Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO) March 22, 2004
In Country: One Iraq Year
Saturday marked the first full year since coalition forces invaded Iraq. In that time, the United States has suffered at least 570 troop casualties, 96 multinational troops have died, and between 8,400 and 10,200* Iraqi civilians have been killed.
An estimate from Iraqbodycount.net, a group of academic analysts and peace activist.
MARCH
16: President Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar summit in Azores. An ultimatum is given, allowing the United Nations 24 hours to enforce Iraqi disarmament.
20: President Bush gives Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave Iraq or face invasion.
20: United States and Great Britain lead "coalition of the willing" in invasion of Iraq.
APRIL
9: Baghdad falls. Looting consumes the capital city.
11: Iraq army's 5th Corps surrenders. United States distributes a 55-card playing card deck featuring the most wanted Iraq figures.
16: President Bush calls for a lift of U. N. economic sanctions on Iraq, declaring the country "liberated."
18: First video and audio recordings of Saddam surface.
MAY
1: President Bush declares major combat in Iraq over.
9: United States and Britain submit a postwar Iraq draft resolution to the U. N., giving themselves control over Iraq's oil revenues. 22: U. N. Security Council votes 140 to lift sanctions on Iraq.
JULY
11: CIA Director George Tenet apologizes for not preventing President Bush from using in his State of the Union address erroneous intelligence that said Iraq attempted to purchase uranium from Niger.
13: U. S.-appointed governing council takes office.
22: Saddam's sons, Odai and Qusai, are killed in a gunbattle in Mosul.
AUGUST
19: A truck bomb explodes outside U. N.'s Baghdad headquarters, killing 22.
SEPTEMBER
3: Members of Iraq's new Governing Council sworn in.
7: President Bush, in a televised address, says he will request $87 billion from Congress for the effort in Iraq and Afghanistan.
18: Former U. N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix says he believes Iraq destroyed its weapons of mass destruction a decade ago.
OCTOBER
27: Suicide bombers target Red Cross headquarters and four Baghdad police stations, killing 40.
NOVEMBER
4: President Bush gains approval from Senate for $87 billion Supplemental funding.
15: U. S. and Iraqi council agree to transfer power to a provisional government on July 1, 2004.
27: President Bush makes a surprise Thanksgiving Day visit to troops in Baghdad.
DECEMBER
13: Saddam is captured.
16: Germany and France agree to drop part of $120 billion debt owed by Iraqi government.
JANUARY
5: Three U. S. soldiers are discharged after being found guilty of beating prisoners of war.
19: Massive Shiite demonstration in Baghdad calling for immediate, direct elections.
28: Former head of U. S. weapons search in Iraq, David Kay, on Iraqi WMD: " We were almost all wrong."
FEBRUARY
2: President Bush orders investigation into intelligence failures.
MARCH
2: Explosions rock shrines in Baghdad and Karbala during festivals for Muslim holiday of Ashura, killing 181.
8: Iraq Governing Council signs interim constitution.
Terror war cost
The Senate approved $87 billion to fight terrorism worldwide. Current monthly costs are about $4 billion.
Military in blue, reconstruction in green; in billions:
Iraq: $51
Afghanistan: $11
Africa: $3.8
Iraq: $20 (reconstruction)
Afghanistan: $1.2
Humanitarian aid
The U. S. Agency for International Development has funneled more than $500 million through U.N. agencies.
In millions:
World Food Program: $424.6
UNICEF: $39
International Organization of Migratrion: $15.6
Other: $21.2
Coalition troops in Iraq
About 25,000 troops from 49 nations are working with more than 150,000 U. S. troops to secure and rebuild Iraq.
United States - 155,000
Britain - 11,000
Italy - 2,700
Ukraine - 2,000
Spain - 1,300
Poland - 1,300
Netherlands - 1,100
Australia - 1,000
South Korea - 700
Romania - 700
Denmark - 496
Bulgaria - 470
Thailand - 460
Honduras - 370
Others - 2,917
U.S. deaths
Before May 1, 2003
Since May 1, 2003
Fort Carson soldier
CONTROL ZONE
1st Armored Division controls Baghdad
(GRAPHIC INFORMATION OR NUMERIC VALUES UNAVAILABLE FOR ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION. SEE MICROFILM.)
Deadliest cities
Cities with the highest U. S. troop deaths:
Baghdad - 108
Fallujah - 43
Mosul - 41
Nasiriyah - 30
Baqubah - 18
Fort Carson regular Army units in Iraq
3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment
Troops: 5,300 Largest of Colorado units in Iraq. 3rd ACR, among other duties, provided patrols and security screens from Euphrates Valley and Baghdad west to Syrian, Jordanian and Saudi Arabian borders.
3rd Brigade Combat Team
Troops: 4,400
Part of the 4th Infantry Division, which occupied northeastern Iraq. The 4th ID and 3rd Brigade covered a large area north of Baghdad.
10th Special Forces Group
Troops: 450
Green Berets trained Kurds and led 20,000 to capture Kirkuk during original invasion.
43rd Area Support Group
Troops: 3,100
The first Fort Carson group in country, 43rd ASG ran supply lines from Kuwait to Baghdad for 3rd Infantry Division during original offensive. Subsequent duties ran the gamut, including managing supply and oil depots.
Battalions included in 43rd ASG:
52nd Engineering Battalion
Troops: 900
68th Corps Support Battalion
Troops: 1,200
Ran supply for 3rd ACR
10th Combat Support Hospital
Troops: 527 (140 in Iraq)
4th Finance Hospital
Troops: 130
759th Military Police Battalion
Troops: 350
Colorado National Guard and Reserves
ARMY NATIONAL GUARD
220th Military Police Company
Troops: 150
C Company, 109th Medical Battalion
Troops: 70
Theater Special Operations Detachment
Troops: 40
AIR NATIONAL GUARD
140th Wing
Troops: 350
ARMY RESERVES
858th Quartermaster Company
Troops: 40
423rd Transportation Company
Troops: 40
244th Engineering Battalion
Troops: 600
396th Military Police Detachment
Troops: 50
In Kuwait
52nd Engineering Battalion
Troops: 140
824th Transportation Detachment
Troops: 15
360th Transportation Company
Troops: 35
Note: All data as of March 12
Sources: Associated Press; Coalition Provisional Authority; Pentagon; White House; U. S. State Department; U. S. A. I. D.; Office of Management and Budget; Globalsecurity. org; Cbc. ca; Guardian. co. uk; United Nations
© Copyright 2004, Denver Publishing Company
