Operation Iraqi Freedom (Unofficial)

Operation Iraqi Freedom (Unofficial) Operation Iraqi Freedom A Forcebook For COIN Battles: Iraq, 2003-2017 BY ALEX MONTALVO 1 Operation Iraqi Freedom (Unofficial) A WAR A DECADE IN THE MAKING he had or was making WMDs is a matter of After Operation Desert Storm, in which the debate. What history records is that on March, United States and coalition allies ejected the 20 2003 President Bush gave the authorization forces of Iraq from the nation of Kuwait, Saddam for the invasion of Iraq, codenamed Operation Hussein continued to be public enemy #1 to the Iraqi Freedom. US. President George HW Bush had demonized Saddam and his Baathists so well that his regime Shock and Awe had become a virtual pariah on the world stage. After a short, intense aerial bombardment of key Subject to crippling sanctions, as well as a no fly locations the US’s 3rd Infantry, 101st Airborne, zone, Saddam continued to spar with the United 1st Marine Division as well as the British 1st States and its western allies while oppressing his Armored Division drove north out of Kuwait. own populace. To be frank, Battering aside any Iraqi many in the US believed Army and Republican that Saddam should have Guard units standing in been removed in 1991 and their way, the British some still wanted that to seized Basra while the come to fruition. A few American forces drove on very powerful proponents Baghdad. However, while of that belief would serve originally intending to in the cabinet of President bypass major population George W. Bush upon his centers, American forces election in 2000. would find themselves drawn into fierce city And the terrorist attacks of 9/11 gave them a fighting particularly in Ar Ramadi and Karbala. Of casus belli for war. note, and a foreshadowing of the future, the most fanatical resistance came not from the Iraqi After removing the Taliban from power in Army or even the Republican Guard but Afghanistan, the Bush administration began to paramilitary forces of the Fedayeen Saddam set their sights on Saddam Hussein. His commanded by Saddam’s son, Qusay Hussein. Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfield, as well This was the first insurgent troops the coalition as Vice President Dick Cheney urged the would encounter, they would not be the last. President to remove Saddam from power, that he Nevertheless, Baghdad fell and Iraq was declared was looking to develop Weapons Of Mass subdued after 3 weeks of fighting. On May 1, Destruction and had ties to Al Qaeda. While 2003 President Bush would declare “Mission Saddam had been antagonizing the West, no Accomplished” on the deck of the USS Abraham tangible evidence would ever surface that he was Lincoln. He was wrong. in league with jihadist groups and whether or not 2 Operation Iraqi Freedom (Unofficial) A FATEFUL DECISION Aid Workers, and ambushes tore across the Once ground combat had ceased, the US was country. posed with a problem. They had planned for the military operation to overthrow Saddam’s regime, The insurgency had begun. but had not made plans to stabilize the country or “secure the peace”. The soldiers on the ground quickly found themselves acting as police 2004-2008: Insurgency, Civil War, and The officers, mediators, complaint department and Surge everything in between. Widespread looting As the insurgency grew, militias, former occurred, as well as violence between citizens as baathists, and foreign jihadists began fighting well as against coalition forces. Hoping to find coalition forces as well as each other. In Fallujah, someone to stabilize the country and help the located in the Western Iraqi province of Anbar, 4 transition of sovereignty to Iraqis, the US contractors were killed and their bodies Government mutilated and hung from appointed L. a bridge. This Paul Bremer as precipitated a massive head of the response by US Marines, Coalition and the Battle of Provisional Fallujah is considered Authority, or one of the largest single CPA. The CPA battles of the entire Iraq would act as an War. Marines fought interim street by street, house government by house, room by room until the Iraqis against Sunni Insurgents were capable of and Jihadists. However, self governance. the Sunni insurgency However, Bremer and the CPA would make a was not content just to attack coalition forces. fateful decision that would exacerbate the One leader, Abu Musab Al-Zarkawi, affiliated situation for years to come. On 23 May, 2003 himself and his group with Al-Qaeda and began Bremer issued CPA Order #2, which dissolved the targeting Shia Iraqis. One such attack bombed Iraqi Army, most government agencies for the Al-Askari Mosque in Samarra, causing defense, and others. Combined with the CPA’s widespread anger and retaliation amongst Shias “De-Baathification” efforts, tens of thousands of against Sunnis. Also in response, Shia leaders like Iraqis were immediately rendered jobless and the Moqtada Al-Sadr mobilized Shia insurgent groups infrastructure of the country was gutted at a to fight not just the coalition, but carry out stroke. Soon afterwards, Suicide Bombings, reprisals against Sunni Iraqis. In 2004, Saddam Kidnapping and Execution of Western Press and Hussein was captured outside Tikrit, and in 2006 the Iraqis had their first ever national elections. 