Following the U.S.-launched 2003 invasion of Iraq, the situation deteriorated and by 2007 the conflict between Iraqi Sunni and Shi'a factions was described by the National Intelligence Estimate as having elements of a civil war.^[8] In a January 10, 2007 address to the American people, President George W. Bush stated that "80% of Iraq's sectarian violence occurs within 30 miles (48 km) of the capital. This violence is splitting Baghdad into sectarian enclaves, and shaking the confidence of all Iraqis."^[9] Two polls of Americans have found that between 65% to 85% believe Iraq is in a civil war.^[10][11] However, a similar poll of Iraqis found that 61% did not believe that they were in a civil war.^[12] Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... This article is about casualties for the war beginning in 2003. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Iraqi insurgency denotes groups using armed resistance against the US-led Coalition occupation of Iraq. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Iraq,_1991-2004. ... Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was the fifth President of Iraq and Chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council from 1979 until his overthrow by US forces in 2003. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The 1920 Revolution Brigades (Arabic كتائب ثورة العشرين) is a Sunni militia group in Iraq, which includes former members of ousted president Saddam Husseins disbanded army. ... The Iraqi insurgency denotes groups using armed resistance against the US-led Coalition occupation of Iraq. ... Many Iraqis identify more or less strongly with a tribe (ashira), and some feel a stronger loyalty to their clans or tribes than to any national government. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution‎ (900 × 600 pixels, file size: 24 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Flag of The Islamic State of Iraq. ... Motto لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله(Arabic) Lā ilāhā illā-llāhu; muhammadun rasÅ«lu-llāhi(transliteration) There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (the Shahadah) Capital (and largest city) Baghdad Official languages Arabic Government Caliphate  -  AmÄ«r al-MuminÄ«n Commander of the... Image File history File links Flag_of_al-Qaeda. ... Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) is a takfeeri militant group which is playing an active role in the Iraqi insurgency. ... Members parade in Sadr City The Mahdi Army, also known as the Mahdi Militia, Mehdi Army or Jaish al Mahdi (Arabic جيش المهدي) , is a militia force created by the Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in June of 2003. ... Badr Organization (Arabic: منظمة بدر ) (previously known as Badr Brigade or Bader Corps -- not to be confused with the Badr Brigade in the Jordanian Army) was the armed wing of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC). ... Many Iraqis identify more or less strongly with a tribe (ashira), and some feel a stronger loyalty to their clans or tribes than to any national government. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Iraq. ... The Iraqi Regular Army is a component of the Iraqi Security Forces tasked with assuming responsibility for all Iraqi land-based military operations following the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Iraq. ... Iraqi army soldiers from 4th Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 5th Division stand outside an Iraqi army compound in Buhriz, Iraq, Jan. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Multi-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I), is a military command, led by the United States, that is fighting the Iraq War against the multitude of Iraqi insurgents. ... Wikinews has related news: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi killed in airstrike Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (Arabic: , , Abu Musab from Zarqa)) (October 20, 1966 – June 7, 2006), born as Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal al-Khalayleh (Arabic: , )was a Jordanian who ran a militant training camp in Afghanistan. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Abu Hamza al-Muhajir. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Muqtada al-Sadr ( Muqtadā aá¹£-á¹¢adr) is the fourth son of a famous Iraqi Shi‘a cleric, the late Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr. ... Hadi Al-Amiri is the head of the Badr Brigade (also known as the Badr Organization), which is the military wing of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). ... Abu Deraa (real name: Ismail al-Zerjawi Hafidh) (unknown - November 25, 2006) is an Iraqi Shiite murderer whose men have been accused of terrorizing and killing Sunnis. ... Jalal Talabani (Kurdish: / Celal Talebanî / Jelal Talebaní Arabic: , ) (born 1933), is an Iraqi politician, who was elected State President of Iraq on April 6, 2005, (sworn in the next day, April 7, and once again on April 22, 2006, by the Iraqi National Assembly). ... Nouri Kamel Mohammed Hassan al-Maliki (Arabic: نوري كامل المالكي, transliterated NÅ«rÄ« Kāmil al-MālikÄ«; born c. ... David Howell Petraeus (born November 7, 1952) is a general in the United States Army and commander of Multi-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I), the four-star post that oversees all U.S. forces in the country. ... For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ... This article is about the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... The post-invasion period in Iraq followed the 2003 invasion of Iraq by a multinational coalition led by the United States, which overthrew the Baath Party government of Saddam Hussein. ... The Iraqi insurgency denotes groups using armed resistance against the US-led Coalition occupation of Iraq. ... // This is a list of Military operations of the Multinational Force Iraq in chronological order. ... Car bombings are common in Iraq since the US-led invasion After the 2003 invasion and the beginning of the Iraqi insurgency, insurgents and terrorists soon began adopting terror tactics. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... This article is about the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. ... Shī‘a Islam, also Shi‘ite Islam, or Shi‘ism (Arabic ) is the second largest denomination of the Islamic faith. ... National Intelligence Estimates (NIEs), produced by the National Intelligence Council, express the coordinated judgments of the US Intelligence Community made up of 16 intelligence agencies, and thus represent the most authoritative assessment of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) with respect to a particular national security issue. ... is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

