Iraq

In the aftermath of the 2003 U.S. invasion, civilians in Iraq have been the repeated targets of violence at the hands of nationalist insurgents, sectarian militias and international terrorist groups.

Throughout 2004 and 2005, violence was marked by the increased targeting of Shia mosques and pilgrims, as well as widespread armed intimidation and assassination of civilians across the country. In 2006, the conflict took a darker turn with the bombing of the Al-Aksrai Mosque in Samarra, which prompted riots across the country. By the end of 2006, more than 65,000 civilians had been killed in violence .

Despite improvements in security since 2006, Iraqi civilians remain at risk as a spate of recent bombings in Baghdad and northern Iraq attest. As U.S. troops draw down in 2010 and 2011, the risk of continued violence against civilians remains and tensions between Kurds and Arabs rise in Northern Iraq.