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It's Go Time
Saddam Hussein is given 48 hours to leave Iraq. Once the 48 hours are up, President Bush launches and invasion of Iraq. The main incentive behind the invasion is the speculated presence and Iraqi posession of weapons of mass destruction. -
Fall of Baghdad
US soldiers take over Baghdad; Saddam's statue, located in the center of the city, is toppled, signifying the fall of Baghdad. -
Discovery of WMD
Donald Rumsfeld states that they (the government) are aware of the presence of weapons of mass destruction. The WMD are believed to be located in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad. -
Saddam's Sons Pronounced Dead
Saddam's two sons, Uday and Qusay, are both killed in a house in Mosul during a U.S. raid. Their deaths are a step in the right direction for the U.S. and bring us closer to capturing Saddam. -
It's about Time!
Saddam is finally captured towards the end of 2003 - he is found in a "spider hole" during a raid. He surrenders willingly without giving a fight. -
1,000 Mark
At this time of the war, the death of American soliders reaches the significant number of 1,000. A ceremony was held to commemorate the losses. -
WMD Search - Over
U.S. inspectors declare the (U.S.) search for weapons of mass destruction to be over. They note that search will still continue but under the authority of the Iraqi Interim Government. -
Voting Rights for Women.
The Transitional National Assembly elections are held in hopes of building a stable Iraqi government.. In this free election, women are allowed to vote; this is signified by their purple-inked fingers. -
Ceremony Gone Wrong
At a shi'ite ceromony, held in the middle of Baghdad, near 1,000 Iraqis are killed in a stampede; 500 are injured. The ceremony is held as a routine religious procession. The mass stampede results in numerous shi'ites to either drown or be trampled to death. -
Iraqi Constitution
The new Iraqi constitution is ratified. Sunni Arabs are against the constituion, but they are out-voted; The majority vote was in favor of adopting the new constitution. The plan is to elect a full time parliament on December 15. -
The Trial Begins
Saddam's trial begins; he is charged for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The accused war crimes are for the ordered killings of 143 Shiites in Dujail in 1982. -
Elections
General elections are held to elect a permanent government in Iraq. Iraqis vote, and the United Iraqi Alliance, a powerful shi'ite Muslim party, wins a majority of the 275 seats in the Council. -
Al-Queda Leader - Killed
The leader of Al-Qaeda and Iraq, Abu Musab Al-Zaqawi, is killed during a U.S. air strike in which F-16 jets drop two 500 pound bombs. The air strike and the leader's death is seen as a major victory in the war in Iraq. -
The Execution
Saddam Hussein, after being convicted during his trial, is executed by hanging in Iraq. The execution is publicly conducted preceding the Sunni Muslim celebration of Eid al-Adha. -
Initiation of the Troop Surge
Bush sends an escalation of 20,000 troops into Iraq. He sends more troops because he wants to provide security in Baghdad: he hopes that the increased troops, sent to specific areas, will secure the critical regions of the country.
