military launched Operation Peninsula Strike, in which 2,000 soldiers from Task Force Iron Horse swept through the Tigris River peninsula of Thuluiya in the Sunni Triangle, detaining 397 Iraqis. Coalition response and counterinsurgency (June-September 2003) Tensions between U.S forces and the residents of Fallujah were especially severe, with crowd riots and small skirmishes commonplace. It seems that many of these attacks were "potshots" from disaffected former members of the Iraqi military. military on remnants of the Ba'ath Party and the Fedayeen Saddam militia. In many cases the insurgents were killed in the return fire. patrols and convoys in attacks that were often poorly planned and demonstrated poor marksmanship and training. These consisted of small groups of suspected guerrillas firing assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, in addition to using basic forms of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Device) on U.S. troops in various regions of the so-called " Sunni Triangle", especially in Baghdad and in the regions around Fallujah and Tikrit. military noticed a gradually increasing flurry of attacks on U.S. In May 2003, after the Iraqi conventional forces had been defeated and disbanded, the U.S. Finally, as O’Hanlan says, the porous borders of Iraq and the subsequent foreign insurgents also bolstered the insurgency. Prisoners let out of prison by Saddam Hussein before his disappearance provided another source both of insurgent recruits and of organized crime factions. However, many lost their jobs and pensions with the disbanding of the Iraqi army by Bremer this, and the unwillingness of the Coalition Provisional Authority to negotiate with former Ba'ath elements, provided the impetus for the initial insurgency. Initially, most former members of the Ba'ath Party and former Iraqi soldiers expressed a willingness to compromise with the Coalition forces. Former members of the security services of the Ba’ath regime, former military officers, and some other Ba’ath Party members are cited as members of insurgent groups indeed, these elements formed the primary backbone of the nascent insurgency. Members of insurgent groups came from a variety of sources. The de-Ba’athification Commission set up by the Coalition Provisional Authority, the nature of selection of the Governing Council, and other policy decisions were interpreted by Sunni Arabs as actions intended to single out their community for discrimination this encouraged the beginnings of sectarian tensions. A number of factions felt suspicious of long-term American intentions the conduct of some American soldiers also served to heighten tensions. Another cause of resentment was the lack of immediate humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts for Iraqis suffering from the invasion, the long-term effects of the repression and mismanagement of the Saddam Hussein regime, and international sanctions. Additionally, the unexpectedly quick implosion of Saddam Hussein’s regime meant that the invading forces never engaged and decisively defeated his army in any major battle the Iraqi army forces simply melted away, often with their weapons, back to their homes. The rampant looting during this time period, and the inability of U.S-led forces to control the situation, led to Iraqi resentment. Invading U.S-led forces were unable to immediately fill the power vacuum caused by the sudden collapse of a highly centralized state authority, resulting in weeks of virtual anarchy. 3.3 The U.S Troop "Surge" (March 2007 - August 2007)Ī number of factors played into the initial birth of the insurgency in Iraq.3.2 Fragmentation of the Sunni and Shiite insurgencies (September 2006-March 2007).3.1 New Iraqi elections and the threat of civil war (December 2005-August 2006).2.2 Announcement of the Government and Renewed Fighting (April-December 2005).2.1 Iraqi elections and aftermath (January-March 2005).1.11 Battle for Fallujah and aftermath (November 2004-January 2005).1.10 Coalition counteroffensive against Sunni insurgency begins (September-November 2004).1.9 The Battle for Najaf, the Truce Agreement, and aftermath (August-September 2004).1.8 Transfer of sovereignty (June-July 2004).1.5 Operation Iron Hammer (November-December 2003).1.4 Ramadan Offensive (October-November 2003).1.3 Coalition response and counterinsurgency (June-September 2003).