Battle of Tal Afar (2005)
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The Battle of Tal Afar also known as Operation Restoring RightsDenning, Jeffrey, '' Warrior SOS: Military Veterans' Stories of Faith, Emotional Survival and Living with PTSD '', 2015, Cedar Fort, Inc. was a military offensive conducted by the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
and supported by Iraqi forces, to eliminate
Al Qaeda in Iraq Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI; ar, القاعدة في العراق, al-Qā'idah fī al-ʿIrāq) or Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia ( ar, القاعدة في بلاد الرافدين, al-Qā'idah fī Bilād ar-Rāfidayn), officially known as ''Tanzim Qaidat a ...
and other insurgents in the city of
Tal Afar Tal Afar ( ar, تَلْعَفَر, Talʿafar, ) is a city in the Nineveh Governorate of northwestern Iraq, located 63 km (39 mi) west of Mosul, 52 km (32 mi) east of SinjarIraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
in response to the increase of insurgent attacks against U.S. and Iraqi positions in the area and to end the brutal tactics against the population by the terrorists. Coalition Forces consisted of
3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment The 3rd Cavalry Regiment, formerly 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment ("Brave Rifles") is a regiment of the United States Army currently stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. The regiment has a history in the United States Army that dates back to 19 May 1 ...
, elements of the
82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into denied areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...
,Guardia, Mike, '' The Fires of Babylon: Eagle Troop and the Battle of 73 Easting'', 2015, Casemate Publishers and two brigades of the Iraqi 3rd Division, all were under the command of Col.
H.R. McMaster Herbert Raymond McMaster (born July 24, 1962) is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as the 25th United States National Security Advisor from 2017 to 2018. He is also known for his roles in the Gulf War, Operation Endurin ...
. AQI had used the city as a staging ground for moving foreign fighters into Iraq since early 2005.Marston, Daniel and Malkasian, Carter, '' Counterinsurgency in Modern Warfare (Companion)'', 2011, Osprey Publishing The
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
was temporarily cleared for elections in 2005, but was not secured in a long-term view. The offensive was launched on September 1, 2005 in a joint
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
and the New Iraqi Army operation to destroy suspected insurgents' havens and base of operations in Tal Afar. The initial fighting was heavy, but most of the city was secured on September 3. Although sporadic fighting and attacks would continue through most of September until the operation was declared finished on September 18.


Battle

Coalition forces developed and executed a detailed, painstaking methodology, that combined intelligence gathering, combat missions and stability programmes to reconstruct Coalition control of the city, one neighbourhood at a time. McMaster directed civilians to evacuate from the city in order to allow his forces to use artillery and attack helicopters to overcome the insurgents' makeshift Fortifications. Coalition forces fought street-to-street engagements with AQI terrorists and other insurgents, AQI insurgents tried to hold their ground, they also planned and executed coordinated attacks against Coalition troops, they also demonstrated the ability to somewhat command and control the insurgents in the City. Groups of insurgents perhaps hundreds massed to counterattack the advancing US and Iraqi forces, but
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tanks and Bradley IFVs "tore them apart." In early September, the insurgents launched a counter-information propaganda campaign; over 17 days, US forces systematically destroyed insurgent cell throughout the city.Guardia, Mike, '' The Fires of Babylon: Eagle Troop and the Battle of 73 Easting'', 2015, Casemate Publishers Despite being encircled, some AQI terrorists escaped the city.''Counterinsurgency Reader II - Special Edition 2008'', 2008, Combined Arms Center By September 18, the battle was over, Coalition forces succeeded in significantly eliminating AQI and other insurgents from the city, thereby creating a secure environment for the referendum in October and national elections in December 2005, Tal Afar went from being the city with the lowest number of voters to the highest in the country, schools and businesses reopened and the population transitioned back to living a normal life as possible. After the battle, McMaster positioned his troops 29 combat outposts throughout the city to hold the cleared areas, from these outposts they saturated Iraqi neighbourhoods with patrols, once civilians returned to the city, the use of force was minimized. 2nd Battalion
325th Infantry Regiment The 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment is a light infantry parachute insertion fighting force of the United States Army. The subordinate units of the regiment constitute the bulk of the infantry elements assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Comba ...
did not kill any civilians which won the appreciation of the locals; building intelligence on insurgents was made easier with the cooperation of the Shia minority in the city. Similarly McMaster could recruit a police force because the Shia were willing to serve, whereas
Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
s considered the Iraqi Army and police to be their enemy. The operation was considered one of the first successful counterinsurgency operations of the war and
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George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
remarked that "the story of Tal Afar gives me confidence in our strategy, because in that city we see the outlines of Iraq we've been fighting for."Guardia, Mike, '' The Fires of Babylon: Eagle Troop and the Battle of 73 Easting'', 2015, Casemate Publishers


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tal Afar Battles of the Iraq War in 2005 Battles of the Iraq War involving the United States Battles of the Iraq War involving Iraq Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011) September 2005 events in Iraq