Iraq War:Considerable Resistance Still Met

The Iraq War,now known as Operation New Dawn,continues as U.S. troops are still subjected to substantial enemy fire,particularly in the south of the country.There,Shiite militia groups roam about,firing rockets,mortars,small arms and grenades at the Americans,as well as placing armor-piercing IEDs along U.S. supply routes from Kuwait.
Around 46,000 U.S. forces remain in Iraq.The Iraqi government is currently deliberating on whether to request further U.S. military help beyond the withdrawal deadline of 31 December.In the north,Sunni militants aligned with al-Qaida have been the problem.The Shiite militants in the south are believed to be Iranian-supported.
Only a small number of U.S. maritime forces remain alongside U.S. Army units in Iraq,mostly,if not entirely,as individual augmentees assigned to the advise,train and assist mission.
The Iraq War began in 2003,and at its peak in 2007,about 170,000 U.S. troops were in country.Around 4500 American service members have died in the war.In April 2011 alone,11 were killed in Iraq,five of them during military operations and six in non-combat incidents.