shiite objections that the new plan gives Kurds too much power, Iraq's Governing Council signs an interim constitution to govern Iraq after the transfer of sovereignty in June, and until the adoption of a permanent constitution.

March 31 Four U.S. Contractors Killed In Fallujah

Four American contractors are killed; their bodies are burned, dragged through the streets, and strung up on a bridge.

April 6 Coalition Launches Fallujah Offensive

While battling al-Sadr's forces in the south, the U.S.-led coalition resolves to regain control of the "Sunni Triangle" area. Roughly 2,000 Marines advance on Fallujah, while 12 Marines are killed in a firefight in Ramadi to the west. The Fallujah advance is almost immediately in trouble: Iraqi troops assigned to back up U.S. forces abandon their posts. Sunni Governing Council members become enraged at civilian casualties. With the stability of the Governing Council at stake, Bremer approaches Gen. Abizaid and Lt. Gen. Sanchez, and on April 9, they agree to call off the attack on Fallujah.

April 23 Bremer Reverses Position on De-Baathification

In a speech titled "Turning the Page," Bremer concedes that enforcement of the de-Baathification order has not been fair -- particularly with regard to the academic community -- and suggests a more flexible policy going forward. Bremer's decision upsets Ahmad Chalabi, leader of the de-Baathification efforts and a longtime critic of the Baath Party.

April 27 Abu Ghraib Scandal Erupts

60 Minutes II broadcasts photographs of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib. Three days later, The New Yorker publishes photos documenting the abuse. The ensuing scandal presents another obstacle for the CPA and the U.S. military in Iraq.

May 18 Bremer Requests More Troops

In a hand-delivered private message, Bremer requests two additional divisions of troops (roughly 40,000 soldiers) from Rumsfeld to help counter the steady stream of violent attacks. He receives no response.

May 28 U.S. Reaches Truce With al-Sadr

Moqtada al-Sadr reaches an agreement with U.S. forces. Both sides pledge to withdraw their fighters from Najaf, ending two months of intense combat. However the cease-fire does not hold.

On the same day, the Governing Council unanimously approves U.S. pick Ayad Allawi as interim prime minister.

June 28 CPA Transfers Sovereignty; Bremer Leaves Iraq

Two days before the publicized deadline -- a move suggested by President Bush to thwart possible violence -- the CPA transfers authority to Iraq's interim government. Bremer leaves Baghdad immediately on a secret plane in order to avoid possible attacks.