Ron Paul said that "The war in Iraq was sold to us with false information. [122], Most importantly, their efforts organized the Kurdish Peshmerga to become the northern front of the invasion. Zilinskas, Raymond A., "UNSCOM and the UNSCOM Experience in Iraq". 3, 2003", "I am not convinced, Fischer tells Rumsfeld", Top judge: US and UK acted as 'vigilantes' in Iraq invasion, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10715629. The campaign's express rationale was to hamper Saddam Hussein's government's ability to produce chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, but U.S. intelligence personnel also hoped it would help weaken Saddam's grip on power. Presence and the Future of Iraq", Iraqis Oppose Oil Development Plans, Poll Finds (6 August 2007), US under 50,000 – Iraqis 'down' on drawdown, "Iraq Part of Global War on Terrorism, Rumsfeld Says", "Occupation Made World Less Safe, Pro-War Institute Says", "Declassified Key Judgments of the National Intelligence Estimate "Trends in Global Terrorism: Implications for the United States, "Studies: Suicide bombers in Iraq are mostly foreigners", "Al-Maliki: Iraq won't be battleground for U.S., Iran", "Iran involvement suspected in Karbala compound attack", "Army's long-awaited Iraq war study finds Iran was the only winner in a conflict that holds many lessons for future wars", Butt, Ahsan. [316], On 26 June 2011, a U.S. soldier was killed. [318], On 29 June, three U.S. troops were killed in a rocket attack on a U.S. base located near the border with Iran. In total, the Times says $12 billion in cash was flown into Iraq in 21 separate flights by May 2004, all of which has disappeared. The U.S. military attributed a decline in reported civilian deaths to several factors including the U.S.‑led "troop surge", the growth of U.S.-funded Awakening Councils, and Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's call for his militia to abide by a cease fire. [167], A referendum was held on 15 October in which the new Iraqi constitution was ratified. [324], In November 2011, the U.S. Senate voted down a resolution to formally end the war by bringing its authorization by Congress to an end. The new high in Iraq war opposition is also notable because it is the highest "mistake" percentage Gallup has ever measured for an active war involving the United States -- surpassing by two points the 61% who said the Vietnam War was a mistake in May 1971. The New York Times counted more than 450 Iraqi civilians killed during the same 28‑day period, based on initial daily reports from Iraqi Interior Ministry and hospital officials. Several prominent members of the military and national security communities, particularly those who favor a more realist approach to international relations, have been critical of both the decision to invade Iraq and the prosecution of the War. The winning oil companies entered joint ventures with the Iraqi ministry of oil, and the terms of the awarded contracts included extraction of oil for a fixed fee of approximately $1.40 per barrel. [266][267][268][269], Iraqi voter turnout failed to meet the original expectations which were set and was the lowest on record in Iraq,[270] but U.S. And last, to help the Iraqi people create conditions for a transition to representative self-government."[131]. There has also been significant criticism of the war from US politicians such as Bernie Sanders, national security and military personnel, including generals such as Anthony Zinni and Paul Eaton who served in the war and have since spoken out against its handling, including calling for former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld resignation. An Iraqi National Assembly was elected in December, with participation from the Sunnis as well as the Kurds and Shia. See also Casualties of the Iraq War, which has casualty numbers for coalition nations, contractors, non-Iraqi civilians, journalists, media helpers, aid workers, and the wounded. Opinion in the U.S. Congress leading up to the Iraq War generally favored a diplomatic solution, while supporting military intervention should diplomacy fail. It was followed by a longer second phase in which a U.S.