Operation Together Forward

Operation Together Forward
	Part of the Iraq War
Date	9 July 2006 – 24 October 2006
Location	Baghdad, Iraq
Result	Insurgent victory Continued sectarian violence; Coalition Troop Surge in Baghdad;
Belligerents
United States Army ; British Army ; New Iraqi Army	Mujahideen Shura Council Al-Qaeda in Iraq; al-Mahdi Army
Commanders and leaders
Gen. George Casey; LtGen. Robert Fry	Ayyub al-Masri Muqtada al-Sadr
Strength
61,000– 75,000	unknown
Casualties and losses
101 killed, 1 captured; 13 killed; 197 killed	At least 411 individuals associated with death squads killed or captured. Heavy insurgent casualties (At least several hundred killed)

Operation Together Forward, also known as Forward Together (Arabic: عملية معاً إلى الأمام, Amaliya Ma’an ila Al-Amam), was an unsuccessful offensive against sectarian militias in Baghdad to significantly reduce the violence in which had seen a sharp uprise since the mid-February 2006 bombing of the Askariya Mosque, a major Shiite Muslim shrine, in Samarra.

The plan was announced on 14 June 2006 by the then-recently installed Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, and intended to increase security conditions in Baghdad through instituting major new measures. Operation Together Forward was planned as an operation to be led primarily by Iraqis but with Coalition support and would put about 70,000 security forces on the streets of Baghdad.^[5]^[6]

The major provisions of the operation included a curfew from 9pm to 6am, increased checkpoints and patrols, and further restrictions on carrying weapons. Additionally, Iraqi and Coalition troops would raid terrorist cells and attempt to disrupt insurgent activities through active missions against suspected insurgent locations.

However, although highly touted at the time of its introduction, the plan failed to increase security in the capital as the high level of violence continued with a spate of major bombings (at least four such attacks with 40+ deaths each occurred in a one-week period) and sectarian killings throughout June and July.

^ Ballard, John R., From Storm to Freedom: America's Long War with Iraq, 2010, Publisher: Naval Institute Press, ISBN 1591140188, ISBN 978-1591140184
^ Urban, Mark, Task Force Black: The Explosive True Story of the Secret Special Forces War in Iraq , St. Martin's Griffin, 2012 ISBN 1250006961 ISBN 978-1250006967, p. 165,
^ Ballard, John R., From Storm to Freedom: America's Long War with Iraq, 2010, Publisher: Naval Institute Press, ISBN 1591140188, ISBN 978-1591140184
^ Ballard, John R., From Storm to Freedom: America's Long War with Iraq, 2010, Publisher: Naval Institute Press, ISBN 1591140188, ISBN 978-1591140184
^ Ballard, John R., From Storm to Freedom: America's Long War with Iraq, 2010, Publisher: Naval Institute Press, ISBN 1591140188, ISBN 978-1591140184
^ Urban, Mark, Task Force Black: The Explosive True Story of the Secret Special Forces War in Iraq , St. Martin's Griffin, 2012 ISBN 1250006961 ISBN 978-1250006967,

[1] Ballard, John R., From Storm to Freedom: America's Long War with Iraq, 2010, Publisher: Naval Institute Press, ISBN 1591140188, ISBN 978-1591140184

[2] Urban, Mark, Task Force Black: The Explosive True Story of the Secret Special Forces War in Iraq , St. Martin's Griffin, 2012 ISBN 1250006961 ISBN 978-1250006967, p. 165,

[3] Ballard, John R., From Storm to Freedom: America's Long War with Iraq, 2010, Publisher: Naval Institute Press, ISBN 1591140188, ISBN 978-1591140184

[4] Ballard, John R., From Storm to Freedom: America's Long War with Iraq, 2010, Publisher: Naval Institute Press, ISBN 1591140188, ISBN 978-1591140184

[5] Ballard, John R., From Storm to Freedom: America's Long War with Iraq, 2010, Publisher: Naval Institute Press, ISBN 1591140188, ISBN 978-1591140184

[6] Urban, Mark, Task Force Black: The Explosive True Story of the Secret Special Forces War in Iraq , St. Martin's Griffin, 2012 ISBN 1250006961 ISBN 978-1250006967,

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