In October 2006, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Iraqi government estimated that more than 365,000 Iraqis have been displaced since the 2006 bombing of the al-Askari Mosque, bringing the total number of Iraqi refugees to more than 1.6 million.^[13] By September 2007, the UNHCR raised the estimate of refugees to a total of about 4.4 million (~15% of the population). The number of refugees estimated abroad was 2.2 million (a number close to CIA projections^[14]) and the number of internally displaced people was 2.2 million.^[15] Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (established December 14, 1950) protects and supports refugees at the request of a government or the United Nations and assists in their return or resettlement. ... The politics of Iraq takes place in a framework of a more or less federal parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Iraq is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. ... This article is about the bombing that took place in 2006. ... View of the mosque before and after the 1st Al-Askari Mosque bombings Al-AskarÄ« or the `Askariyya Mosque/Shrine (Arabic: ) is a ShÄ«`a Muslim holy site located in the Iraqi city of Samarra 125 km (78 mi) from Baghdad. ...

According to the 2007 Failed States Index, produced by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Foreign Policy magazine and the Fund for Peace, Iraq moved from the world's fourth most unstable country in 2006 to the world's second most unstable country in 2007.^[16][17] A poll of top U.S. foreign policy experts conducted in 2007 showed that over the next 10 years, just 3% of experts believe the U.S. will be able to rebuild Iraq into a beacon of democracy and 58% of experts believe that Sunni-Shiite tensions will dramatically increase in the Middle East. ^{[18] [19]} Failed state is a term intended to mean a weak state in which the central government has little practical control over much of its territory. ... The Endowments headquarters at 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a private nonprofit organization promoting international cooperation and active international engagement by the United States of America. ... A countrys foreign policy is a set of political goals that seeks to outline how that particular country will interact with other countries of the world and, to a lesser extent, non-state actors. ... The Fund for Peace is an independent Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit research and educational organization. ...

Ethno-sectarian composition

The Sunni insurgency has used sectarian violence to capitalize on Sunni fears of the Shi'a majority and the Shi'a armed militias have shown a zeal for vigilante justice. However, there are other sectarian divisions of the population that lay in nearly a dozen distinct groups. These groups are subdivided into countless smaller factions.

The sectarian divisions can be divided into several main ideological or ethnic strands: Political Ideologies Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      An ideology is an organized collection of ideas. ... This article or section should be merged with ethnic group Ethnicity is the cultural characteristics that connect a particular group or groups of people to each other. ...

Ethnic groups:

• Arab : ~ 75 - 80% : The bulk of the Iraqi population that is divided along Islamic religious lines.
• Kurdish ~ 15 - 20% : De facto independent administration (mostly secular Sunnis, small Shi'ite, Yazidi, and other elements, but with a heavily secular government).
• Assyrian ~ 3% : This group has a minor role in the current situation.
• Turkoman ~ 2% : This group has a minor role in the current situation, although Turkey is concerned about their overall treatment in Iraq.

Religions: For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Languages Kurdish Religions Predominantly Sunni Muslim also some Shia, Yazidism, Yarsan, Judaism, Christianity Related ethnic groups other Iranian peoples (Talysh Baluch Gilak Bakhtiari Persians) The Kurds are an ethnic group who consider themselves to be indigenous to a region often referred to as Kurdistan, an area which includes adjacent parts... De facto is a Latin expression that means in fact or in practice. It is commonly used as opposed to de jure (meaning by law) when referring to matters of law or governance or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as created or developed without... Language(s) Aramaic Religion(s) Syriac Christianity Related ethnic groups Other Semitic peoples, and other ethnic groups from the Fertile Crescent. ... The Iraqi Turkmen (also spelled Turkomen, Turcoman, and Turkman) (Turkish:Irak Türkmenleri) are a distinct Turkic ethnic group living in Iraq, notably in the cities of Arbil, Tal Afar, Kirkuk, and Mosul. ...

