The 2007 Iraq troop surge deployed over 20,000 additional U.S. soldiers to stabilize Baghdad and Al Anbar, marking a major strategic shift in the Iraq War.
Key Facts
- Additional troops deployed
- More than 20,000 soldiers
- Additional brigades sent
- 5 brigades
- Announcement date
- January 2007
- Primary target area
- Baghdad and Al Anbar Governorate
- Working title
- The New Way Forward
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Ongoing sectarian violence and instability in Iraq, combined with the Republican defeat in the 2006 midterm elections, prompted the Bush administration to reassess its military strategy. Existing troop levels were deemed insufficient to secure Baghdad and Al Anbar Governorate against insurgent and sectarian attacks.
President George W. Bush announced in January 2007 the deployment of more than 20,000 additional U.S. combat troops to Iraq, primarily to Baghdad, along with extensions of tours for Army and Marine units already in country. The strategy shifted U.S. military focus toward clearing and securing neighborhoods and building the capacity of Iraqi security forces.
Despite strong domestic political opposition at the time of its announcement, the surge was later acknowledged by former critics including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as having achieved measurable success in reducing violence. It provided a period of relative stability intended to allow political reconciliation among Iraqi communities.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
George W. Bush.