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Why did violence in Iraq decline after 2007?
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Iraq War
U.S. soldiers in Sāmarrāʾ, Iraq.
The decline in violence in Iraq after 2007 is attributed to a confluence of factors rather than a single cause. Key contributors included:12
- The Surge: In January 2007, U.S. President George W. Bush announced a plan to temporarily increase U.S. troop levels by more than 20,000. This effort, known as the surge, was accompanied by a shift in military tactics that aligned U.S. forces more closely with classic counterinsurgency strategies.12
- The Sunni Awakening: This movement involved Sunni tribesmen who had previously fought against U.S. troops realigning themselves to help counter other insurgents, particularly those affiliated with al-Qaeda in Iraq.12
- Voluntary Cease-fire: Beginning in August 2007, Muqtada al-Sadr and his forces observed a voluntary peace, which helped reduce sectarian violence.12
While the surge provided a framework for these changes, the overall reduction in violence resulted from the combination of these strategic, social, and political developments.12