• Muslim ~ 97% : This is the primary religion in Iraq and serves as one of the primary sectarian distinctions.
  • Shi'ite ~ 60 - 65% : Mainly Arabs with a very small minority of Kurds and Turkoman .
  • Sunni ~ 32 -37% : Split almost even with Kurds and Arabs. It is important to understand that Sunni Islam is not a monolithic force, and historic divisions between Sunni schools of religious law persist, usually running along ethnic and tribal lines.
• Christian,Mandaeans and Yazidi ~ 3% : These groups have a minor role in the current situation.

The Arab-Sunni faction and the Arab-Shi'ite are the main two participants in the violence, but conflicts within a single group have occurred. Iran, it has been conjectured, would assist the Shiites. Sunni-Shiite violence in Iraq, with Iran helping the Shi'ite and Arab nations helping the Sunni, is a possibility.^[20] A senior American official has said that during a meeting between Vice President Dick Cheney and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah in November 2006, the king said that if U.S. forces pulled out of Iraq, the Saudis would be forced to support the Sunni minority.^[21] There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The definition of a minority group can vary, depending on specific context, but generally refers to either a sociological sub-group that does not form either a majority or a plurality of the total population, or a group that, while not necessarily a numerical minority, is disadvantaged or otherwise has... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Iraqi Turkmen (also spelled Turkomen, Turcoman, and Turkman) (Turkish:Irak Türkmenleri) are a distinct Turkic ethnic group living in Iraq, notably in the cities of Arbil, Tal Afar, Kirkuk, and Mosul. ... Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... Mandaeanism is a pre-Christian religion which has been classified by scholars as Gnostic. ... Religions Yazdânism (Yazidism) Scriptures Kitêba Cilwe (Book of Illumination) Languages Kurmanji, Arabic The Yazidi (also Yezidi, Kurdish: Êzidîtî or Êzidî, Arabic: يزيدي or ايزيدي) are adherents of the smallest of the three branches of Yazdânism, a Middle Eastern religion with ancient Indo-European roots. ... Richard Bruce Dick Cheney (born January 30, 1941), is the 46th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President George W. Bush. ... King Abdullah can refer to: Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, current king of Saudi Arabia Abdullah II, current king of Jordan Abdullah I, Emir of Transjordan (1921–1946) and King of Transjordan (1946–1949) This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ...

The Kurds are caught between the two religious groups, but as they are an ethnicity opposed to religious movement, they are often at odds with the Sunni Arabs that were settled in Iraqi Kurdistan by Saddam's Arabization policy. Kurds also sympathise with Shi'ites as Saddam's Sunni regime persecuted both communities.^[22] Blurring this cohesion, though, are division of social, economic, political and geographic identities. For other uses, see Kurdistan (disambiguation). ... Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was the fifth President of Iraq and Chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council from 1979 until his overthrow by US forces in 2003. ...

Groups known and alleged to take part in the sectarian violence

Main articles: Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Iraqi insurgency, and Private militias in Iraq

A multitude of groups form the Iraqi Insurgency which arose in a piecemeal fashion as a reaction to local events and notably the realisation of the U.S. military’s inability to control Iraq.^[23] Since 2005 the insurgent forces have largely merged around several main factions, including the Islamic Army in Iraq and Ansar al-Sunna.^[24] Religious justification has been used to support the political actions of these groups as well as a marked adherence to Salafism which brands those against the jihad as non believers. This approach has played a role in the rise of sectarian violence.^[25] The U.S. military also believe that between 5-10% of insurgent forces are non-Iraqi Arabs.^[23] Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) is a takfeeri militant group which is playing an active role in the Iraqi insurgency. ... The Iraqi insurgency denotes groups using armed resistance against the US-led Coalition occupation of Iraq. ... Private militias in Iraq is a phenomenon that has not been common after complete revolutions that terminate a nations constitution. ... Islamic Army in Iraq Logo The Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI) (Arabic: الجيش الإسلامي في العراق,al jaysh al islāmi fÄ«l-`irāq) is one of a number of underground Baathist, Islamist, militant, or mujaheddin, organizations formed in Iraq following the 2003 invasion of Iraq by United States and coalition military forces... Jaish Ansar al-Sunna or Army of the Protectors of the Sunna (faith), is an Islamist militant group in Iraq fighting US-led occupation and US-backed interim government of Iyad Allawi. ... This article is on an Islamic movement. ... For other uses, see Jihad (disambiguation). ...