-led occupation of Iraq was opposed by an insurgency. There has been a debate among those opposed to the U.S. invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq in developed countries about how to relate to forces within Iraq. [162], Another major event of that year was the revelation of widespread prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib, which received international media attention in April 2004. The invasion led to the collapse of the Ba'athist government; Saddam Hussein was captured during Operation Red Dawn in December of that same year and executed three years later. The attack may have represented the latest in a feud that erupted earlier that year when members of the Yazidi community stoned to death a teenage girl called Du'a Khalil Aswad accused of dating a Sunni Arab man and converting to Islam. The Liberal Democrats insisted on a U.N. resolution; they opposed the war as a result. In a statement giving his reasons for resigning he said: Our interests are best protected not by unilateral action but by multilateral agreement and a world order governed by rules. The number of Iraqi security forces killed was under 100 per month in the second half of 2008, from a high of 200 to 300 in summer 2007. [312], On 15 January 2011, three U.S. troops were killed in Iraq. Beginning in December 2004, polls have consistently shown that a majority thinks the invasion was a mistake. [10], Days before the March 20 invasion, a USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll found support for the war was related to UN approval. Consistent with the anti-war sentiment of the protests, in the months leading up to the Iraq War, American public opinion heavily favored a diplomatic solution over immediate military intervention. They came to this position by evaluating whether an attack against Iraq would satisfy the criteria for a just war as defined by Catholic theology. Despite detaining thousands of individuals, the offensive failed to lead to major long-term security improvements in Mosul. Meanwhile, coalition military forces launched several operations around the Tigris River peninsula and in the Sunni Triangle. At the end of the year, the city remained a major flashpoint. ", "Significance of Building Solidarity with Iraqi Civil Resistance", "Nation also bans military overflights: Austria bars U.S. troops from crossing country", "US threatens Nato boycott over Belgian war crimes law", "Argentina, Brazil Condemn the US Bombing Over Iraq", "Statement of the deputy permanent representative of Belarus to the UN", "Chrétien restates opposition to Iraq war", "México y Chile más inmunes ante presión EE.UU. Bush gave Bremer and Slocombe authority to change the pre-war policy. [374] As many as half of Iraqi doctors left the country between 2003 and 2006. Plans in 2010 called for $13 billion of purchases, to include 140 M1 Abrams main battle tanks. [347] The Center for Public Integrity alleges that the Bush administration made a total of 935 false statements between 2001 and 2003 about Iraq's alleged threat to the United States. [271] Of those who turned out to vote, some groups complained of disenfranchisement and fraud. [1][2] Opposition to the war was also widespread domestically.[3]. Before the war, several countries called on the US to wait for the weapons inspectors to complete their investigations. As a result, over 700 Iraqi civilians died in that month, as well as 79 U.S. soldiers. [323] The last American soldier to die in Iraq before the withdrawal was killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad on 14 November. [338] A civil war between ISIL and the central government continued for the next three years, until the government declared victory in December 2017. This resolution is not a declaration of war, however, and that is an important point: this resolution transfers the Constitutionally-mandated Congressional authority to declare wars to the executive branch. These Guardian militias are intended to support and secure various Sunni neighborhoods against the Islamists. "Keeping 4th ID in the Mediterranean created element of surprise. [289], From the end of August 2010, the United States attempted to dramatically cut its combat role in Iraq, with the withdrawal of all U.S. ground forces designated for active combat operations. Sort by. 'Anti-Bush' and anti-war sentiments were reflected in many western European countries, generally with the populace less sympathetic to the U.S. stance even when the government in a given country (e.g. "[107][108] Of 209 House Democrats in Congress, 126 voted against the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002, although 29 of 50 Democrats in the Senate voted in favor of it. [81] One month after the passage of the Iraq Liberation Act, the US and UK launched a bombardment campaign of Iraq called Operation Desert Fox. The attack came after U.S. airstrikes on 29 December, which killed 25 militants of Iran-backed group, Kataeb Hezbollah. "[184] On 13 September, Bush backed a limited withdrawal of troops from Iraq. [65][66][67] UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan described the war as illegal, saying in a September 2004 interview that it was "not in conformity with the Security Council. In December 2003 she began to write an anonymous column that described the disrupting influence of the Office of Special Plans on the analysis that led to the decision to go to war.