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86-643: On June 7, 2007, a bombing in the marketplace of Amirli by the Islamic State of Iraq killed 165 people and injured 350. The town, and its nearly 20,000 Shia Turkmen, was besieged by the ISIL starting in June 2014. It was running out of food, water, and supplies. A U.N. representative stated, "The situation of the people in Amerli is desperate and demands immediate action to prevent the possible massacre of its citizens." On August 31,

172-455: A 50% increase in troop strength was optimal, though a 25% increase would have been sufficient to capture the support of "neutral Iraqis". It also determined that due to Iraqi perceptions, the use of United Nations peacekeepers in place of US or coalition forces could achieve the same results with a smaller troop increase. These analyses were "performed and briefed to senior government decisionmakers well in advance of events." On December 6, 2006,

258-513: A Baghdad security plan". CNN reported that "Administration officials say Bush is 'not satisfied' with some of the information he has been getting and 'is asking people to get him more' information on various options in Iraq." Though originally scheduled for late 2006, the announcement on "the new way forward" was delayed to give the President "more time" to gather information. Press secretary Tony Snow said

344-549: A Caliphate. Asserting that the former AQ members in Iraq are under the command of ISI, Zawahiri stated: “The State [i.e., ISI] is a step on the path to establishing the caliphate . It is superior to mujahid groups. These organizations [in Iraq] must give allegiance to the State, not vice versa. The Commander of the Faithful, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi - may God protect him - is one of the leaders of

430-486: A generation Reagan conservatives have consistently demonstrated an ability to do just that. Nowhere has this been more evident than in our response to the threats of Islamic totalitarianism and the fight with our terrorist enemies. He said: While the threats of Islamic totalitarianism at times require different tactics, we are approaching those challenges with the same resolve that allowed us to defeat communism. I am convinced that in this fight we will also prevail because

516-506: A new safe haven in a free Iraq. The substance of the debate that followed the speech reflected "widespread disagreement with the Bush administration over its proposed solution, and growing skepticism that the United States made the right decision in going to war in the first place". Some issues of contention were divisions over the advisability of committing more troops versus complete withdrawal,

602-571: A new strategy." He reiterated his intent to communicate that strategy to the nation before Christmas 2006, and said "There is no question we've got to make sure that the State Department and the Defense Department – the efforts and their recommendations are closely coordinated, so that when I do speak to the American people, they will know that I've listened to all aspects of government and that

688-537: A new team." The President thanked the panel and told reporters "I appreciate the advice I got from those folks in the field. And that advice is ... an important component of putting together a new way forward in Iraq." The CIA 's top counterinsurgency experts conducted an assessment that found the presence of US forces was key to stability. Brett H. McGurk added that "when we have a presence we are able to help resolve local disputes before they get out of control, police illegal conduct by Iraqi forces, and ultimately help

774-513: A raid by Iraqi and US forces. On 16 May 2010, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was announced as the new leader of the Islamic State of Iraq; his deputy was Abu Abdallah al-Husseini al-Qurashi . On 14 May 2010, al-Masri was succeeded by Abu Suleiman al-Naser , who was in turn killed some time in 2011. Following Suleiman's death, the position of "War Minister" was replaced by a Military Council composed of former military officers of Ba'athist Iraq , under

860-708: A timely fashion." Later in the day White House spokesman Tony Snow told CNN 's Larry King that Bush was comparing recommendations "by the Iraq Study Group with pending studies by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and National Security Council ." Once the review was finished, Snow believed that the President would be able to "announce a new way forward" in Iraq by the end of the year. On December 11, 2006, Bush met with Senior State Department advisers (including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ) "on how to shape U.S. policy in Iraq as part of Bush's mission to come up with

946-537: Is October 2006, the goals of al-Qaeda in Iraq , as well as its allies in the Mujahideen Shura Council , included: expelling the US from Iraq, establishing an Islamic state in Iraq, and extending this program to neighboring countries. The objectives of its predecessor organization were also the core goals of the Islamic State of Iraq organization. ISI also aspired to declare itself as a Caliphate at some point in

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1032-443: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Islamic State of Iraq [REDACTED] Free Syrian Army (Some groups) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Kurdish Supreme Committee and allied groups Iraqi insurgency (2011–2013) Syrian Civil War The Islamic State of Iraq ( ISI ; Arabic : دولة العراق الإسلامية Dawlat al-ʿIrāq al-ʾIslāmiyyah ) was a Salafi jihadist militant organization that fought

