Operation Iraqui Freedom

2003 invasion of Iraq

Part of the Iraq War, and the War on Terror

U.S. Army M1A1 Abrams tanks and their crews pose for a photo in front of the "Victory Arch" monument at Baghdad's Ceremony Square in November 2003.

Date

20 March – 1 May 2003
(1 month, 1 week and 4 days)

Location

Iraq

Result

Coalition victory

Iraqi Ba'athist government overthrown
Occupation of Iraq until 2011
New Iraqi government established
Beginning of the Iraq War

Belligerents

Coalition forces:
United States
United Kingdom
Australia
Spain
Poland

With military support from:
Iraqi National Congress
Peshmerga

Iraq

Arab volunteers

Ansar al-Islam

Commanders and leaders

George W. Bush
Tommy Franks
Tony Blair
Brian Burridge
José Maria Aznar

Masoud Barzani

Babakir Zebari

Jalal Talabani

Kosrat Rasul Ali
Ahmed Chalabi

Saddam Hussein

Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti

Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri

Ra'ad al-Hamdani

Abu Abdullah Warya Salih ash-Shafi'i (Ansar-ul-Islam commander)

Strength

380,000 troops

United States: 192,000 troops
United Kingdom: 45,000 troops

Australia: 2,000 troops
Poland: 194 Special Forces

Peshmerga: 70,000

Iraqi National Congress: 620

Iraqi Armed Forces: 375,000
Special Iraqi Republican Guard: 12,000
Iraqi Republican Guard: 70,000–75,000
Fedayeen Saddam: 30,000
Iraqi reserves: 650,000

Ansar al-Islam: 600–800

Casualties and losses

Coalition:
172 killed (139 U.S., 33 UK)
551 wounded (U.S.)
Peshmerga:
24+ killed

Total:
196+ killed

Estimated Iraqi combatant fatalities: 30,000 (figure attributed to General Tommy Franks)

7,600–11,000 (4,895–6,370 observed and reported) (Project on Defense Alternatives study)

13,500–45,000 (extrapolated from fatality rates in units serving around Baghdad)
Total: 7,600–45,000 killed

Estimated Iraqi civilian fatalities:
7,269 (Iraq Body Count)

3,200–4,300 (Project on Defense Alternatives study)

Coalition victory

Coalition forces:
United States
United Kingdom
Australia
Spain
Poland

With military support from:
Iraqi National Congress
Peshmerga

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Wikipedia