The Iraq War 2003

• When was the Iraq War

  2003
• Who was the war fought against

  A coalition led by the USA and UK attacked Iraq with aims of removing the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and to set up a new Iraqi government
• What were the events of the war

  First stage went well for the coalition as by 2003 Iraqi forces had been defeated and the Iraqi capital Baghdad was in the coalition hands

  But coalition troops bogged down in Guerilla Warfare and due to problems setting up a new government coalition forces left in 2011
• Overall Strategy

  Shock and Awe (overwhelming military force)
• First Part of Shock and Awe Tactic

  Preparing the Battlefield
• What was preparing the battlefield

  Before main air or ground attack Iraqi defences were weakened by things such as 40 Tomahawk missiles fired at Iraqi army bases
• What was the second part of Shock and Awe tactics

  Air attack
• What was air attack

  Daily raids on Iraqi targets with aircraft flying bombing raids allowing for airports and naval ships to be captured
• What was the third part of Shock and Awe

  Ground Attack
• What was the ground attack

  Lasted 21 days

  US troops captured Baghdad

  UK troops targeted the city of Basra and oncoming Iraqi tanks were destroyed by British Heavy Artillery and Basra was under the control of the British

  About 200,000 US and UK troops and 650,000 Iraqi troops
• What weapons were used in the Iraq war

  Paveway bombs - smart bombs used by the UK which can be guided to the target along a laser beam

  Drones - unmanned planes used for surveillance and bombing
• What were the reasons for the outcome of the war

  The coalition had better weapons

  The coalition had more money to spend
• What were the Key Factors affecting the outcome

  Although the coalition defeated Iraq within 20 days it was a further eight years till the coalition left as local unofficial troops destroyed water supplies and attacked British troops with sniper fire