Operation Desert Scorpion
Operation Desert Scorpion was a major U.S counterinsurgency operation in Iraq that began on June 15, 2003 and concluded on June 29, 2003. The operation was part of a U.S response to a major spike in attacks by Iraqi guerillas fighting U.S occupation forces that began in late May. The offensive followed Operation Peninsula Strike, which had ended three days earlier. The goal of the operation was to identify and defeat guerilla forces, mainly in north-central Iraq, in a series of combat operations while attempting to win over the Iraqi population with humanitarian missions. The operation netted hundreds of Iraqis, out of which 38 were identified as insurgents and kept as detainees. A variety of small arms, rocket-propelled grenades, explosives, and chemical protective masks were also found, along with $8 million and large sums of British pounds and Euros. Despite the operation, however, guerilla attacks continued at a steady pace.
