Operation Iraqi Freedom III

Iraq War

Clockwise from top: U.S. troops at Uday and Qusay Hussein's hideout; insurgents in northern Iraq; an Iraqi insurgent firing a MANPADS; the toppling of the Saddam Hussein statue in Firdos Square.

Date	20 March 2003 (2003-03-20) – 18 December 2011 (2011-12-18) (8 years, 8 months and 28 days)
Location	Iraq
Result	Invasion and occupation of Iraq Overthrow of Ba'ath Party government and execution of Saddam Hussein Iraqi insurgency, emergence of al-Qaeda in Iraq, and Sectarian Violence and another civil war Subsequent reduction in violence and depletion of al-Qaeda in Iraq Establishment of democratic elections and formation of new Shia led government Withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq in 2011 Stronger Iranian influence in Iraq Escalation of sectarian insurgency after U.S. withdrawal leading to the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the successor of al-Qaeda in Iraq Iraqi Civil War (2014-present) Return of US forces to Iraq in 2014