American Sniper deals closely with the Iraq War (2003-2011), which began after the invasion of US-led coalition forces, ostensibly to overthrow the President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein. Given the US code-name of “Operation Iraqi Freedom,” this invasion was part of the Bush Administration’s “war on terror,” a global political and military response to the September 11 attacks and claimed to target militant Islamist movements and regimes across the Middle East. Although US and coalition governments cited evidence of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in Iraq as the main justification for the invasion, the presence of WMDs was disproved during US occupation, and these claims are now widely accepted to have been fabricated to garner public support for war. (Kelly, Robert E. “Ignoring Weapons Inspectors”. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, 9 Mar. 2023.)

Although Saddam Hussein was quickly deposed in 2003, this power vacuum led to sectarian civil war and a lengthy anti-US insurgency across Iraq. To reflect the prolonged, sectarian and asymmetric nature of the war, coalition forces shifted from conventional armored warfare to counterinsurgency tactics better suited to combatting improvised explosive device (IED) attacks, suicide bombings, and urban warfare. As a result, the US military’s experience in Iraq was defined by a series of decisive urban operations which they led between 2004 and 2008, each with a distinct strategic logic and aims. Three of these operations shaped Kyle’s second, third, and fourth combat deployments, respectively: those in Fallujah, Ramadi, and Sadr City.

In the main Fallujah operation (November 2004), Marines engaged in house-to-house clearance to destroy an insurgent stronghold and Kyle discusses how he provided rooftop overwatch for Marine assaults. Two years later, in the 2006 Battle of Ramadi US forces and Iraqi Security Forces fought insurgents to establish control of key locations, aiming to stabilize Anbar province. Here, Kyle’s memoir shows him engaged in high-tempo street fights that culminated in his 100th confirmed kill. The 2008 Sadr City operation focused on containment, with US forces protecting engineers as they built a massive barrier—the “Gold Wall”—to stop rocket attacks on Baghdad’s critical Green Zone. (Spencer, John. ”Stealing the Enemy’s Urban Advantage” Modern War Institute, 31 Jan. 2019). This mission exposed Kyle to new risks, as insurgents used rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and IEDs to attack from close quarters. When a bullet struck his headgear, Kyle writes, “A shot flew into my helmet. The night went black. I was blind” (381). The detail of Kyle’s account reflects how urban terrain shaped tactics: Dense city grids demanded rapid target identification and center-mass shots under strict Rules of Engagement. For Kyle, these experiences reinforce his belief that direct “violence of action” was the primary tool for American security, offering a ground-level view of America’s “War on Terror” doctrine in practice.

The Iraq War remains highly controversial for its ideological purpose, the questionable legality of the US-led invasion, and its huge humanitarian and economic cost, especially to Iraqi civilians. Kyle’s 2012 memoir is situated within this public debate, especially due to its unapologetic glorification of war, its uncritical assimilation of pro-US rhetoric, and its use of racist and dehumanizing language for enemy combatants and Iraqi civilians. On publication, Kyle’s often coarse depiction of US soldier attitudes and actions on the ground sustained critics’ fears that the Iraq War was largely driven by anti-Islamic sentiment. For its proponents, the book was hailed as a celebration of American patriotism and global influence.