22nd November 2004 U.S. Army & Iraqi soldiers on the rain-soaked streets of Mosul's old town area in northern Iraq.
Image details
Contributor:
Johnny Saunderson / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
H4P7WYFile size:
18.7 MB (1.3 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
2953 x 2215 px | 25 x 18.8 cm | 9.8 x 7.4 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
22 November 2004Location:
Mosul, northern Iraq.More information:
These are American soldiers of the 1st Battalion 24th Infantry Regiment (1-24), nicknamed "Deuce Four", along with members of the Iraqi National Guard (ING) and Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) in the narrow streets of the old town area of Mosul. This was during an operation to root out insurgents in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Mosul (8 - 16 November 2004) when insurgents took control of most of the city. Constant heavy rain has resulted in raw sewage flowing down the streets. The soldier in the foreground carries a Colt M4 Carbine. The 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (SBCT) "Lightning" (a Stryker brigade), and served in Iraq from October 2004 to October 2005. The Iraqi National Guard was part of the new Military of Iraq. Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, United States Coalition Provisional Authority Chief, Paul Bremer, disbanded the military apparatus of Iraq that existed under Saddam Hussein. As the security situation in occupied Iraq deteriorated and the Iraqi insurgency became increasingly active, the US set up, recruited and trained the new security force in order to combat the insurgency. Despite attacks by insurgent and terrorist groups, the Iraqi National Guard was able to recruit many Iraqis from the vast ranks of the unemployed. In December 2004 its strength was officially over 40, 000 men. The Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) was created in December 2003. Following the US-led invasion in March 2003, the Americans went on to occupy Iraq for eight years as part of a multi-national force, their troops finally departing in 2011.