  In earlier work, we used a gauge independent Abelian Decomposition to show
that Abelian degrees of freedom are wholly responsible for the static quark
potential. The restricted Abelian field can be split into two terms, a Maxwell
term and a $\theta$ (Dirac) term. The $\theta$ term's contribution to the
string tension can be analysed theoretically and numerically, and arises
because of the existence of a certain type of monopole. While the Abelian field
can be constructed without gauge fixing, its two component parts are
gauge-dependent, with a gauge transformation moving the topological features
from one part to another. This allows us to isolate and identify the
topological objects responsible for confinement by constructing a gauge where
the $\theta$ term wholly accounts for the string tension. We confirm the
presence of these monopoles in lattice simulations of SU(2) Yang-Mills theory.