1118-535: Is effective." He also stressed his ongoing commitment to securing Iraq, saying "If we lose our nerve, if we're not steadfast in our determination to help the Iraqi government succeed, we will be handing Iraq over to an enemy that would do us harm." When pressed for when he would announce his new way forward, he said he would not be "rushed" into a decision and was still reviewing his options. On December 14, 2006, when pressed by reporters for more information on his thinking on

1204-662: The 110th Congress convened on January 4 some Democrats said they planned to call Defense Secretary Robert Gates before the Senate Armed Services Committee "to explain, if not try to defend, the president's plan." Prior to the speech, US Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a member of the Armed Services Committee , held a press conference with former NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Wesley Clark and Jon Soltz , Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and together called on Bush "to listen to

1290-484: The 2006 midterm elections , the surge was considered to be extremely difficult politically. One White House staffer explained the political rationale succinctly: "If you're going to be a bear, be a grizzly." In retrospect, Hillary Clinton , Barack Obama and other critics of the surge have argued that it was successful. The phrases "New Way Forward", "The New Way Forward" and "A new way forward in Iraq" were widely used by White House Press Secretary Tony Snow and

1376-544: The American occupation forces during the early Iraqi insurgency following the 2003 invasion of Iraq , and on 17 October 2004 al-Zarqawi had pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden 's al-Qaeda network; and the group became known as " Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn " (commonly known as al-Qaeda in Iraq). In January 2006, AQI and seven other Sunni guerrilla groups formed

1462-641: The Baghdad area and between April 2007 and April 2009, it lost considerable support, mobility and financial backing. The 23 November 2006 Sadr City bombings , killing 215 people, were blamed by the US on Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). In February and on 16 and 27 March 2007, lethal attacks on Sunni Iraqi targets took place that were not claimed, but that either Western observers or Iraqi rivals blamed on ISI (see section 2007 conflicts with Sunni and nationalist Iraqi groups ). The 23 March 2007 assassination attempt on Sunni Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq Salam al-Zaubai

1548-570: The Bethesda Naval Medical Center , "I left there more committed than ever to bringing the war to an end. I told my colleagues yesterday that the biggest ethical issue facing our country for the past three and a half years is the war in Iraq. ... When the House reconvenes on January 4, 2007, Democrats will take power and I will take the gavel knowing the responsibility we have to you and to the country. The new Democratic Congress will live up to

1634-416: The Iraq Study Group presented their report, which recommended both external and internal approaches for achieving positive progress in Iraq. Among other approaches, the report suggested that the "United States should significantly increase the number of U.S. military personnel, including combat troops, imbedded in and supporting Iraqi Army units." However, this language is not specifically included in any of

1720-601: The Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC), which on 15 October 2006 disbanded to form the "Islamic State of Iraq" organization, led by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi as its first Emir. Announcing the dissolution of both AQI and the MSC, al-Baghdadi declared that the previous organizations have been replaced by ISI. Within weeks, former AQI leader Abu Hamza al-Muhajir pledged allegiance to al-Baghdadi and became ISI's war minister, thereby transferring control of around 22,000 AQI fighters and volunteers to ISI. At its height during 2006–2008, ISI declared

1806-635: The Muslims and the mujahideen in this era.” By the end of 2009, ISI was, according to US and Iraqi officials, a mostly Iraqi network of small, roving cells, still relying on fighters and weapons smuggled through the Syrian border. For speculations about its later management structure, see section 2010, revival ISI . During 2004–2006, ISI's predecessor organization, Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) , steadily rose in popularity in Western Iraq. By August 2006, AQI had emerged

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1892-425: The city of Baqubah as its capital and governed territories in its strongholds of Mosul , Al-Anbar , as well as in the regions of Baghdad and Diyala . The organization also maintained a formidable military force. The area under its control began diminishing following the American troop surge in 2007, during which dozens of ISI leaders were killed by the forces of the U.S.-led coalition. Although unaffiliated with

1978-625: The troop surge , or simply the surge , refers to the George W. Bush administration's 2007 increase in the number of U.S. military combat troops in Iraq in order to provide security to Baghdad and Al Anbar Governorate . The surge was developed under the working title " The New Way Forward " and was announced in January 2007 by Bush during a television speech. Bush ordered the deployment of more than 20,000 soldiers into Iraq (five additional brigades), and sent