[26]. So, a year or two later, during joint military exercises, there were some comments and remarks from the Americans questioning Japan's partnership and trust. "[294] On 31 August, from the Oval Office, Barack Obama announced his intent to end the combat mission in Iraq. Although no injuries occurred in the blast, the mosque was severely damaged and the bombing resulted in violence over the following days. It's time we honor the members of Congress who voted in 2002 to prevent the Bush administration's hasty rush into an unprovoked attack and occupation of Iraq. "[91] Bush said this and made many other dire allegations about the threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction despite the fact that the Bush administration knew that Iraq had no nuclear weapons and had no information about whether Iraq had biological weapons. [31] One of the generals, Lieut. [234] Turkish troops withdrew on 29 February. The opposition to the war manifested itself most visibly in a series of worldwide protests against the Iraq War during February 2003, just before the invasion of Iraq starting on March 20, 2003. Strong international opposition to the Saddam Hussein regime began after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. IVAW held a Winter Soldier event, from March 13 through March 16, 2008, in which U.S. veterans spoke of their experiences during the Iraq War. Nathan R. Beyers, 24, and Spc. [189], The rate of U.S. combat deaths in Baghdad nearly doubled to 3.14 per day in the first seven weeks of the "surge" in security activity, compared to previous period. [421] The Pew Global Attitudes Project reports that in 2006 majorities in the Netherlands, Germany, Jordan, France, Lebanon, Russia, China, Canada, Poland, Pakistan, Spain, Indonesia, Turkey, and Morocco believed the world was safer before the Iraq War and the toppling of Saddam, while pluralities in the United States and India believe the world is safer without Saddam Hussein. Retired US Marine, former Navy Secretary and future US senator Jim Webb wrote shortly before the vote, "Those who are pushing for a unilateral war in Iraq know full well that there is no exit strategy if we invade. [422], Directly after the invasion, polling suggested that a slight majority supported the U.S. There have been several attempts by the media, coalition governments and others to estimate the Iraqi casualties. A series of similar operations were launched throughout the summer in the Sunni Triangle. hide. Weapons, Given to Iraqis, Move to Turkey", "DoD News Briefing with Maj. Gen. Salmon from Iraq", "U.S. credits Iran for drop in Iraq roadside bombs", "Iraq: Al-Qaida intensifies its stranglehold in the world's most dangerous city", "NATO chief declares PKK terrorist group", "Turkish Army Begins Ground Assault on PKK in Iraq", "Iraq Cabinet Demands Turks Leave Kurdish Area in North", "Across Iraq, battles erupt with Mahdi Army", "Drive in Basra by Iraqi Army Makes Gains", "Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation: U.S. Surges $11 Billion in Arms Sales to Iraq", "Iraq presidential council endorses U.S. security pact", "White House: Iraq Status of Forces Agreement", "Status of Forces Agreement (Unofficial Translation)", "Iraqi Parliament approves security pact", "U.S. staying silent on its view of Iraq pact until after vote", "Top Shiite Cleric in Iraq Raises Concerns About Security Pact", "Trying to Redefine Role of U.S. Military in Iraq", "Iraq: Cleric al-Sadr calls for peaceful protests", "Iraqi refugees in Syria protest against military pact with U.S", "Feelings are mixed as Iraqis ponder U.S. security agreement", "Gunmen kill Iraqi soldier south of Baghdad", "Violence Across Iraq Kills 13, Including a Sunni Politician", "Iraq vote turnout fails to meet expectations", "Iraq: Sunni tribal leader says he can prove fraud", "Election results spur threats and infighting in Iraq", "Iraq not fazed by pending U.S. pullout: Maliki", "Six years on, huge protest marks Baghdad's fall", "Iraqi civilian deaths drop to lowest level of war", "US report: Iraq of leading oil producers 2040", "Exclusive: War in Iraq to Be Given New Name", "2 Most Wanted Al Qaeda Leaders in Iraq Killed by U.S., Iraqi Forces", "Car Bombs Hit Crowds Outside Bank in Baghdad", "Insurgents Assert Their Strength With Wave of Bombings Across Iraq", "Final U.S. combat brigade pulls out of Iraq", "AP Issues Standards Memo: 'Combat In Iraq Is Not Over, "G.I. save. [140] The abrupt fall of Baghdad was accompanied by a widespread outpouring of gratitude toward the invaders, but also massive civil disorder, including the looting of public and government buildings and drastically increased crime.