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Ramadan Offensive (2003)

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(Redirected from 2003 Ramadan Offensive) Part of the Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)
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Ramadan Offensive (2003)
Part of the Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)
Date26 October 2003 – 24 November 2003
(4 weeks and 1 day)
LocationRepublic of Iraq
Result Insurgent victory
  • Higher-than-average casualties inflicted on civilians, government personnel, and coalition forces
Belligerents
 United States
Iraq (CPA)
 Italy
 United Kingdom
 Poland
Iraqi insurgents
Commanders and leaders
Gen. John Abizaid Various
Casualties and losses
  • 75 killed
  • 50+ killed
  • 17 killed
  • 1 killed
  • 1 killed
100+ killed
Iraq War (Outline)
Timeline

Invasion (2003)

Post-invasion insurgency (2003–2006)

Civil war (2006–2008)

Insurgency (2008–2011)

List of bombings during the Iraq War
indicates attacks resulting in over 100 deaths
§ indicates the deadliest attack in the Iraq War
This list only includes major attacks.
2003
1st Baghdad
2nd Baghdad
Najaf
3rd Baghdad
1st Nasiriyah
1st Karbala
2004
1st Erbil
Ashoura
1st Basra
1st Mosul
4th Baghdad
5th Baghdad
Karbala & Najaf
1st Baqubah
Kufa
Marez
2005
Suwaira bombing
1st Al Hillah
2nd Erbil
Musayyib
6th Baghdad
7th Baghdad
1st Balad
Khanaqin
2006
Karbala-Ramadi
1st Samarra
8th Baghdad
9th Baghdad
10th Baghdad
2007
11th Baghdad
12th Baghdad
13th Baghdad
14th Baghdad
15th Baghdad
2nd Al Hillah
1st Tal Afar
16th Baghdad
17th Baghdad
2nd & 3rd Karbala
2nd Mosul
18th Baghdad
Makhmour
Abu Sayda
2nd Samarra
19th Baghdad
Amirli
1st Kirkuk
20th Baghdad
21st Baghdad
§ Qahtaniya
Amarah
2008
22nd Baghdad
2nd Balad
23rd Baghdad
4th Karbala
24th Baghdad
Karmah
2nd Baqubah
Dujail
Balad Ruz
2009
25th Baghdad
26th Baghdad
Baghdad-Muqdadiyah
Taza
27th Baghdad
2nd Kirkuk
2nd Tal Afar
28th Baghdad
29th Baghdad
30th Baghdad
2010
31st Baghdad
32nd Baghdad
3rd Baqubah
33rd Baghdad
34th Baghdad
35th Baghdad
1st Pan-Iraq
36th Baghdad
37th Baghdad
2nd Pan-Iraq
38th Baghdad
39th Baghdad
40th Baghdad
2011
41st Baghdad
3rd Pan-Iraq
Karbala-Baghdad
42nd Baghdad
Tikrit
3rd Al Hillah
3rd Samarra
Al Diwaniyah
Taji
4th Pan-Iraq
43rd Baghdad
4th Karbala
44th Baghdad
2nd Basra
45th Baghdad

During the Iraq War, the Ramadan Offensive of the Iraqi insurgency marked a sharp increase in the number of violent attacks against the American-led military coalition in Iraq and also against the new Iraqi government, beginning in the end of October 2003 and persisting for most of November 2003.

The heightened series of attacks coincided with Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, during which Muslims fast from sunrise until sunset in commemoration of Muhammad's first revelation in 610 CE. The number of insurgent attacks increased during this period mainly because of the popular belief among insurgents that engaging in jihad during the holy month of Ramadan would bring them spiritually closer to Allah, especially so if they were killed by the occupying powers.

Major attacks

Red Cross headquarters, Iraqi police stations, and al-Rashid Hotel

On the morning of October 26, 2003, the first day of Ramadan, suicide bombers drove 5 carloads of explosives into 5 buildings, the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross and four Iraqi police stations, as the insurgent offensive began. That morning in the early hours in Baghdad insurgents fired an improvised multiple-tube launcher mounted in a trailer that was made up to look like a mobile generator, about 400 meters from the al-Rashid Hotel. Where, at the time, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz was staying. Eight to ten rockets hit the hotel killing one U.S. soldier and wounding 15 people, including seven American civilians and four soldiers. Several more rockets were fired but missed their target. Wolfowitz was on the 12th floor of the hotel, which houses U.S. and coalition officials in Baghdad, and on the side of the hotel that came under attack. The rockets reached only as high as the 11th floor.

Baghdad suicide bombings at the Red Cross compound

Main article: 27 October 2003 Baghdad bombings

At the start of the offensive on October 27, 2003, insurgents staged a coordinated suicide attack targeting the Red Cross compound, and four Iraqi police stations in Baghdad. The bombings all occurred within about 45 minutes of each other. Four suicide bombers died but the fifth, a Syrian, who attempted to blow up the fourth police station failed after the man's car apparently failed to explode. He was shot and wounded by the Iraqi police and arrested. The attacks killed 35 people, as well as injuring 244. Among the dead were also 2 U.S. soldiers.

Italian MSU headquarters suicide bombing

Main article: 2003 Nasiriyah bombing

On November 12, 2003, a suicide bomber in a tanker truck attacked the Italian military police headquarters in Nasiriyah destroying it and killing 28 people, including 17 Italian soldiers and 2 Italian civilians.

The attack was the worst incident involving Italian soldiers since Operation Restore Hope in Somalia and the highest loss of Italian soldiers since World War II. The attack thus shocked Italy and plunged it into a three-day mourning period. The soldiers were given a state funeral.

Shootdowns of American helicopters

Main article: List of aviation accidents and incidents during the Iraq War

During this time, a number of U.S. military helicopters were shot down resulting in a large number of casualties inflicted on the U.S. forces. Three UH-60 Black Hawks and one CH-47D Chinook were downed, killing 39 soldiers and wounding 31. Two of the helicopters were downed using Strela missile launchers that most likely ended up in the hands of the insurgents via the black market.

A day before the start of the offensive, on 25 October 2003 another UH-60 Black Hawk was shot down, wounding 5 soldiers.

Aftermath

Many people compared the Ramadan Offensive with the Tet Offensive of 1968 in the Vietnam War. In 1968, the attacks came at the onset of the Vietnamese New Year, a holiday that American command believed would herald a temporary quieting of the violence. In Iraq, these attacks came at the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The American command in Baghdad believed the holiday would bring a slacking of the attacks that had been plaguing American forces. This assumption ran so strong that the Baghdad curfew was partially lifted by American forces. The most pointed similarity was clear in that these attacks were meant to cause a political reaction.

References

  1. Karpinski, BGJL (2003). THE U.S. ARMY IN THE IRAQ WAR: DOWN THE SPIDER HOLE, OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2003. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  2. Clawson, Patrick (4 October 2004). "A Ramadan Offensive in Iraq". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  3. Filking, Dexter (28 October 2003). "THE STRUGGLE FOR IRAQ: INSURGENCY; Suicide Bombers in Baghdad Kill at Least 34". New York Times. Retrieved 8 July 2016.

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