Independent Shi'ite militias have identified themselves around sectarian ideology and posses various levels of influence and power. There is a strand of militia who were founded in exile and returned to Iraq only after the toppling of Saddam Hussein such as the Badr Organization. There are also militias created since the state collapse, the largest and most uniform of which is the Mahdi Army established by Moqtada al-Sadr and believed to have around 50,000 fighters.^[23] Although their participation in the religious terrorism is not universal, the individual members of these militias are known to take part in the attacks on the Sunni and other non-Shia civilians. Badr Organization (Arabic: منظمة بدر ) (previously known as Badr Brigade or Bader Corps -- not to be confused with the Badr Brigade in the Jordanian Army) was the armed wing of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC). ... Members parade in Sadr City The Mahdi Army, also known as the Mahdi Militia, Mehdi Army or Jaish al Mahdi (Arabic جيش المهدي) , is a militia force created by the Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in June of 2003. ... Muqtada al-Sadr Muqtada al-Sadr (Arabic: مقتدى الصدر, also transliterated as Moqtada Alsadr) (b. ...

The Kurdish militias of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) are the most disciplined. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP; Kurdish: Partiya Demokrat a Kurdistanê or PDK) is a Kurdish political party led by Massoud Barzani. ... The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) (est. ... For other uses, see Discipline (disambiguation). ...

Conflict and tactics

For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Discussion of Iraq and weapons of mass destruction concerns the Iraqi governments use, possession, and alleged intention of acquiring more types of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) during the presidency of Saddam Hussein. ... Colin Powell holding a model vial of anthrax while giving a presentation to the United Nations Security Council. ... This article is about the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... Timeline of events during Multinational forces occupation of Iraq, following 2003 invasion of Iraq, and relevant quotations about nature of occupation from officials. ... This article is about casualties for the war beginning in 2003. ... The Multi-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I), is a military command, led by the United States, that is fighting the Iraq War against the multitude of Iraqi insurgents. ... The Iraqi insurgency denotes groups using armed resistance against the US-led Coalition occupation of Iraq. ... Car bombings are common in Iraq since the US-led invasion After the 2003 invasion and the beginning of the Iraqi insurgency, insurgents and terrorists soon began adopting terror tactics. ... The Seal of the CPA in Iraq The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) was established as a transitional government following the invasion of Iraq by the United States, United Kingdom and the other members of the multinational coalition which was formed to oust the government of Saddam Hussein in 2003. ... The Iraq Survey Group (ISG) was a fact-finding mission sent by the multinational force in Iraq after the 2003 Invasion of Iraq to find weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs developed by Iraq under the regime of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. ... A Rendering of the Sindbad Hotel Complex and Conference Center. ... Human rights in post-invasion Iraq have caused many concerns and controversies since the 2003 invasion. ... The withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq has been a contentious issue within the United States since the beginning of the Iraq War. ... This page contains links to several topics relating to views on the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the subsequent occupation of Iraq. ... This article is about parties opposing to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the Iraq War from outside Iraq. ... There have been considerable protests against the Iraq War in the buildup to and following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... Image:AntiWarProtestLondon. ... List of people associated with the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. ... See also: 2003, Iraq, Iraq disarmament crisis, Invasion of Iraq, Occupation of Iraq Events January January 30 - Facing worldwide criticism and against the wishes of the majorities of their own electorates, leaders of Britain, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Denmark, and the Czech Republic release a statement, the letter of the... See also: 2004, Iraq, Occupation of Iraq, 2005 in Iraq // Events January January 10 - Protests in the city of Amarah because of an unemployment crisis. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... There were a number of events in 2006 in Iraq. ... January 1 Hundreds of Saddam Hussein supporters protest the ousted Iraqi dictators December 30, 2006, execution and vow revenge. ...