[141][142]. The beginning of 2006 was marked by government creation talks, growing sectarian violence, and continuous anti-coalition attacks. The first of these was a brief, conventionally fought war in March–April 2003, in which a combined force of troops from the United States and Great Britain (with smaller contingents from several other countries) invaded Iraq and rapidly defeated Iraqi military and paramilitary forces. On 21 November 2007, Lieutenant General James Dubik, who is in charge of training Iraqi security forces, praised Iran for its "contribution to the reduction of violence" in Iraq by upholding its pledge to stop the flow of weapons, explosives and training of extremists in Iraq. [63][64] Some U.S. officials falsely accused Saddam of harbouring and supporting al-Qaeda. Throughout 2008, U.S. officials and independent think tanks began to point to improvements in the security situation, as measured by key statistics. Convoys of U.S. troops had been moving out of Iraq to Kuwait for several days, and NBC News broadcast live from Iraq as the last convoy crossed the border. 343rd Quartermasters). Bush declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq, due to the defeat of Iraq's conventional forces, while maintaining that much still needed to be done. The UK House of Commons held a debate on going to war on 18 March 2003 where the government motion was approved 412 to 149. The invasion occurred as part of the George W. Bush administration's War on Terror following the September 11 attacks despite no connection of the latter to Iraq. [136], With the Nasiriyah and Talil Airfields secured in its rear, the 3rd Infantry Division supported by the 101st Airborne Division continued its attack north toward Najaf and Karbala, but a severe sand storm slowed the coalition advance and there was a halt to consolidate and make sure the supply lines were secure. Log in or sign up to leave a comment Log In Sign Up. The Iraqi regime had prepared to fight both a conventional and irregular, asymmetric warfare at the same time, conceding territory when faced with superior conventional forces, largely armored, but launching smaller-scale attacks in the rear using fighters dressed in civilian and paramilitary clothes. Shortly after the capture of Saddam, elements left out of the Coalition Provisional Authority began to agitate for elections and the formation of an Iraqi Interim Government. Subsequently, their bodies were dragged from their vehicles by local people, beaten, set ablaze, and their burned corpses hung over a bridge crossing the Euphrates. The French and German governments, amongst others, took the position that the UN inspection process should be allowed to be completed. The pact was subject to possible negotiations which could have delayed withdrawal and a referendum scheduled for mid-2009 in Iraq, which might have required all U.S. forces to completely leave by the middle of 2010. [55], Post-invasion(2003–11) The Iraq Study Group Report was released on 6 December 2006. Fischer famously confronted United States Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at the 39th Munich Security Conference in 2003 on the secretary's purported evidence for Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction: "Excuse me, I am not convinced! [239] When asked by the Senate if reasonable people could disagree on the way forward, Petraeus said, "We fight for the right of people to have other opinions."[240]. By October, the British officer in charge of Basra said that since the operation, the town had become "secure" and had a murder rate comparable to Manchester in England. However, the insurgency in 2011 and the rise of ISIL in 2014 caused the war to continue. Using the example of GI resistance coffee housed during the Vietnam War some Iraq War veterans have founded anti-war coffeehouses near military bases to act as resources for soldiers opposed to the Iraq War. "This palace is the symbol of Iraqi sovereignty and by restoring it, a real message is directed to all Iraqi people that Iraqi sovereignty has returned to its natural status", al‑Maliki said. Fifth, to collect such intelligence as we can relate to the global network of illicit weapons of mass destruction. [276], On 9 April, the 6th anniversary of Baghdad's fall to coalition forces, tens of thousands of Iraqis thronged Baghdad to mark the anniversary and demand the immediate departure of coalition forces. If U.S. forces commit still undecided "major premeditated felonies" while off-duty and off-base, they will be subject to the still undecided procedures laid out by a joint U.S.