2064-567: The " Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant " (ISIL), officially announcing the group's expansion into Syria and its intention to absorb the Al-Nusra Front . Al-Qaeda Emir Ayman al-Zawahiri strongly denounced the announcement and officially demanded the withdrawal of ISIL from Syria. The ensuing events ignited a full-scale global conflict between ISIL and Al-Qaeda. After ISIL's rapid territorial expansion during its June 2014 Northern Iraq offensive ,

2150-505: The 'winnability' of the Iraq War regardless of a surge, and framing of the issue. The New York Times reported that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani backed Bush on the troop increase. McCain did the same, saying on January 12 that "The presence of additional coalition forces would allow the Iraqi government to do what it cannot accomplish today on its own: impose its rule throughout

2236-512: The American people understand the need to win. We must continue to lead the fight against Islamic totalitarianism and sustain the will to win the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. ... [On the war and on domestic issues] Our plan must avoid the mistakes of the past several years. ... I am confident that we will successfully move forward. In January 2005, the National Defense University applied its "Senturion" predictive analysis software to

2322-496: The Conservative Agenda" on November 9, 2006, to analyze "setbacks" from the election results. Blunt bemoaned the fact Republicans had "become the defenders rather than the challengers of business as usual." Blunt opened his speech listing the oft voiced explanations of his party's defeat which included that the results were in part "a referendum on the war in Iraq". He dismissed the notion that any one single reason explained

2408-710: The ISI spokesperson asserted that the organization was inspired by the archetype of the Islamic state established by Muhammad in Medina . Urging all Muslims in Iraq to give bay'ah to Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the declaration stated: “And today we call on all Iraqi mujahideen, scholars and tribal sheikhs. And the general Sunnis; To pledge allegiance to the Commander of the Faithful, the honorable Sheikh Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, to listen and obey in times of action or hatred, and to work hard to strengthen

2494-463: The ISI. Al-Qaeda's central command acknowledged Abu Ayyub al-Masri's pledge of allegiance to al-Baghdadi, and Ayman al-Zawihiri confirmed in a 2007 interview that Al-Qaeda's Iraq branch no longer existed after its absorption by the ISI organization. Officially, Abu Hamza al-Mujahir was the Islamic State of Iraq's military commander, and from April 2007 its Minister of War . Al-Masri and Omar al-Baghdadi were both reported killed on 18 April 2010 in

2580-409: The Iraqi army as pivotal to achieving some degree of stability." They pressed for "greater U.S. effort on economic reconstruction and political reconciliation." They stressed the need for "employment programs, reconstruction and political reconciliation ... [as] key to pulling young men from the burgeoning militias." They said there was "no purely military solution for Iraq" and "without major progress on

2666-591: The Iraqi army." These options were laid out by the outgoing US ground commander, Lt. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli . Under the Chiarelli plan "the military would shift about half of its 15 combat brigades away from battling insurgents and sectarian violence and into training Iraqi security forces as soon as the spring of 2007. ... About 4,000 U.S. troops are now serving on 11-person military training teams embedded with Iraqi forces. The new plan would add 30 troops to each team, allowing them to provide supervision and mentoring down to

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2752-454: The Iraqi elections in order to determine which factions would support the elections, which would oppose them, and which would remain neutral. Senturion's forecasts were largely borne out by the actual course of events. Among other things, Senturion predicted that "increased coalition military strength in Iraq would have improved the attitudes of Iraqi stake holders toward the election by making them feel more secure." The simulations indicated that

2838-516: The Iraqis develop their own patterns of interaction." On December 13, 2006, Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney met with the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for "more than an hour," discussing different military options for Iraq. While "no dramatic proposals" were put forward, "a pragmatic assessment of what can and cannot be done by the military" was offered. They did "not favor adding significant numbers of troops to Iraq" but saw "strengthening

2924-476: The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) organization gained command of an estimated 12,000 AQI fighters and an additional 10,000 al-Qaeda recruits. After the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in late 2011, U.S. estimates of ISI's strength ranged from 1,000 to 2,500 fighters. The Washington Post reported that AQI and its successor organization Islamic State of Iraq came to control large parts of Iraq between 2005 and 2008. In autumn 2006, AQI had taken over Baqubah ,

