The OIF GenerationA field guide to the Iraq War and the generation that fought it
Battles and Operations

Tal Afar, September 2005

U.S. and Iraqi soldiers on patrol in downtown Tal Afar, September 11, 2005.
U.S. and Iraqi soldiers on patrol in downtown Tal Afar, September 11, 2005. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Alan D. Monyelle (public domain)
Dates: September 1–18, 2005. Operation: Restoring Rights. U.S. unit: 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Col. H.R. McMaster.

The city

Tal Afar, in northern Iraq near the Syrian border, had become a haven for insurgents and a transit point for foreign fighters.

The approach

The 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment combined intelligence work, combat operations, and stability programs. Neighborhoods were cleared one at a time and then held with outposts manned by U.S. and Iraqi forces, while services were restored and local leaders engaged.

Results

The operation drove insurgents from the city and created conditions for Iraqis to vote in the October 2005 referendum and the December 2005 elections. Tal Afar went from having the lowest voter turnout in the country to one of the highest. President Bush later cited the city as evidence for his strategy.

Significance

Tal Afar became one of the first widely studied examples of the counterinsurgency approach later applied across Iraq during the surge.