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35-647: The Green Zone Café was a restaurant in the northeast corner of the Green Zone (International Zone) in Baghdad , Iraq . The restaurant was housed in a fabric and metal-frame building established in the parking lot of a former filling station . It was a popular and successful business, primarily serving the Western inhabitants of the Green Zone and featuring Arab cuisine . It also sold alcohol and hookahs . On October 14, 2004,

70-479: A USA Today article, a high percentage of the rocket and mortar fire originated in Sadr City . On April 6, 2008, two U.S. soldiers were killed and 17 more wounded when a rocket or mortar attack struck inside the Green Zone. On July 22, 2010, three Triple Canopy security guard contractors (two Ugandans and one Peruvian ) were killed and 15 more wounded (including two U.S. nationals) when a rocket attack struck inside

105-460: Is a distinction in U.S. military terms between the troops of Multinational Force-Iraq and forces which fall directly under CENTCOM's control but are in Iraq also. There are two special operations task forces operating in Iraq, Task Force 77 and CJSOTF-AP. Though TF 77, a 'black' force, does not answer to MNF-Iraq, it is included here for the sake of completeness of the U.S. forces operating within Iraq. TF 77

140-576: The assassination of Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis , two Katyusha rockets struck within the Green Zone. 33°18′27″N 44°23′25″E  /  33.307577°N 44.390259°E  / 33.307577; 44.390259 Iraq War order of battle#Overall chain of command Below is an estimated list of the major units deployed within the Multi-National Force – Iraq and other United States military units that were operating in Iraq under

175-600: The British Army . The areas were merged into MND-South on March 31, 2009, to reflect the departure of the UK from Iraq. MND-Center took in portions of the area previously controlled by the long-disbanded Polish-led Multi-National Division Central-South . The 34th Division transferred control of MND/USD-South to the 1st Infantry Division on February 2, 2010. 25th Infantry Division /TF Lightning (Major General Robert L. Caslen Jr.) —COB Speicher, Tikrit This division headquarters

210-517: The Iraqi Armed Forces with security in the area south of Baghdad ranging from Najaf to Wasit provinces extending to Basra. MND-South headquarters was provided by the 10th Mountain Division (Light) from Fort Drum, New York. The areas south of Baghdad were previously organized into Multi-National Division-Center , under U.S. leadership, and Multi-National Division (South East) , which was provided by

245-645: The Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) which took an active part in land operations in support of the Army and Marine units. According to the Navy: "The Navy's Riverine force focuses on conducting Maritime Security Operations and Theater Security Cooperation in a riverine area of operations or other suitable area. The force is capable of combating enemy riverine forces by applying fires directly, or by coordinating supporting fires. It will share battle space with

280-498: The U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) in 2009, during the Iraq War . In military science terminology, the description of the units involved in an operation is known as the order of battle (ORBAT). NATO and the U.S. Department of Defense define the order of battle as the identification, strength, command structure, and disposition of the personnel, units, and equipment of any military force. From September 2008 to 31 December 2009,

315-743: The Darwin-based 5th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment and 2nd Cavalry Regiment . The ADF also had 45 personnel embedded in various coalition headquarters and contributes two officers to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). The Romanian Armed Forces had one battalion deployed to Iraq. The 26th Infantry Battalion "Neagoe Basarab" , also known as the Red Scorpions, based at Contingency Operating Base Adder, part of Tallil Air Base , near Nasiriyah ,

350-575: The Green Zone the safest area of Baghdad, and gave its name colloquially as "the bubble". The southern and eastern side of the zone is protected by the Tigris River – the only entrance to the zone from this side is the Arbataash Tamuz (July 14) Bridge (named for the date that the former regime came to power). The Green Zone was frequently shelled by insurgents with mortars and rockets , though these attacks caused few casualties. In October 2004 it

385-517: The International Zone (formerly "Green Zone") was handed over to Iraqi security forces, though the Zone remained off-limits to the public. This changed on 4 October 2015, when it was opened to the public with certain restrictions, and again on 10 December 2018, when parts of the Green Zone were opened to the public without restrictions for the first time in over 15 years. On 8 January 2020, following

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420-513: The International Zone. Since the handover of sovereignty to Iraqis, many of the facilities in the Green Zone have been turned over to the new Iraqi government. A number of embassies are located there. The largest embassy in the world, namely, the U.S. embassy is located in the southern part of the International or "Green" Zone overlooking the Tigris River. On 1 January 2009, full control of