3010-501: The Levant (2013‑2014) On 13 and 15 October 2006, messages on the Internet issued by the Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC) officially declared the establishment of the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), which should encompass the governorates of Baghdad , Anbar , Diyala , Kirkuk , Saladin , Niniveh and parts of Babil and Wasit – a swathe of central and western Iraq where most Sunni Arabs live. In its founding declaration,

3096-564: The Mahdi army, may instigate more interference by Iran. General George William Casey Jr. , the top US commander in Iraq, was reported to be "reviewing a plan to redefine the American military mission there: U.S. troops would be pulled out of Iraqi cities and consolidated at a handful of U.S. bases while day-to-day combat duty would be turned over to the Iraqi army." It was said that he was "still considering whether to request more troops, possibly as part of an expanded training mission to help strengthen

3182-573: The Popular Mobilization Forces, Iran, and local Turkmen tribes, managed to break the siege and entered the city, much to the rejoicing of its citizens. Amirli has a hot semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification BSh ). Most rain falls in the winter. The average annual temperature in Amirli is 21.3 °C (70.3 °F). About 301 mm (11.85 in) of precipitation falls annually. This Iraq geographical location article

3268-466: The U.S. military "to help Iraqis clear and secure neighborhoods, to help them protect the local population, and to help ensure that the Iraqi forces left behind are capable of providing the security". The President stated that the surge would then provide the time and conditions conducive to reconciliation between communities. Initiated against strong domestic opposition and after the Republican defeat in

3354-587: The US Congress as "punishing President George W. Bush and his Republicans over ethics scandals in Washington and a failing war in Iraq." After her party's victory then House Speaker-elect Pelosi (who would a month later make clear her disdain for the "surge proposal" ) wrote an article entitled "Bringing the War to an End is my Highest Priority as Speaker". The article explained that after visiting wounded Iraq War veterans at

3440-623: The US saw as a front organization of the global Al-Qaeda network . However, US military officials later came to believe that the Baghdadi 'role' had been taken by an actual ISI leader. Abu Ayyub al-Masri (an Egyptian also known as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir ), was the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq from June 2006 until its dissolution in October 2006. Weeks after the formation of ISI, Abu Hamza al-Muhajir gave bay'ah to Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and declared that AQI had ceased to exist, being entirely supplanted by

3526-454: The administration was hoping for the president to deliver the speech before Christmas, although he said the timing was not nailed down. This American Enterprise Institute surge study referenced is listed as having been posted December 14, and was called the "real Iraq Study Group report" by its author. The draft was presented on December 14 by Frederick Kagan , AEI, General Jack Keane , and Kenneth Pollack . AEI released its final report to

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3612-519: The advice of his generals and the American people and offer a new plan to change course in Iraq." In a nationally televised address on January 10, Bush stated "America will change our strategy to help the Iraqis carry out their campaign to put down sectarian violence and bring security to the people of Baghdad. This will require increasing American force levels. So I've committed more than 20,000 additional American troops to Iraq. The vast majority of them – five brigades – will be deployed to Baghdad". On

3698-465: The al-Qaeda network, the ISI was often labeled by U.S. military forces as "al-Qaeda in Iraq" until 2013. ISI Emir Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Hamza al-Muhajir were killed during a military operation by U.S.-led coalition forces on a safehouse on 18 April 2010. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi became the Emir of ISI after the death of Abu Omar al-Baghdadi. On 7 April 2013, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi re-designated ISI as

3784-736: The capital of Diyala Governorate , and by March 2007 ISI had claimed Baqubah as its capital. In 2006, AQI/ISI had strongholds in Al Anbar Governorate , from Fallujah to Qaim , and were the dominant power there, according to the US. In 2007, ISI had military units in Baghdad Governorate , and in 2007–2008, ISI had strongholds in Mosul in Ninawa Governorate . Between July and October 2007, AQI/ISI lost military bases in Anbar province and

3870-461: The changing of the military guard and moving ahead with the 'surge' option, President Bush's Iraq strategy involves more money for reconstruction, job creation, and for 'moderate Iraqi political parties as a means of building a centrist political coalition to support Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki,' according to The Wall Street Journal . This more holistic approach – reportedly entitled 'The New Way Forward' – echoes in many ways," an AEI paper. Bush

