AC360 411: Iraq War: 10 years later

An al-Qaeda affiliated group in Iraq has claimed responsibility for the series of deadly attacks in Baghdad and other parts of the country on the 10th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. In a statement posted on extremist websites, the Islamic State of Iraq claimed Tuesday’s bloodshed was in “retaliation” against Shiite members of the Iraqi government. At least 61 people were killed and 200 others wounded in two dozen bombings and two shootings, mostly in Shiite neighborhoods. 10 years after the war, sectarian violence continues to plague Iraq. The Iraqis now control their own country, after the last U.S. troop left the country in December 2011. Here’s the AC360° 411 on the Iraq War, 10 years later:

• 1.5+ million U.S. service members and civilians served in Iraq
• 4,800+ U.S. and other coalition service members killed
• 30,000+ Americans wounded in Iraq
• 134,000+ Iraqis killed
• $806 Billion: Estimated total funding for U.S. operations in Iraq
• April 9, 2003: Saddam Hussein's iconic statue was toppled in Baghdad
• May 1, 2003: Pres. Bush announced major combat operations over in Iraq, with “Mission Accomplished” banner
• Dec. 13, 2003: Saddam Hussein is found in a "spider hole" about 9 miles outside his hometown of Tikrit
• December 30, 2006: Saddam Hussein is hanged at the age of 69
• January 2007: Pres. Bush deploys an extra 30,000 U.S. troops, a "surge" strategy designed to restore security
• February 27, 2009: Pres. Obama approves plan to withdraw roughly two-thirds of all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of August 2010, with the remaining leaving by Dec. 2011
• August 2011: No U.S. troops were killed in Iraq this month, marking the first month without an American military death there since the U.S. invaded the country
• December 18, 2011: The last U.S. troops in Iraq leave by crossing the border into Kuwait
• 1.3+ million Iraqis estimated to have fled their homes and moved to other areas of the country due to secular violence
• 33.4 million people live in Iraq
• 16.6 million (50% of Iraqis) are under the age of 18
• 23% of Iraqis live on less than U.S. $2.20/day
• 59% say it was dumb to send troops to Iraq in a new CNN/ORC poll
• 38% say it was a smart decision to send U.S. troops to Iraq
• 25% say the war was a victory for the U.S.
• 55% saying the conflict was a stalemate
• 18% say the war was a defeat for the U.S.
• 54% say the Bush admin. deliberately misled the American public about WMD in Iraq
• 0 amount of WMD found in Iraq