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President George W. Bush informed several Senators in March 2002 about the planned fate of the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein—a full year before the American invasion of Iraq and a month after he requested troops in the Persian Gulf.
The Americans invaded Iraq in the spring of 2003, accomplished their immediate goals, but stayed in that country for years fighting insurgency with a massive Iraqi death toll. The Iraq War was America's first major conflict since the Cold War, and the region remains unstable two decades later.
Fig. 1 - U.S. Marines marching with Iraqi POWs, March 2003, by Lance Cpl. Brian L. Wickliffe, U.S. Marine Corps. Source: U.S. Marine Corps, Wikipedia Commons (public domain).
The American invasion of Iraq began on March 19, 2003. The United States led a coalition comprising Britain, Australia, Poland, and the Netherlands. The American goal was to remove the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. U.S. President George W. Bush and his administration also publicly asserted that Iraq possessed WMDs (weapons of mass destruction) that could harm the U.S. and its allies. This claim was proven to be erroneous and discredited by the U.S.
The relationship between the U.S. and Iraq changed since the two countries established diplomatic relations in the 1930s.
The Iran-Iraq War was a Middle Eastern conflict between 1980 and 1988 that occurred for many reasons, for instance, a dispute over the Shatt al-Arab waterway. As a result, Iraq invaded Iran, and each side had supporters.
The United States' role was complicated:
The latter came to be known as the Iran-Contra Affair.
The Reagan administration supported Iraq and its leader, Saddam Hussein, in the following ways:
The war ended with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 598.
Fig. 2 - USAF planes flying over retreating Iraqi forces, Kuwait, Operation Desert Storm. Source: U.S. Air Force, Wikipedia Commons (public domain).
The relations between Iraq and United States changed dramatically in the early 1990s. In the summer of 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, presumably because an increase in Kuwaiti oil production harmed Iraq's economy. The conflict transformed into the Gulf War (1990-1991), in which Iraq faced off the United States and a coalition of over two dozen countries.
At this time, President George H. W. Bush decided to intervene as follows:
The U.S. achieved most of its goals, such as pushing Iraq out of Kuwait, but did not remove Saddam Hussein.
For Iraq, there were many negative consequences, including:
These policies continued during the Bill Clinton presidency.
Clinton signed the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998, which effectively sought regime change in that country.
Fig. 3 - a statue of Saddam Hussein being toppled, Iraq, April 2003. Source: U.S. Department of Defense, Wikipedia Commons (public domain).
President George W. Bush presided over the invasion of Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003) in the context of the war on terror after the September 11, 2011, terrorist attacks in the U.S. However, the terms of his global war on terror were broad and vague. For example, the terrorists belonged to the Al Qaeda group, and some were Saudi nationals. Whereas there were Al Qaeda enclaves in Afghanistan, these circumstances had little to do with Iraq.
Bush also used the term "axis of evil" about Iraq, Iran, and North Korea.
Not everyone in the Bush administration supported the invasion of Iraq. Surprisingly, one of the moderate voices was the military man and Secretary of State Colin Powell. Powell's main concern was overextension. Yet, ultimately, it was Powell who presented a vial at the UNSC meeting in February 2003, claiming that Iraq had WMDs.
Historians also suggested that George W. Bush wanted to complete what his father failed to do during the Gulf War: topple Saddam Hussein. He also used religious-like language that some compared to the Crusades.
Did you know?
The U.S. backed the militants called the mujahideen in Afghanistan even before the 1979 Soviet entry into that country. Some of these mujahideen later transformed into the terrorist organization Al Qaeda that targeted the U.S
The key points about the war in Iraq are:
No one likes war except the military-industrial complex. Yet even wars have rules of conduct.
The United Nations Security Council is the body handling armed conflicts.
For example, Article 51 of the UN Charter outlines the right to self-defense in the face of aggression.
The 2003 American invasion of Iraq led to heated debates about its legality per international law. The backers of this war believed that the UNSC Resolution 1441 seeking to enforce Iraq's disarmament justified war. However, many critics argued that the resolution was limited to disarmament and could not be broadly interpreted as an invitation to invade. After all, Iraq did not attack the U.S. or its allies. Many experts concluded that the Iraq War was one of aggression.
The initial success of the U.S. campaign in Iraq in the first few months of the invasion was followed by years of insurgency.
Date | Event |
September 11, 2001 |
|
October 7, 2001-December 17, 2001 |
|
November 8, 2002 |
|
March 17, 2003 |
|
March 19, 2003 |
|
April 9, 2003 |
|
May 1, 2003 |
|
Summer 2003-Spring 2004 |
|
2005 |
|
December 30, 2006 |
|
2011 |
|
The overall causality rate for American troops in the Iraq War (2003) exceeded 4,500, excluding private contractors. The death toll of Iraqis is estimated to be around 200,000.
This Iraqi death toll must be viewed in the greater context of the U.S. foreign policy toward Iraq. When that country was under sanctions during the 1990s, an estimated, half a million children died. The U.S. Secretary of State, Madeline Albright, had famously remarked that this price was worth it.
Fig. 4 - American soldiers watch Iraq’s paramilitary unit's headquarters, April 2003. Source: U.S. Army, Wikipedia Commons (public domain).
The American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 demonstrates:
The U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003 on a false pretext of Iraq's leadership being in possession of weapons of mass destruction. The U.S. also sought to topple Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein since the 1991 Gulf War in Kuwait. The U.S. also targeted the rich oil industry in Iraq. The industry was nationalized before the American invasion but was largely run by foreign companies a decade after the invasion. Finally, the Iraq War also occurred within the broader framework of the American war on terror spearheaded by President George W. Bush after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks even though Iraq had no direct link to them.
After the Americans and their coalition partners like Britain invaded Iraq in 2003, the Saddam Hussein government was toppled, and he was executed in 2006. The country was destabilized giving rise to sectarianism and extremism. An estimated 4,500 American troops and 200,000 Iraqis were killed as a result of this war. Foreign companies gained control of Iraq's oil industry.
There has been some debate as to whether the 2003 American invasion of Iraq was legal within the framework of international law. A member of the United Nations, the U.S. must comply with its rules and charter. The supporters of the invasion argued that the United Nations Security Council voted for Resolution 1441 which sought to disarm Iraq within the parameters of the previous UNSC resolutions on this matter. Critics, however, asserted that such resolutions cannot be interpreted as an invitation to invade, nor did Iraq attack the U.S. or its coalition members. Many American and international legal experts called the 2003 American invasion of Iraq a war of aggression.
Approximately 4,500 U.S. troops died in Iraq excluding private contractors.
President George W. Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq in 2003 based on the erroneous premise that Iraq was in possession of weapons of mass destruction. On March 17, Bush gave the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave Iraq. Two days later, the Americans invaded that country with support primarily from Britain. On the British side, it was Prime Minister Tony Blair that pushed for war in Iraq.
When did the U.S. invade Iraq?
2003
What was the name of the political scandal during the Reagan presidency?
Iran-Contra Affair
Which president led the Gulf War?
George H. W. Bush
Who signed the Iraq Liberation Act?
Bill Clinton
What global war did George W. Bush champion?
War on terror
When did the U.S. invade Afghanistan?
2001
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