3956-831: The choice: either pay a tax, or become a Muslim, or leave the district. By May 2007, 500 Christian families had left Dora. ISI also targeted Christians in the 2010 Baghdad church massacre . For continued persecution of (Christian) Assyrians in 2014 by ISIL, see: Persecution of Assyrians by ISIL . 2007 troop surge Post-invasion (2003–11) [REDACTED] Iraq [REDACTED]   United States [REDACTED]   United Kingdom Awakening Council Supported by : [REDACTED] Iran [REDACTED]   Iraqi Kurdistan Post-invasion (2003–11) [REDACTED] Ba'ath loyalists [REDACTED] Sunni insurgents [REDACTED] Shia insurgents Supported by : [REDACTED]   Iran The Iraq War troop surge of 2007, commonly known as

4042-633: The country." Immediately following Bush's January 10 speech announcing the plan, Democratic politicians, including Ted Kennedy , Harry Reid and Dennis Kucinich , called on Congress to reject the surge. Senator Dick Durbin issued the Democratic response which called upon Iraqis to "disband the militias and death squads." On January 18, Xinhua News Agency reported that "whitehouse hopefuls" Sens. Hillary Clinton , D-N.Y., Barack Obama , D-Ill., Chris Dodd , D-Conn., Joe Biden , D-Del, and Sam Brownback , R-Kansas, all voiced their discontent January 13 with

4128-521: The course of events in Iraq. On January 17, Moveon.org released an ad that identified the surge strategy as " McCain 's idea". The New York Times reported that presidential candidate John Edwards had "taken to referring to the administration proposal as 'the McCain Doctrine.'" On January 18, the Los Angeles Times released a Bloomberg poll that said 60 percent of those polled opposed

4214-664: The dominant power in Anbar region and a U.S. military report described Al-Qaeda as an "integral part of the social fabric of western Iraq". A 2006 report from U.S. State Department 's Bureau of Intelligence and Research estimated that the number of core fighters of AQI exceeded one thousand. This estimate excluded the fighters of other Al-Qaeda allied organizations in the Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC). American military analyst Malcolm Nance estimated that AQI's strength ranged from 850 to several thousand full-time fighters. In November 2006, former AQI Emir Abu Hamza al-Muhajir gave bay'ah to Abu Omar al-Baghdadi . Subsequently,

4300-401: The election as a referendum on the war was endorsed by Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi who in the final days of the campaign said, "This election is about Iraq. If indeed it turns out the way that people expect it to turn out, the American people will have spoken, and they will have rejected the course of action the president is on." The news media viewed the Democratic victory in both houses of

4386-403: The erosion of the U.S. military's ability to deal with other crises around the world because of the heavy commitment in Iraq and the stress on troops and equipment". They told Bush that there was "significantly increased risk to readiness in the event of a new emergency". Speaking to reporters afterward Bush said "Our military cannot do this job alone. Our military needs a political strategy that

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4472-603: The forces of the U.S.-led coalition during the Iraqi insurgency . The organization aimed to overthrow the Iraqi federal government and establish an Islamic state governed by Sharia law in Iraq . Islamic State of Iraq traces its origins to Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (JTJ) group, which was formed by the Jordanian national Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Jordan in 1999. Al-Zarqawi led the group, until his death in June 2006 . Jama'at fought

4558-506: The foundations of this state and to sacrifice life and treasure for it.” Between 2003 and 2004, targets of the " Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad " group had included the assets of the US-led Multi-National Force in Iraq and the U.S.-installed Iraqi provisional government . After pledging allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2004, the group became a major insurgent faction that fought the forces of American occupation . Until its dissolution

4644-462: The future. After the establishment of ISI, the organization's first Emir Abu Omar al-Baghdadi stated in 2006: "[We have] reached the end of a stage of jihad and the start of a new one, in which we lay the first cornerstone of the Islamic Caliphate project and revive the glory of religion." A document explaining the mission, core principles and methodology of ISI published in 2006, described

