The 2008 Battle of Sadr City, Reimagining Urban Combat, Reimagining Urban Combat

Author

Shannon, Brian ; Markel, M. Wade ; Johnson, David E.

Year

2013

Publisher

RAND Corporation

Language

English

Pages

ISBN

978-0-83308-028-8

Link

Last Update

02-Jan-2026

Keywords

Technology ; History

Description

RAND Arroyo Center was asked by the Department of the Army to analyze the 2008 Battle of Sadr City. The purpose was to provide a more complete description of the battle, to assess its outcome, and to derive lessons learned that can inform a broader understanding of urban operations. The ultimate purpose of the analysis is to help the U.S. Army understand what capabilities it may need in the future to contend with the challenges posed by combat in large cities.

On March 23, 2008, Moqtada al-Sadr’s Jaish al-Mahdi (JAM) militia precipitated what became known as the Battle of Sadr...