How a triumphant invasion turned into a disastrous occupation
By Terri Judd
Published: 13 December 2005
20 MARCH 2003
The United States began the war against Iraq. In the early hours of the
morning, just hours after a deadline for Saddam Hussein and his sons to
leave the country passed, the first explosions of Operation Iraqi
Freedom were heard as bombing began in Baghdad.
9 APRIL 2003
The Americans "liberated" Baghdad and mobs tore Saddam Hussein's giant
statue down, dancing and trampling on the remains - symbolically
celebrating the fall of the dictator in one of the most defining images of
the conflict.
20 APRIL 2003
For the first time since the toppling of Saddam Hussein, Hans Blix, the
chief UN weapons inspector, confronted the Americans openly, accusing
the Bush administration of lacking credibility in its efforts to hunt
down Iraq's banned weapons. He said he was undermined and evidence for
war was "very, very shaky".
1 MAY 2003
President George Bush prepared to declare the war in Iraq all but over
as more Iraqis were killed by American troops. Rising hatred was
evident among some locals in a week where troops fired into a demonstration,
killing 13.
Donald Rumsfeld, US Defence Secretary, attracted some welcoming waves
from Iraqis during his first visit to Baghdad.
17 JULY 2003
Dr David Kelly, one of the country's leading experts in biological and
chemical weapons, committed suicide. He was found at about the same
time as Andrew Gilligan, the defence correspondent of BBC Radio 4's Today
gave evidence to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, investigating
claims that Tony Blair's Government had exaggerated intelligence reports
to make the case for war against Iraq.
28 AUGUST 2003
Captain David Jones 1974-2003. Captain "Dai" Jones, killed when a bomb
hit a Red Cross ambulance near Basra, was buried as Tony Blair appeared
before the Hutton inquiry.
2 OCTOBER 2003
Five months after the end of the war in Iraq, a CIA adviser admitted
that his 1,200-strong team had discovered none of Saddam Hussein's
alleged stocks of chemical and biological arms.
The interim report of America's chief weapons inspector proves a
damning blow to those who argued the case for war against Iraq based on the
imminent threat posed by Saddam Hussein's regime. The Iraq Survey Group
found that, while there was some evidence that Iraq had retained the
template of a weapons programme, they had found nothing that proved
Saddam ever actually possessed such weapons.
14 DECEMBER 2003
Saddam Hussein was captured, unkempt and in a hole, stashed with
$750,000.
28 JANUARY 2004
Eight months after BBC reporter Andrew Gilligan broadcast his now
infamous report casting doubt on the Government's dossier on Iraq's weapons
capability - a vital plank in its case for war - Lord Hutton's inquiry
exonerated Tony Blair, cleared Alastair Campbell and attached no blame
to the government for the naming of Dr David Kelly. So was this all an
establishment whitewash?
27 JUNE 2004
Five-year-old Narjis Sadik had to have her arm amputated after a series
of bombs in Jillah, which killed dozens of people including children in
the heightened tension leading up to the transfer of sovereignty in
Iraq.
8 OCTOBER 2004
After three weeks, a British engineer's kidnappers confirmed he had
been killed.
9 NOVEMBER 2004
US forces fought street-by-street in bid to wrest town from Iraqi
insurgents. A British soldier died as Black Watch suffered third bomb attack
in five days.
17 NOVEMBER 2004
Families of six Royal Military Police killed by a mob in Iraq in June
last year react angrily to an Army Board of Inquiry which identifies a
catalogue of failures before the attack. An independent inquiry calls on
the Ministry of Defence to admit the existence of Gulf War syndrome.
Six troopers of the Queen's Dragoon Guards escape unscathed after a
suicide bomber targets them. Six hours earlier, a Black Watch soldier is
seriously injured.
Hundreds of mourners attend the funeral in Fife of Private Paul Lowe,
one of three members of the Black Watch killed in a suicide bomb attack
in Iraq two weeks ago.
18 JANUARY 2005
"Shocking and appalling" photographs of British troops allegedly
torturing and sexually humiliating Iraqi civilians were revealed a the court
martial of three British soldiers.
31 AUGUST 2005
Up to 1,000 Shia pilgrims - men, women and children, are thought to
have died in a stampede when they fell from a bridge over the Tigris river
in Baghdad, apparently fearful that a suicide bomber had been let loose
among them.
19 SEPTEMBER 2005
British troops were struggling to maintain control in Basra after the
city exploded into bloody chaos. Troops were forced to flee from blazing
Warrior vehicles as a mob of hundreds threw petrol bombs at British
forces.
23 SEPTEMBER 2005
A former American soldier who served in Iraq and filed for
Conscientious Objector status gave an extraordinary insight into the war's
dehumanising effects. The rare insight came as US support for the war in Iraq
has reached an all-time low. Polls suggest that 60 per cent now believe
the war was wrong.
30 NOVEMBER 2005
President George Bush declared that America was on course for "complete
victory" and ruled out any firm timetable for the withdrawal of US
troops from Iraq. Instead he declared that Iraqi forces were beginning to
take the lead in the battle against the insurgency.
