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T
HE
A
FTERMATH OF
W
AR
The collapse of Saddam Hussein’s government occurred so quickly
that U.S. forces were not prepared to step in immediately and main-
tain order. People throughout Iraq celebrated the fall of the regime
on April 9, 2003, but celebrations soon turned into rioting in
Baghdad and other cities. Unrest in the capital prevented Red
Cross workers from delivering medical supplies and fresh water to
hospitals. U.S. troops concentrated on eliminating military resist-
ance, but they did not prevent looters from stealing priceless
archaeological treasures from museums and libraries in Baghdad,
robbing banks and government buildings in Basra, or plundering
the university in Mosul. Soon, crowds began to gather to protest the
U.S. occupation of Iraq. In many cases, Muslim religious leaders,
both Sunni and Shiite, incited the protesters.
Attacks on U.S. troops continued after President Bush declared
an end to major combat operations in Iraq on May 1. Sunni Muslim
insurgents determined to resist the U.S. occupation waged a bloody
guerrilla campaign of suicide bombings and ambushes. The Sunni
I
RAQ AT
W
AR AND
R
EBUILDING
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U.S. soldiers take inventory of
weapons found hidden in
Thalatat, Iraq, November 2003.
In the months that followed
the war, an Iraqi resistance to
the U.S. occupation inflicted
many casualties on coalition
troops.