4730-906: The group lost considerable funding sources and popular support from 2007 onwards. A 2008 report on the group's funding reported that its most lucrative source of income was stolen oil in the region of Bayji (between Baghdad and Mosul ), which yielded them $ 2 million a month. Other sources of income were kidnappings of wealthy Iraqi people for ransom , car theft, robbery, hijacking fuel trucks, counterfeiting, commandeering rations and shaking down Iraqi soldiers for ammunition, these activities brought in tens of millions of dollars. In addition, jihadists in Saudi Arabia and Syria and other elements outside Iraq provided funding. Between 2005 and 2010, according to an analysis by RAND Corporation of 200 documents—personal letters, expense reports and membership rosters—captured by US Forces between 2005 and 2010, 95% of

4816-632: The group renamed itself as " ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah " ( lit.  ' Islamic State ') and proclaimed itself to be a caliphate . Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi started a group called Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (Organization of Monotheism and Jihad) in 1999, aiming to overthrow the 'apostate' Kingdom of Jordan . Although they are believed to have assassinated US diplomat Laurence Foley in 2002, they became notorious for their violent campaign in Iraq , which began in August 2003. In October 2004, Zarqawi pledged alliance to Osama bin Laden and changed

4902-437: The group's budget was raised in Iraq, from the oil business, kidnappings, extortion, cash of members from Mosul, etc. Only 5% of the budget came from outside donations. In 2006, Iraqis effectively ran Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) in positions like internal security and battalion commanders, with foreign fighters' often relegated to suicide attackers, however the upper tiers of the organization were still dominated by non-Iraqis. AQI

4988-410: The highest ethical standard... [we] are prepared to lead and ready to govern. We will honor the trust of the American people; we will not disappoint." Following the 2006 United States midterm elections in which Republicans lost control of the House and Senate, The Heritage Foundation hosted a conference chaired by Republican whip Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), titled, "The New Way Forward: Refocusing

5074-581: The job is done. Ideas such as not helping this (Iraqi) government take the necessary and hard steps to be able to do its job." He said he wanted the incoming Defense Secretary Robert Gates "to have time to evaluate the situation" and come up with his own suggestions. That same day Iraqi President Jalal Talabani issued a written statement saying that he had received Bush's assurances that "he would make no decisions on his new Iraq strategy that would be 'against your interests' ... [and his pledge] to work with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on his efforts to implement

5160-571: The lead, our forces will help secure the city by chasing down the terrorists, insurgents, and the roaming death squads. And in Anbar Province, where al Qaeda terrorists have gathered and local forces have begun showing a willingness to fight them, we're sending an additional 4,000 United States Marines, with orders to find the terrorists and clear them out. (Applause.) We didn't drive al Qaeda out of their safe haven in Afghanistan only to let them set up

5246-555: The leadership of Haji Bakr . In April 2007, the ISI declared a ' cabinet ' of ten 'ministers', under its leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi . The 'ministers' included: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi , who in May 2010 would become the new leader of ISI, was before April 2010 the general supervisor of ISI's provincial sharia committees and a member of its senior consultative council. (For ISI management after April 2010, see also section 2010 revival ISI, new attacks .) According to American authorities,

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5332-690: The level of Iraqi army companies. ... the remaining seven to eight brigades of U.S. combat forces would focus on three core missions: striking al-Qaeda, strengthening security along Iraq's borders, and protecting major highways and other routes to ensure U.S. forces freedom of movement in Iraq. ... The plan would not allow for any major reduction in U.S. troops in Iraq over the next year – nor would it call for any surge in troops". Military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said that "In northern and western Iraq, U.S. commanders are already moving troops out of combat missions to place them as advisers with lower-level Iraqi army units." The Chiefs expressed "concern about

5418-408: The loss, saying "Different candidates lost for different reasons." He saw a bright side in events saying: The good news is that even with these shortcomings, low presidential approval numbers, and uncertainty about Iraq, our candidates saw, even with all those things happening, their ideas taking hold in the final days of their campaigns. A shift of 78,000 votes in the entire country would have changed

5504-547: The majority of them into Baghdad . He also extended the tour of most of the Army troops in country and some of the Marines already in Anbar. The President described the overall objective as establishing a "unified, democratic federal Iraq that can govern itself, defend itself, and sustain itself, and is an ally in the War on Terror." The major element of the strategy was a change in focus for

5590-433: The matter Bush said "I am listening to a lot of advice to develop a strategy to help you succeed, a lot of consultations. I will be delivering my plans after a long deliberation, after steady deliberation. I'm not going to be rushed into making a decision." He stated that he had heard some "interesting" ideas. He also said he heard some "ideas that would lead to defeat ... [and] I reject those ideas. Ideas such as leaving before