3 Operation Iraqi Freedom (Unofficial) However, the country was tearing itself apart in 2012-2017: Sectarian Violence, Civil War, sectarian conflict and terrorist acts and the and the Rise of ISIS coalition forces could do little to quell the With the withdrawal of Coalition Forces, Iraq bloodshed. In 2007, President Bush ordered a plunged back into sectarian violence almost 90-Day spike in troop levels to help quell the immediately. Sunni Iraqis, marginalized by an violence. This became known as “The Surge”. The increasingly corrupt and Shia-dominated Surge was mainly focused around Baghdad, government, began to target government forces where US Forces made a concerted effort to go as well as Shia groups. As was the case before, neighborhood by neighborhood and clear Baghdad of insurgent groups. The plan worked, though many insurgents relocated North to Mosul or East to Baquba. While the Surge did lower much of the violence and body count plaguing Iraq, the fighting was far from over. 2008-2012: A New Dawn, and Withdrawal As President Bush turned over control of the War to President Barack Obama, Coalition Forces in Iraq had a shift in strategy. Proposed by General David Petraeus, coalition forces were to get out of the huge “mega FOBs” and move into the Shia groups retaliated and Iraq plunged back into neighborhoods. They were to work closely with civil war. In neighboring Syria, also in civil war, community leaders as well as Iraqi Army and Sunni islamists were gathering in strength. Police units. This grassroots counter insurgency Notable was the remnants of Al_Qaeda in Iraq, approach saw a sharp decrease in violence and Al-Zarkawi’s force. Collecting jihadists from coalition casualties. Of special note is the “Anbar around the middle east, they rebranded Awakening”, where Sunni tribal leaders fed up themselves the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria with Al-Qaeda intimidation and violence formed (ISIS) and seized a massive swathe of territory in militia groups to drive jihadists out and work eastern syria and north and northwestern Iraq, with coalition forces. As these initiatives brought capturing numerous cities including Mosul and a modicum of stability to Iraq, President Obama Ramadi. At one point, ISIS controlled nearly a changed the name of the action from Operation third of Iraqi territory. It took a concerted effort Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn in 2010. over 3 years, a complete restructuring and As the Iraq military and government continued to training of the Iraqi Army, and massive support take the lead in operations, Coalition units finally from the US and other Western countries to withdrew from Iraq, with the final unit leaving on defeat ISIS in 2017. To date, insurgency still December 18, 2011. They would not be gone for continues in Iraq and will likely do so for years to long. come. 4 Operation Iraqi Freedom (Unofficial) BUSK: ERA Armor Against HEAT weapons COALITION FORCES C-IED/ECM: Counter IED Equipment as per SPECIAL RULES the COIN Rules Supplement SPEC OPS: AS PER COIN RULES C4ISR: Some units make use of advanced SUPPLEMENT tactical communications and internet systems, giving them an unrivaled ability to communicate and be situationally aware. Stubborn Fighters: The Kurdish Peshmerga are Units with C4ISR may do the following as noted known for their hardiness and willingness to fight on their force entries and cards: for a cause. ● Enemy SPOT Reporting: May lift enemy ● Units with the Stubborn Fighters rating gone to ground by a skill check. Team have improved Assault rating may not shoot or assault after doing so. ● CFF: Unit may reroll the 3rd dice to range Top Attack: Certain ATGMs are designed to in on a bombardment if failed. attack the weakest part of a tank, its top armor ● QRF: Player may reroll one die for ● Weapons with Top Attack have an AT reserves a turn. rating for Top Armor MRAP: During the later stages of the war, SLAT/PANEL ARMOR: Strykers and MRAPs Coalition forces began using specially built mine were equipped with special armor specifically resistant vehicles to resist IEDs. While the vehicle designed to negate RPGs. itself was destroyed, the men inside would ● Vehicles with Slat or Panel armor are survive with minor injuries. Armor 13 to HEAT weapons ● Teams riding in MRAPs are not required to make a save if the MRAP is destroyed ****All other special rules are as per the by an IED.

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