Non-military targets

Some analysts suspect that the aim of these attacks is to show chaos and sectarian discord. The attacks on non-military and civilian targets began in earnest in August 2003 and have steadily increased since then.

Bomb and mortar attacks

The bomb attacks aimed at civilians usually target crowded places such as marketplaces and mosques in the Shi'ite cities and districts. The sometimes are co-ordinated bombings often inflict extreme casualties.

For example, the 23 November 2006 Sadr City bombings killed killed at least 215 people and injured hundreds more in the Sadr City district of Baghdad, sparking reprisal attacks, or the 3 February 2007 Baghdad market bombing which killed at least 135 and injured more than 300, while the co-ordinated 2 March 2004 Iraq Ashura bombings (including car bombs, suicide bombers and mortar, grenade and rocket attacks) killed at least 178 people and injured at least 500. The 2006 Sadr City bombings were a series of car bombs and mortar attacks in Iraq that began on November 23 at 15:10 Baghdad time (12:10 Greenwich Mean Time) and ended at 15:55 (12:55 GMT). ... // Overhead view of Sadr City Sadr City (Arabic: مدينة الصدر) is a suburb district of the city of Baghdad, Iraq. ... The Baghdad market bombing was the detonation of a large truck bomb in a busy market in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on February 3, 2007. ... The Ashura massacre of March 2, 2004 in Iraq was a series of planned terrorist explosions that killed at least 178 and injured at least 500 Iraqi Shia Muslims commemorating the Ashura festival. ... For other uses, see Car bomb (disambiguation). ... A suicide bombing is a bomb attack on people or property, committed by a person who knows the explosion will cause his or her own death in addition to the attacks primary purpose (see suicide, suicide weapons). ... US soldier loading a M224 60-mm mortar. ... Grenade may refer to: The well-known hand grenade commonly used by soldiers. ... This article is about vehicles powered by rocket engines. ...

Suicide bombings

Since August 2003, suicide car bombs have been increasingly used as weapons by Sunni militants, primarily al-Qaeda extremists. The car bombs, known in the military as vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (IEDs), have emerged as one of their most effective weapons, directed not only against civilian targets but also against the mainly-Shi'ite Iraqi police stations and recruiting centers. A suicide bombing is an attack using a bomb in which the individual(s) carrying the explosive materials composing the bomb intend(s) and expect(s) to die upon detonation (see suicide). ... Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ... Munitions rigged for an IED discovered by Iraqi police in Baghdad, November 2005. ...

These vehicle IEDs are often driven by the extremists from the foreign Muslim countries with a history of militancy, such as Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Egypt, and Pakistan.^{[citation needed]} The word militant can refer to any individual engaged in warfare, a fight, combat, or generally serving as a soldier. ...

Death squads

Death squad-style killings in Iraq have taken place in a variety of ways. Kidnapping, followed by often extreme torture (such as drilling holes in peoples feet with drills[1]) and execution-style killings, sometimes public (in some cases, beheadings), have emerged as another tactic. In some cases, tapes of the execution are distributed for propaganda purposes. The bodies are usually dumped on a roadside or in other places, several at a time. There were also several relatively large-scale massacres, like the Hay al Jihad massacre in which some 40 Sunnis were killed in a response to the car bombing which killed a dozen of Shi'ites. // A death squad is an armed squad of men that kills civilians. ... For other uses, see Torture (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Drill (disambiguation). ... Summary execution of NVA spy during the Vietnam War. ... Beheading. ... For other uses, see Propaganda (disambiguation). ... Photographs of the My Lai massacre provoked world outrage and made it an international scandal. ... The Hay al Jihad massacre occurred on July 9, 2006 in the Hay al Jihad neighborhood of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. ...

The death squads are often disgruntled Shi'ites, including members of the security forces, who kill Sunnis to avenge the consequences of the insurgency against American occupation and the Shi'ite-dominated government.[2]

Attacks and occupations on place of worship

On February 22, 2006, the highly provocative explosion took place at the al-Askari Mosque in the Iraqi city of Samarra, one of the holiest sites in Shi'a Islam, believed to have been caused by a bomb planted by al-Qaeda in Iraq. Although no injuries occurred in the blast, the mosque was severely damaged and the bombing resulted in violence over the following days. Over 100 dead bodies with bullet holes were found on the next day, and at least 165 people are thought to have been killed. In the aftermath of this attack the U.S. military calculated that the average homicide rate in Baghdad tripled from 11 to 33 deaths per day.^[23] A place of worship is a building or other locations where religious persons may worship their deity, regularly or not. ... is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The term provocation, besides its generic meaning of an act to be a cause of something, has the following technical meanings. ... This article is about the bombing that took place in 2006. ... Map showing Samarra near Baghdad Sāmarrā (سامراء) is a town in Iraq ( ). It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Salah ad Din Governorate, 125 km north of Baghdad and, in 2002, had an estimated population of 201,700. ... Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) is a takfeeri militant group which is playing an active role in the Iraqi insurgency. ...