455-565: The Iraqi capital that served as the headquarters of successive Iraqi regimes. It was the administrative center for the Ba'ath Party . The area was not originally home to the villas of government officials though it was the location of a number of military bases, government ministries, and presidential palaces inhabited by Saddam Hussein and his family. The largest of these was the Republican Palace that

490-423: The anticipated aerial bombardment of the area by US forces. Most of the remaining residents fled as US ground forces closed in on the Iraqi capital out of a fear of arrest by Coalition forces or possible reprisals by disgruntled Iraqis. Some of the original inhabitants who did not flee continued to live in the area but many are also undocumented squatters referred to as the "215 Apartments". Coalition airstrikes at

525-428: The area. The abandoned buildings were not only attractive to Coalition forces, but also to homeless Iraqis. Among these were individuals who had lost their homes in the conflict, but most were urban poor who had been homeless or lived in slums before the war and saw moving into the abandoned houses as a sizable increase in their standard of living. They felt that since they were not Ba'athist, they had as much right to

560-532: The command of the Multi-National Division – Baghdad . Additionally, a battalion of coalition soldiers from the Republic of Georgia also manned the entry checkpoints. The Green Zone was completely surrounded by high concrete blast walls , T-Walls and barbed wire fences with access only available through a handful of entry control points, all controlled by Coalition troops. It is this security that made

595-724: The course of their deployments, giving them "operational control" of those units. In such cases, the battalion's name is followed by "OPCON." Many higher-echelon units have two or more designations, often the formal unit around which the formation is based and then the name of the provisional task force; in these cases, both names are included, separated by a slash. Units were stationed at a variety of bases, including Forward Operating Bases (FOB), Contingency Operating Bases (COB) and Joint Security Stations (JSS). (General Raymond Odierno )— Camp Victory , Baghdad 1st Cavalry Division (Major General Daniel P. Bolger )— Camp Victory , Baghdad Also known as Task Force Baghdad, this division headquarters

630-562: The end of July 2009. 20th Armoured Brigade commanded the British forces in Iraq, which were then attached the U.S.-led Multi-National Division South. The Australian Defence Force had about 100 personnel providing security for the Australian Embassy in Baghdad . Known as Joint Task Force 633, it consisted mainly of infantry, cavalry, military police and combat service support personnel from

665-495: The headquarters of either 5th Special Forces Group or 10th Special Forces Group. Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula (CJSOTF-AP), itself answers to Special Operations Command Central . Unless otherwise noted, all units were U.S. in origin. This order of battle extends to battalion level and lists maneuver units only; artillery, support, special operations, and advisory units are not listed. Many brigade combat teams (BCTs) lent battalions to other BCTs during

700-690: The other Services in an effort to close the seams in Doctrine, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures, and Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance." Three riverine squadrons were active in the U.S. Navy, all under the command of Riverine Group 1, located in Norfolk, Virginia . Riverine Squadron 1 (RIVRON 1) deployed to Iraq in April 2007 and was relieved by Riverine Squadron 2 (RIVRON 2) in October 2007. Riverine Squadron 3 (RIVRON 3)

735-521: The outset of the fighting left a sizable number of buildings in central Baghdad abandoned. The Coalition Provisional Authority administrators who arrived on the heels of the forward invading forces decided they were ideal for use by Coalition administrators. Jay Garner , head of the reconstruction team, set up his headquarters in the former Republican Palace ; other villas were taken by groups of government officials and private contractors. Eventually some five thousand officials and civil contractors settled in

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770-633: The overall military commander in Iraq was General Raymond T. Odierno , Commander, Multi-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I) who reported to United States Central Command . MNF-I replaced Combined Joint Task Force 7 in May 2004. MNF-I consisted of Multi-National Corps - Iraq , Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq (MNSTC-I), and the Joint Contracting Command, Iraq/Afghanistan (JCCIA). On January 1, 2010, Multi-National Force Iraq became United States Forces - Iraq / Kurdistan Region . There

805-526: The public administration of the country from April 2003 until June 2004, when it was succeeded by the Iraqi Interim Government . The latter facilitated the first elections held after the US-led invasion, in 2005. Entry to the Green Zone was under the control of a small garrison of American troops who manned the various checkpoints. They were typically a battalion of soldiers at FOB Prosperity , under

840-449: The restaurant was destroyed, one patron was killed, and five wounded by a backpack bomb . The restaurant reopened briefly a year later, along with a liquor store that was primarily patronized by security contractors in October 2005, but was closed when the Iraqi government confiscated the property. Green Zone The International Zone was a heavily fortified zone in the center of