5676-457: The name of his group to Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn (Organization of Jihad's Base in Mesopotamia ), often referred to as Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), which indulged in dozens of violent attacks per year in Iraq. In January 2006, AQI joined seven Sunni Islamist groups to form the coalition of Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC) and continued its attacks in Iraq. In June 2006, al-Zarqawi

5762-545: The news media prior to the President's speech on January 10, 2007, announcing the policy change. The US press also refers to the increase as a "surge" or "Iraq troop surge". Following the speech, some Democrats began using the term " escalation " rather than "surge", though others in the party used the terms interchangeably. Polls showed that after the 2006 general election , "A substantial majority of Americans expect Democrats to reduce or end American military involvement in Iraq if they [won] control of Congress". This view of

5848-421: The organization as “the new Islamic state”, which emerged to wage Jihad against the forces of the " Crusader invasion " and establish Islamic governance in the region. When ISI was formed in October 2006, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi was declared as the organization's Emir . The US government initially viewed Abu Omar al-Baghdadi as a fictitious persona, invented to put an Iraqi face on the leadership of ISI which

5934-502: The outcome. Our ideas didn't get beat; in fact, we did. He applauded the Constitutional system saying the defeat proves: that no one party has a permanent claim to power. ... This means any viable political movement, such as ours, can never afford to become stagnant or complacent. We must constantly refresh our ideas, assess our performance, and make corrections when necessary. This is a great moment to do all three of those things. For

6020-459: The political and economic fronts, the U.S. intervention is simply buying time." They also urged "that any new strategy be sensitive to regional context, particularly the impact of political or military decisions." They fear that throwing too much support to the Shiite majority may lead Sunni nations in the region to step up support of Sunni insurgents, and that a crackdown on Iraq's largest Shiite militia,

6106-641: The president had this to say on the troop increase in Iraq, outlining its purpose in supporting the Iraqi government's maintenance of control: In order to make progress toward this goal, the Iraqi government must stop the sectarian violence in its capital. But the Iraqis are not yet ready to do this on their own. So we're deploying reinforcements of more than 20,000 additional soldiers and Marines to Iraq. The vast majority will go to Baghdad, where they will help Iraqi forces to clear and secure neighborhoods , and serve as advisers embedded in Iraqi Army units. With Iraqis in

6192-520: The press on January 5, 2007, under the title "Iraq: A Turning Point (With Reports from Iraq from Senators John McCain and Joseph Lieberman )". The event description stated the following: The study calls for a large and sustained surge of U.S. forces to secure and protect critical areas of Baghdad. Mr. Kagan directed the report in consultation with military and regional experts, including General Keane, former Afghanistan coalition commander Lieutenant General David Barno , and other officers involved with

6278-546: The recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. The Post went on to say "The group disagreed on the key issue of whether to send more troops to Iraq, with retired Gen. John M. Keane arguing that several thousand additional soldiers could be used to improve security in Baghdad , and others expressing doubt about that proposal." The group also suggested Bush change personnel in his national security team. One panel member reported that "All of us said they have failed, that you need

6364-430: The report's 79 recommendations. The ISG report mentioned a possible 10,000-20,000 troop increase for training but only until early 2008. Co-chairman James Baker said that since "events in Iraq could overtake what we recommend...[members] believe that decisions should be made by our national leaders with some urgency." Upon receiving the report Bush told the group "we will take every proposal seriously, and we will act in

6450-573: The same day of the speech, ABC News announced that ninety advance troops from the 82nd Airborne Division had already arrived in Baghdad. In advance of the State of the Union address, Bush gave several promotional speeches to Belo television and Sinclair television , suggesting that the surge "should be given a chance" and challenged critical lawmakers to offer an alternative. On the night of Tuesday, January 23,

6536-429: The security situation there. "One thing is for certain, I will want to make sure that the mission is clear and specific and can be accomplished," Bush said on Thursday when asked about a troop increase." In fact, Bush's proposed increase was 21,000 US troops, 4000 of which would be Marine Corps focused on Al Anbar Governorate while the others would be embedded into Iraqi units to provide security to Baghdad. Just before

