, ▁ 1 4 ▁American ▁soldiers ▁were ▁killed ▁and ▁over ▁a ▁hundred ▁injured ▁when ▁an ▁explos ion ▁struck ▁an ▁open - t ent ▁mess ▁hall ▁in ▁Mos ul , ▁where ▁President ▁Bush ▁had ▁spent ▁Thanks g iving ▁with ▁troops ▁the ▁year ▁before . ▁The ▁explos ion ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁come ▁from ▁a ▁suic ide ▁bom ber . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁review ▁of ▁the ▁military ▁strategy ▁in ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁then ▁command ing ▁general ▁of ▁the ▁M NF - I , ▁General ▁George ▁W . ▁Case y , ▁Jr . ▁directed ▁the ▁Co al ition ▁forces ▁to ▁shift ▁their ▁focus ▁from ▁fighting ▁ins urg ents ▁to ▁training ▁Ira q is . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁ins ur gency ▁was ▁mainly ▁directed ▁against ▁the ▁occupation ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁believed ▁that ▁if ▁the ▁Co al ition ▁would ▁reduce ▁its ▁presence ▁then ▁the ▁ins ur gency ▁would ▁dimin ish . ▁Military ▁pl ann ers ▁hoped ▁that ▁national ▁elections ▁would ▁change ▁the ▁per ception ▁of ▁being ▁under ▁occupation , ▁stabil ize ▁the ▁situation ▁and ▁allow ▁the ▁Co al ition ▁to ▁reduce ▁its ▁presence . ▁▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁ ▁Ira qi ▁elections ▁and ▁after math ▁ ▁On ▁ 3 0 ▁January , ▁an ▁election ▁for ▁a ▁government ▁to ▁draft ▁a ▁permanent ▁constitution ▁took ▁place . ▁Although ▁some ▁violence ▁and ▁lack ▁of ▁w ides p read ▁Sun ni ▁Arab ▁participation ▁mar red ▁the ▁event , ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁el ig ible ▁Kur d ▁and ▁Sh ia ▁popul ace