Consider the following scenario:

In 2006, nearly three years after the war in Iraq began, coalition forces continued to battle insurgents. To quell an insurgency that was threatening to plunge Iraq into a full-blown civil war, President George W. Bush proposed to increase American forces by more than 20,000 troops. The increase of U.S. troops in Iraq followed a high-level report warning that the U.S. faced a "grave and deteriorating" situation after three years of war in Iraq. The troop increase was accompanied by reconstruction projects and a renewed focus on diplomacy in the region and within Iraq.

1. Who were the significant factions and players in Iraq in 2006? Has the composition of these factions changed since then? Explain.

2. What were the political and religious positions of these significant groups?

3. What commonalities did the groups share, and what differences existed? What were their basic political goals and objectives? What types of terrorism were effective for each group?

4. What, according to these significant groups, could be gained from acts of terrorism? Do you agree with the consequences that the identified significant terrorist groups aimed to achieve? Why?