▁ur ged ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁S add am ▁himself ▁was ▁captured . ▁The ▁prov is ional ▁government ▁began ▁training ▁a ▁security ▁force ▁intended ▁to ▁defend ▁critical ▁infrastr ucture , ▁and ▁the ▁U . S . ▁promised ▁over ▁$ 2 0 ▁billion ▁in ▁reconst ruction ▁aid ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁cred its ▁against ▁Ira q ' s ▁future ▁oil ▁reven ues . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁elements ▁left ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁Patri otic ▁Alliance ▁( IP A ) ▁began ▁to ▁ag itate ▁for ▁elections . ▁Most ▁prominent ▁among ▁these ▁was ▁Ali ▁al - S ist ani , ▁Grand ▁Ay atol lah ▁in ▁the ▁Sh ia ▁sect ▁of ▁Islam . ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁the ▁Co al ition ▁Pro vis ional ▁Author ity , ▁run ▁by ▁Jay ▁Gar ner ▁and ▁three ▁deput ies , ▁including ▁Tim ▁Cross , ▁opposed ▁allowing ▁dem ocr atic ▁elections ▁at ▁this ▁time , ▁prefer ring ▁instead ▁to ▁eventually ▁hand ▁over ▁power ▁to ▁an ▁une lect ed ▁group ▁of ▁Ira q is . ▁More ▁ins urg ents ▁stepped ▁up ▁their ▁activities . ▁The ▁two ▁most ▁tur bul ent ▁cent ers ▁were ▁the ▁area ▁around ▁Fall uj ah ▁and ▁the ▁poor ▁Sh ia ▁sections ▁of ▁cities ▁from ▁Bag hd ad ▁to ▁Bas ra ▁in ▁the ▁south . ▁▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁ ▁Spring ▁u pr is ings ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁spring , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁the ▁Co al ition ▁Pro vis ional ▁Author ity ▁decided ▁to ▁confront ▁the ▁reb els