20 MARCH 2003
The United States began the war against Iraq. In the early hours of the
morning, just hours after a deadline for Saddam Hussein and his sons to
leave the country passed, the first explosions of Operation Iraqi
Freedom were heard as bombing began in Baghdad.
9 APRIL 2003
The Americans "liberated" Baghdad and mobs tore Saddam Hussein's giant
statue down, dancing and trampling on the remains - symbolically
celebrating the fall of the dictator in one of the most defining images of
the conflict.
20 APRIL 2003
For the first time since the toppling of Saddam Hussein, Hans Blix, the
chief UN weapons inspector, confronted the Americans openly, accusing
the Bush administration of lacking credibility in its efforts to hunt
down Iraq's banned weapons. He said he was undermined and evidence for
war was "very, very shaky".
1 MAY 2003
President George Bush prepared to declare the war in Iraq all but over
as more Iraqis were killed by American troops. Rising hatred was
evident among some locals in a week where troops fired into a demonstration,
killing 13.
Donald Rumsfeld, US Defence Secretary, attracted some welcoming waves
from Iraqis during his first visit to Baghdad.
17 JULY 2003
Dr David Kelly, one of the country's leading experts in biological and
chemical weapons, committed suicide. He was found at about the same
time as Andrew Gilligan, the defence correspondent of BBC Radio 4's Today
gave evidence to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, investigating
claims that Tony Blair's Government had exaggerated intelligence reports
to make the case for war against Iraq.
28 AUGUST 2003
Captain David Jones 1974-2003. Captain "Dai" Jones, killed when a bomb
hit a Red Cross ambulance near Basra, was buried as Tony Blair appeared
before the Hutton inquiry.
2 OCTOBER 2003
Five months after the end of the war in Iraq, a CIA adviser admitted
that his 1,200-strong team had discovered none of Saddam Hussein's
alleged stocks of chemical and biological arms.
The interim report of America's chief weapons inspector proves a
damning blow to those who argued the case for war against Iraq based on the
imminent threat posed by Saddam Hussein's regime. The Iraq Survey Group
found that, while there was some evidence that Iraq had retained the
template of a weapons programme, they had found nothing that proved
Saddam ever actually possessed such weapons.
14 DECEMBER 2003
Saddam Hussein was captured, unkempt and in a hole, stashed with
$750,000.
28 JANUARY 2004
Eight months after BBC reporter Andrew Gilligan broadcast his now
infamous report casting doubt on the Government's dossier on Iraq's weapons
capability - a vital plank in its case for war - Lord Hutton's inquiry
exonerated Tony Blair, cleared Alastair Campbell and attached no blame
to the government for the naming of Dr David Kelly. So was this all an
establishment whitewash?
27 JUNE 2004
Five-year-old Narjis Sadik had to have her arm amputated after a series
of bombs in Jillah, which killed dozens of people including children in
the heightened tension leading up to the transfer of sovereignty in
Iraq.
8 OCTOBER 2004
After three weeks, a British engineer's kidnappers confirmed he had
been killed.
9 NOVEMBER 2004
US forces fought street-by-street in bid to wrest town from Iraqi
insurgents. A British soldier died as Black Watch suffered third bomb attack
in five days.
17 NOVEMBER 2004
Families of six Royal Military Police killed by a mob in Iraq in June
last year react angrily to an Army Board of Inquiry which identifies a
catalogue of failures before the attack. An independent inquiry calls on
the Ministry of Defence to admit the existence of Gulf War syndrome.
Six troopers of the Queen's Dragoon Guards escape unscathed after a
suicide bomber targets them. Six hours earlier, a Black Watch soldier is
seriously injured.
Hundreds of mourners attend the funeral in Fife of Private Paul Lowe,
one of three members of the Black Watch killed in a suicide bomb attack
in Iraq two weeks ago.
18 JANUARY 2005
"Shocking and appalling" photographs of British troops allegedly
torturing and sexually humiliating Iraqi civilians were revealed a the court
martial of three British soldiers.
31 AUGUST 2005
Up to 1,000 Shia pilgrims - men, women and children, are thought to
have died in a stampede when they fell from a bridge over the Tigris river
in Baghdad, apparently fearful that a suicide bomber had been let loose
among them.
19 SEPTEMBER 2005
British troops were struggling to maintain control in Basra after the
city exploded into bloody chaos. Troops were forced to flee from blazing
Warrior vehicles as a mob of hundreds threw petrol bombs at British
forces.
23 SEPTEMBER 2005
A former American soldier who served in Iraq and filed for
Conscientious Objector status gave an extraordinary insight into the war's
dehumanising effects. The rare insight came as US support for the war in Iraq
has reached an all-time low. Polls suggest that 60 per cent now believe
the war was wrong.
30 NOVEMBER 2005
President George Bush declared that America was on course for "complete
victory" and ruled out any firm timetable for the withdrawal of US
troops from Iraq. Instead he declared that Iraqi forces were beginning to
take the lead in the battle against the insurgency
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