875-665: The vacated houses as the Coalition authorities. As of 2009, there continued to be some five thousand of these Iraqis living in the International Zone. The area came to be known as the Green Zone during the occupation to refer to an area under the full control of the Coalition Forces , in contrast to the Red Zone . The Green Zone was the governmental headquarters of the Coalition Provisional Authority that oversaw

910-459: Was President Saddam Hussein's primary seat of power. The area is also known as Karradat Mariam , so named for a locally famous woman who helped the poor people of Baghdad. The area was taken by US military forces in April 2003 in some of the heaviest fighting during the capture of Baghdad. In the lead-up to the US invasion of Iraq, Saddam and many high status residents of the area were evacuated because of

945-585: Was attached to the 4th BCT, 1st Cavalry Division and performed convoy and infrastructure guard missions. The battalion was withdrawn from early June 2009. The NATO Training Mission – Iraq was not a combat mission but was focused on training and mentoring the Iraqi Armed Forces and the Iraqi Police . It was supported and funded by all 28 NATO nations, and 14 nations had staff in theater as of January 2009, including Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey,

980-507: Was established in July 2007 and they relieved RIVRON 2 when their deployment was completed in April 2008. Also deployed to Iraq, but was in support of CJSOTF-AP and TF-77, was Combat Camera Group Pacific/Atlantic. This unit provided highly trained combat photographers who integrated with SEAL Teams and Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha (ODA) Teams in order to provide intelligence collection and combat documentation. The British Armed Forces

1015-645: Was hit by two suicide bombings , which destroyed the bazaar and the Green Zone Cafe . On April 12, 2007, a bomb went off in the Iraqi Parliament cafeteria, killing Mohammed Awad (a member of the Sunni National Dialogue Front) and injuring 22, including one of the vice presidents. The Green Zone was shelled with rocket and mortar fire almost daily from March 23, 2008, until May 5, 2008, causing numerous civilian and military casualties; as stated in

1050-427: Was located at Joint Base Balad . Located approximately 40 miles north of Baghdad, Joint Base Balad was home to the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force's 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing . It was formerly known as Logistics Support Area Anaconda , the largest army supply center in Iraq. Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq also played an important role. The U.S. Navy Riverine Squadrons are elements of

1085-661: Was provided by the 1st Cavalry Division . The division's area of responsibility (AOR) was the city of Baghdad. MND-B headquarters was previously provided by Headquarters 1st Armored Division (2003–2004), Headquarters 1st Cavalry Division (2004), Headquarters 3rd Infantry Division (2004–2005), Headquarters 4th Infantry Division (2005–2006) and Headquarters 1st Cavalry Division (2006–2007), Headquarters 4th Infantry Division (2007–2009), Headquarters 1st Cavalry Division (2009–2010). 34th Infantry Division - ( Major General Rick C. Nash )—Contingency Operating Base Basra Multi-National Division South, also known as Task Force Mountain, assisted

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1120-669: Was provided by the 25th Infantry Division and was also known as Task Force Lightning. Its area of responsibility included the cities of Balad, Kirkuk, Tikrit, Mosul, and Samarra. It was based at Contingency Operating Base Speicher outside Tikrit , where one of its brigades was also stationed. It also had one brigade based in Mosul , one in Kirkuk , one at Taji , and one in Baqubah . II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) (Major General Richard T. Tryon) — Al Asad Airbase This formation headquarters

1155-543: Was provided by the II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward). It covered western Iraq, including Al Anbar Governorate and the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah , the area where Iraq's Sunni insurgency was at its strongest. Headquartered first at Camp Fallujah and then at Al Asad Airbase . The 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) was the senior logistics command under Multi-National Corps-Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 08-10. Its headquarters

1190-522: Was the second-largest contributor of foreign troops to Iraq, behind the United States. The British Army commanded the former Multi-National Division (South-East) (Iraq) , which included UK, Italian, Australian, Romanian, Danish, Portuguese, Czech, and Lithuanian troops. However, the UK turned over command to the United States on March 31, 2009, and were in the process of withdrawing the 4,100 UK personnel based in and around Basra, leaving behind just 400 by

1225-584: Was under the command of the Joint Special Operations Command and its principal mission was to hunt down the leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). The second force, which appears to be separate from TF 77, is the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula (CJSOTF-AP). CJSOTF-AP is a "white", or unclassified, special operations task force that as of 2008 was always organized around

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