Dozens of Iraqi mosques were since attacked or taken-over by the sectarian terrorists. For example, a Sunni mosque was burnt in the southern Iraqi town of Haswa on March 25, 2007, in the revenge for the destruction of a Shia mosque in the town the previous day.^[26] In several cases, Christian churches were also attacked by the extremists. Later, another al-Askari bombing took place in June 2007. is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... The 2007 al-Askari Mosque bombing (Arabic: ) occurred on June 13, 2007 at around 9 a. ...

Christian minority also alleged that they became the target for several issue such as the Danish cartoon controversy and apostasy problem. The controversial cartoons of Muhammad, as they were first published in Jyllands-Posten in September 2005. ...

Sectarian desertions

Some Iraqi service members have deserted the military or the police and others have refused to serve in hostile areas.^[27] For example, some members of one sect have refused to serve in neighborhoods dominated by other sects.^[27] The ethnic Kurdish soldiers from northern Iraq, who are mostly Sunnis but not Arabs, were also reported to be deserting the army to avoid the civil strife in Baghdad, a conflict they consider someone else's problem.^[28] For other uses of Desertion, see Abandonment. ...

Timeline

Main articles: 2003 in Iraq, 2004 in Iraq, 2005 in Iraq, 2006 in Iraq, and 2007 in Iraq

There have been a number of spectacularly bloody attacks in Iraq. For more information on attacks in a specific year, see the associated timeline page.

Civilian deaths attributable to insurgent or military action in Iraq, and also to increased criminal violence. For the period between January 1, 2003 and July 20, 2006 as recorded by the Iraq Body Count project. Many of these type of civilian deaths are not reported. Other methods of estimating civilian deaths come up with much higher numbers. See also: Casualties of the conflict in Iraq since 2003.

Image File history File links Iraq1. ... Image File history File links Iraq1. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cumulative chart of civilian deaths resulting from the 2003 invasion of Iraq for the period between January 1, 2003 and July 20, 2006 as illustrated by data recorded by the Iraq Body Count project. ... Casualties of the conflicts in Iraq since 2003 (beginning with the 2003 invasion of Iraq and continuing with the ensuing 2003 occupation of Iraq coalition presence as well as the activities of the various armed groups operating in the country) have come in many forms, and the accuracy of the...

Potential effects of the sectarian attacks

An article in The Washington Post, published on August 20, 2006,^[29] reported that a full-blown Iraq civil war might result in the death of hundreds of thousands of people and turn millions of people into refugees. The ethnic unrest could also spill over to the rest of the region, with "copycat secession attempts" in neighbouring countries, such as Kuwait, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, as these countries have similar ethnic diversity. Citing the history of Taliban and Rwandan Patriotic Front as examples, the report warned that refugee camps often become a sanctuary and recruiting ground for militias, thus spreading the conflict to a wider area. Civil war could lead to increased radicalism and terrorism: Hezbollah and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were formed as a result of civil wars. Based on lessons learned from the Lebanese and Bosnian civil wars, the report predicted that if an all-out civil war were to break out in Iraq, the U.S.-led coalition would require 450,000 troops to quash it. The Washington Post is the largest newspaper in Washington, D.C.. It is also one of the citys oldest papers, having been founded in 1877. ... is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Taliban (Pashto: , also anglicized as Taleban) are a Sunni Muslim and ethnic Pashtun movement [2] that ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, when their leaders were removed from power by a cooperative military effort between the Northern Alliance, United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. ... The Rwandan Patriotic Front (also translated as: Rwandese Patriotic Front; or referred to as: Patriotic Front of Rwanda) abbreviated as RPF (also often referred to as FPR from French: Front patriotique rwandais) is the current ruling political party of Rwanda, led by President Paul Kagame. ... For other uses, see Hezbollah (disambiguation). ... This article is about Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. ...

