First three phases of the military operations against

First three phases of the military operations against Iraq o the military buildup, o initial preparatory actions (largely by covert teams), o main air-ground thrust, (the war began on March 19, 2003)

Regime change o Government (executive power) destroyed; o Military, police units and security forces dismantled; o No functioning administration in state agencies; o No legal framework (constitution); o Judiciary system in shambles; o Political parties either non-existent or in early stages of development.

Major mistakes: o 1. Planning for the wrong contingency; o 2. There was no detailed political transition plan; o 3. Loyalty more important than competence; o 4. Dictates of the political process in the US; o 5. Underestimating influence (political) of insiders (local leaders and overestimating) influence of exiles. o 6. US military and civilian leadership driven by different agendas; o 7. Reports coming out of Iraq going to Pentagon not reaching other agencies of the US government.

Specific mistakes during the occupation o dissolving and then not attempting to reconstitute the Iraqi army; o taking de-Baathification to an extreme; o keeping the occupation in the hands of Washington, and reconstruction contracts in the hands of supporters of the war; o frequently changing plans for elections and the transfer of sovereignty

Militias (irregular military forces) o Shi’I militias: Mahdi Army and Badr Organization;

Civil war signals o o o o Political polarization; Irreconcilable demands; Ethnic cleansing; Non-state militias; Conflicting loyalties; Violence and human rights abuses; and Inflammatory rhetoric.