6622-457: The shelf that had never been distributed or released on the Internet: a former AQI commander told CNN that they were used to verify the deaths to their superiors and to justify continued funding and support. During an online Q&A session conducted in 2009, Zawahiri confirmed that the Islamic State of Iraq organization operated independently of Al-Qaeda and was working towards the establishment of

6708-561: The successful operations of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Tal Afar . An interim version of the report was released on December 14, 2006. At this event, Mr. Kagan and General Keane will present their final report, which outlines how the United States can win in Iraq and why victory is the only acceptable outcome. Andrew Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle also connected Bush's strategy to this AEI report, writing "In addition to

6794-488: The troop surge, 51 percent wanted Congress to try to block Bush from sending more soldiers, and 65 percent disapproved of the president's handling of the war. Meanwhile, a Fox News Poll reported that 59 percent to 36 percent, Americans opposed sending more US troops to Iraq. On January 16, Nebraska Republican Chuck Hagel , Delaware Democrat Joe Biden ( Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair), and Michigan Democrat Carl Levin ( Armed Services Committee chair) co-sponsored

6880-494: The way forward is the way forward to achieve our objective: to succeed in Iraq." Later on December 11, 2006, Bush met "with a group of Iraqi experts, including historians and former generals, in the Oval Office ." The Washington Post reported that among the panel of experts were retired four-star generals Barry McCaffrey , Wayne A. Downing , and John Keane ; along with academics Stephen Biddle and Eliot Cohen , who panned

6966-499: Was a well-oiled and bureaucratic organisation with a high degree of documentation of its activities, from records of payments to its members, lists of opponents to be killed, and verdicts and sentences given to its prisoners. In 2007, Ayman al-Zawahiri declared that the structure of AQI was absorbed into the ISI organization and asserted that al-Qaeda no longer had a branch in Iraq . In 2008, Islamic State of Iraq appeared to have at least 80 execution videos, mostly beheadings, lying on

7052-606: Was blamed on ISI (for both, see section 2007 conflicts with Sunni and nationalist Iraqi groups ). In 2004, Sunni militants bombed churches and kidnapped Christians in the Baghdad district of Dora . The US military briefly 'cleared' Dora in autumn 2006, but militants tied to Al Qaeda in Iraq reestablished themselves in Dora in late 2006 and began harassing Christians. By January 2007, ISI proclamations appeared on walls in Dora and leaflets were circulated: women should wear veils; shorts and cellphones were prohibited. Christians were given

7138-529: Was claimed by ISI who in a statement on the Internet said this attack was revenge for the rape of a girl by "members of the apostate police force at Anbar". For the August 2007 Yazidi communities bombings , which killed some 800 people, US military and government sources named al-Qaeda as the "prime suspect", but there was no claim of responsibility for those attacks. On 13 September 2007, ISI killed Sunni sheikh Abdul Sattar Abu Risha , and on 25 September, another lethal attack on Sunni as well as Shiite leaders

7224-533: Was claimed by ISI: "We tell the traitors of al-Maliki's infidel government, wait for what will destroy you". The 12 April 2007 Iraqi Parliament bombing was reportedly also claimed by ISI. In May 2007, Islamic State of Iraq claimed responsibility for an attack on a US military post that cost the live of seven Americans . The 25 June 2007 suicide bombing of a meeting of Al Anbar tribal leaders and officials at Mansour Hotel , Baghdad , killing 13 people, including six Sunni sheikhs and other prominent figures,

7310-460: Was expected to announce a "surge" in forces that some sources say could be up to 20,000 troops. According to Reuters, "While Bush is to announce a complete overhaul of his Iraq policy, including economic and political components, the possibility of a troop increase has gained the most attention. Despite a divide on the issue, Bush in recent days has hinted toward a preference for increasing troop strength by saying he wanted to help Iraqis gain control of

7396-675: Was killed by a United States airstrike, and the Egyptian Abu Ayyub al-Masri became the leader of AQI. Abu Omar al-Baghdadi , who led the Jaish al-Ta'ifa al-Mansurah group, became the new leader of Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC). Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (1999‑2004) Al-Qaeda in Iraq (2004‑2006) Jama'at Jaysh Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jama'ah (2004‑2006) Jaish al-Ta'ifa al-Mansurah (2004‑2006) Mujahideen Shura Council (2006) Islamic State of Iraq (2006‑2013) Islamic State of Iraq and

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