An article in The International Herald Tribune, published on November 26, 2006,^[30] paraphrased a report from a group of American professors at Stanford University that the insurgency in Iraq amounted to the classic definition of a civil war. The International Herald Tribune (or IHT) is fully owned by the New York Times, which along with its own staff journalists and news agencies supplies it with news and features. ... is the 330th day of the year (331st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Stanford redirects here. ... This article is about the definition of the specific type of war. ...

Growth in refugee flight

Main article: Refugees of Iraq

As a result of sectarian threats, murders, and murder attempts, 1.9 million have been internally displaced. As of late January 2007, 2 million people have fled Iraq as refugees since the Iraq War began.^[31] In April 2006 the Ministry of Displacement and Migration estimated that "nearly 70,000 displaced Iraqis, especially from the capital, are living in deteriorating conditions,” due to ongoing sectarian violence.^[32] Roughly 40% of Iraq's middle class is believed to have fled, the U.N. said. Most are fleeing systematic persecution and have no desire to return.^[33] Refugees are mired in poverty as they are generally barred from working in their host countries.^[34][35] A May 25, 2007 article notes that in the past seven months only 69 people from Iraq have been granted refugee status in the United States.^[36] This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... What is Refugees? Refugees is a simple internet community that was created as a homeland and haven for the members of the message board MegaMassMedia. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... A boy from an East Cipinang trash dump slum in Jakarta, Indonesia shows what he found. ... 2000 Census Population Ancestry Map Immigration to the United States of America is the movement of non-residents to the United States. ...

Use of "civil war" label

Deputy leader of the United States Senate, Dick Durbin, referred to "this civil war in Iraq"^[37] in a criticism of George W. Bush's January 10, 2007, President's Address to the Nation.^[38] The Assistant Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate (commonly called Senate Majority and Minority Whips) are the second-ranking members of their parties in the United States Senate. ... Type Upper House President of the Senate Richard B. Cheney, R since January 20, 2001 President pro tempore Robert C. Byrd, D since January 4, 2007 Members 100 Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party Last elections November 7, 2006 Meeting place Senate Chamber United States Capitol Washington, DC United States... Richard Joseph Dick Durbin, (born November 21, 1944) is currently the senior United States Senator from Illinois and Democratic Whip, the second highest position in the party leadership in the Senate. ... is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

An unclassified summary of the 90-page January 2007 National Intelligence Estimate, titled Prospects for Iraq's Stability: A Challenging Road Ahead, states the following regarding the use of the term "civil war": National Intelligence Estimates (NIEs), produced by the National Intelligence Council, express the coordinated judgments of the US Intelligence Community made up of 16 intelligence agencies, and thus represent the most authoritative assessment of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) with respect to a particular national security issue. ...

The Intelligence Community judges that the term “civil war” does not adequately capture the complexity of the conflict in Iraq, which includes extensive Shia-on-Shia violence, al-Qa’ida and Sunni insurgent attacks on Coalition forces, and widespread criminally motivated violence. Nonetheless, the term “civil war” accurately describes key elements of the Iraqi conflict, including the hardening of ethno-sectarian identities, a sea change in the character of the violence, ethno-sectarian mobilization, and population displacements.^[39]

A poll of over 5,000 Iraqi nationals found that 27% of polled Iraqi residents agreed that Iraq was in a civil war, while 61% thought Iraq was not.^[12]

Retired United States Army General Barry McCaffrey issued a report on March 26, 2007, after a trip and analysis of the situation in Iraq. The report labeled the current situation a "low-grade civil war."^[40] The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... Gen. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

From page 3 of the report:

"Iraq is ripped by a low-grade civil war which has worsened to catastrophic levels with as many as 3000 citizens murdered per month. The population is in despair. Life in many of the urban areas is now desperate. A handful of foreign fighter (500+)--and a couple thousand Al Qaeda operatives incite open factional struggle through suicide bombings which target Shia holy places and innocent civilians...The police force is feared as a Shia militia in uniform which is responsible for thousands of extra-judicial killings."

