Why did the administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority disband the Iraqi army of 500,000 in 2003?

A) He feared they might reorganize for a counteroffensive.
B) He needed young men for a series of public works programs.
C) He was eager to eliminate all support for Hussein's Ba'ath Party.
D) He worried that Islamist fundamentalists might recruit within the Iraqi army.

Coalition Provisional Authority

The governing body established by the United States and its coalition partners to rule Iraq following the ousting of Saddam Hussein in 2003, until the establishment of the Iraqi government.

Iraqi Army

The land component of the Iraqi military forces responsible for ground-based military operations.

Ba'ath Party

A political party advocating Arab unity and socialism, historically significant in Syria and Iraq.