Transition and withdrawal : the U.S. Army in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn, 2009-2011
(Book)

In scope of the U.S. Government Publishing Office Cataloging and Indexing Program (C&I) and Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP).

Includes bibliographical references (pages 95-127).

"Nearly three years after the U.S.-led coalition overthrew Saddam Hussein and the Ba'thist regime, Sunni insurgents and Shi'a militants drove Iraq toward the brink of civil war. To prevent the collapse of the nascent Iraqi government, in early 2007 President George W. Bush ordered the deployment of five additional U.S. Army brigades. This surge campaign sought to protect the Iraqi population, degrade enemy capabilities, and restore stability. Aided by Iraqi governmental and tribal forces, American efforts significantly reduced violence and it appeared that the country was finally on the road to recovery by the fall of 2008. Given the improved conditions, the Bush and Maliki administrations began transitioning security responsibilities to the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF). The United States and Iraq signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which called for all U.S. forces to depart the country no later than 31 December 2011. The U.S. Army shifted from combat to stability operations by focusing on advising and assisting the ISF. To mark this transition, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM gave way to Operation NEW DAWN in September 2010. The progress of the ISF and security in Iraq remained uneven, however, and the American and Iraqi governments struggled to negotiate the terms of a new SOFA that would allow for the continued presence of U.S. forces. Uncertainty over whether they would reach an agreement complicated the advisory mission. U.S. Army units trained their ISF counterparts while carrying out drawdown tasks, including handing American equipment and bases over to the Iraqis. With Washington and Baghdad leadership at an impasse, in October 2011 President Barack H. Obama ordered the withdrawal of American forces. The U.S. Army departed Iraq by mid-December, leaving behind only a small contingent of personnel housed at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. After eight years of war, the Iraqis were on their own"--,Provided by publisher.