See also

• 2 March 2004 Iraq Ashura bombings
• 23 November 2006 Sadr City bombings
• 22 January 2007 Baghdad bombings
• 3 February 2007 Baghdad market bombing
• Casualties of the conflict in Iraq since 2003
• Command responsibility
• Ethnic cleansing
• Ethnic conflict
• Hay al Jihad massacre
• Historical Shi'a-Sunni relations
• Iraqi insurgency
• List of civil wars
• Post-invasion Iraq, 2003-2006
• Sectarianism
• Religion in Iraq
• Religious war

The Ashura massacre of March 2, 2004 in Iraq was a series of planned terrorist explosions that killed at least 178 and injured at least 500 Iraqi Shia Muslims commemorating the Ashura festival. ... The 2006 Sadr City bombings were a series of car bombs and mortar attacks in Iraq that began on November 23 at 15:10 Baghdad time (12:10 Greenwich Mean Time) and ended at 15:55 (12:55 GMT). ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... The Baghdad market bombing was the detonation of a large truck bomb in a busy market in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on February 3, 2007. ... Casualties of the conflicts in Iraq since 2003 (beginning with the 2003 invasion of Iraq and continuing with the ensuing 2003 occupation of Iraq coalition presence as well as the activities of the various armed groups operating in the country) have come in many forms, and the accuracy of the... Peace Palace in The Hague Command responsibility, sometimes referred to as the Yamashita standard, or the Medina standard is the doctrine of hierarchical accountability in cases of war crimes. ... For the video game, see Ethnic Cleansing (computer game). ... An ethnic war is a war between ethnic groups often as a result of ethnic nationalism. ... The Hay al Jihad massacre occurred on July 9, 2006 in the Hay al Jihad neighborhood of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. ... // Origins of the schism Shias record the start of the schism with the death of Muhammad, and in their view, a violent coup détat against Ali in his first day as caliph, which they argue was automatic without recourse to an election or a formal investiture. ... The Iraqi insurgency denotes groups using armed resistance against the US-led Coalition occupation of Iraq. ... This is a list of civil wars. ... Occupation zones in Iraq as of September 2003 The post-invasion period in Iraq followed the 2003 invasion of Iraq by a multinational coalition led by the United States, which overthrew the Baath Party government of Saddam Hussein. ... Sectarianism refers (usually pejoratively) to a rigid adherence to a particular sect or party or religious denomination. ... Religion in Iraq is diverse. ... For other uses of the term, see Holy War. ...

Bibliography

• Iraq Study Group, The Iraq Study Group Report: The Way Forward - A New Approach (2006)
• Nir Rosen, In the Belly of the Green Bird: The Triumph of the Martyrs in Iraq (2006)

Cover of the report The Iraq Study group (ISG), also known as the Baker-Hamilton Commission,[1] was a ten-person bipartisan panel appointed on March 15, 2006, by the United States Congress, that was charged with assessing the situation in Iraq and the US-led Iraq War and making... The Iraq Study Group Report, also known as the Baker Report,[1] is an independent assessment of the war in Iraq authored by the Iraq Study Group. ... Nir Rosen was born in New York City in 1977. ...

Films

• Iraq in Fragments, documentary (2006)

Iraq in Fragments is an Academy Award nominated documentary feature directed by James Longley. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Iraq. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Iraq. ...

References

BBC News is the department within the BBC responsible for the corporations news-gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... Patrick Buchanan Patrick Joseph Buchanan (born November 2, 1938), usually known as Pat Buchanan, is an American conservative journalist and a well known television political commentator. ... is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ... is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The daily Seattle Post-Intelligencer is the second leading newspaper in Seattle, Washington, United States. ... is the 192nd day of the year (193rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Sami Ramadani interview "Iraq is not a civil war" spring 2007.
• Taheri, Amir. "There is no Civil War in Iraq, Gulf News, December 6, 2006.
• Phillips, David L., "Federalism can prevent Iraq civil war", July 20, 2005.
• Hider, James, "Weekend of slaughter propels Iraq towards all-out civil war", July 18, 2005.
• Ramadani, Sami, "Occupation and Civil War", UK Guardian, July 8, 2005.
• Phelps, Timothy M., "Experts: Iraq Verges on Civil War". Newsday, 12 May 2005.
• Strobel, Warren P., and Jonathan S. Landay, "CIA Officers Warn of Iraq Civil War, Contradicting Bush's Optimism", Knight-Ridder, January 22, 2004.
• "US exit may lead to Iraqi civil war", November 19, 2003.
• Dunnigan, James, "The Coming Iraqi Civil War", April 4, 2003