Iraq War: It started with a bang and went on for another 8 years

The War in Iraq lasted eight years, with the first action being undertaken in March of 2003. Here, Stephen McGinty pinpoints the key moments in the war

March 2003: Operation Iraqi Freedom begins with a “shock and awe” assault on Baghdad, which falls in under a month.

May 2003: President George W Bush arrives by fighter jet on a US aircraft carrier to declare “mission accomplished”

Dec 2003: Saddam Hussein captured in a bunker south of Tikrit

April 2004: Photos emerge showing abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison. It leads to world-wide condemnation and fuels the insurgency.

July 2005: Suicide attacks in Iraq hit all-time high as insurgency spreads across the country.

February 2006: Bombing of Shiite shrine in Samarra sparks widespread sectarian slaughter, raising fears of civil war.

December 2006: The execution of Saddam Hussein.

January 2007: US troop “surge” begins, leading to a drop in violence by 2008

Feb 2007: Prime minister Nuri al-Maliki launches US-backed crackdown in Baghdad aimed at pulling Iraq back from brink of civil war.

August 2007: Anti-US Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr orders his Mehdi Army militia to cease fire.

February 2008: The new US president, Barack Obama, announces plan to end US combat operations in Iraq by 31 Aug 2010.

August 2010: Last US combat troops leave Iraq.

December 2011: The last American forces pack up and leave Iraq towards the end of the year.