‑Iraq committee if the United States certifies the forces were off-duty. Including the helicopters, Iraq announced plans to purchase at least $10 billion in U.S. tanks and armored vehicles, transport planes and other battlefield equipment and services. Police said many Sunnis, including prominent leaders such as a founding sheikh from the Sons of Iraq, took part. Intelligence on Saddam's whereabouts came from his family members and former bodyguards.[155]. Seventh, to secure Iraq's oil fields and resources, which belong to the Iraqi people. [424][425][426] Despite a majority having previously been opposed to the U.S. presence, 60% of Iraqis opposed American troops leaving directly prior to withdrawal, with 51% saying withdrawal would have a negative effect. The al-Qaida breakaway group formally declared the creation of an Islamic state on 29 June 2014, in the territory under its control.[335]. The policy to disband the Iraq Army was reversed by the CPA only days after it was implemented. [219], Additionally, weapons that were given to Iraqi security forces by the U.S. military were being recovered by authorities in Turkey after being used by PKK in that state.[220]. (Ret.) [135] The United States Army 3rd Infantry Division defeated Iraqi forces entrenched in and around Talil Airfield. invasion. Most significantly, critics have assailed the United States and its allies for not devoting enough troops to the mission, not adequately planning for post-invasion Iraq, and for permitting and perpetrating human rights abuses. The killing of the girl was recorded on camera-mobiles and the video was uploaded onto the internet. –, "To a certain extent Saddam Hussein's departure was a positive thing. [296] On the same day Gen. Ray Odierno was replaced by Lloyd Austin as Commander of U.S. forces in Iraq. This demonstration was listed in the 2004 Guinness World Records as the largest mass protest movement in history. [205][206][207] Investigative reporter Bob Woodward cites U.S. government sources according to which the U.S. "surge" was not the primary reason for the drop in violence in 2007–08. Iraq also maintains primary legal jurisdiction over contractors (and their employees) that have contracts with the United States. The French refusal to make a donation of any kind at the conference in Madrid in October 2003 offers perhaps the clearest example of this. [55], Around the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and subsequent occupation of Iraq, polling data indicated that opposition to military action against Iraq was widespread in Europe.[56]. The Iraq War[nb 1] was a protracted armed conflict that began in 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by a United States-led coalition that overthrew the government of Saddam Hussein. [44], Since the introduction of the Murtha resolution, many members of Congress, particularly in the Democratic Party, have rallied around the strategy of a phased troop withdrawal. [308], The Iraqi navy also purchased 12 U.S.‑built Swift-class patrol boats, at a cost of $20 million each. Many of these countries had supplied the Iraqi regime with the technology to make these weapons in the 1980s during the Iran–Iraq War. Facing a losing vote as well as a likely veto from France and Russia, the US, the UK, Poland, Spain, Denmark, Italy, Japan, and Australia eventually withdrew their resolution. [281][282][283] The fees will only be paid once a production threshold set by the Iraqi ministry of oil is reached. “Presidents, Politics, and Military Strategy:  Electoral Constraints during the Iraq War.”, Siracusa, Joseph M., and Laurens J. Visser, "George W. Bush, Diplomacy, and Going to War with Iraq, 2001-2003. This policy, known as De-Ba'athification, eventually led to the removal of 85,000 to 100,000 Iraqi people from their job,[149] including 40,000 school teachers who had joined the Baath Party simply to keep their jobs. Subsequently, the War in Iraq of 2013 to 2017, which is considered a domino effect of the invasion, caused at least 155,000 deaths, in addition to the displacement of five million people within the country.[73][74][75]. Though demonstrations against the Iraq war and subsequent occupation have continued none has matched this day in … On the other hand, there were more countries against the war, such as Germany and France. [159] The four armed contractors, Scott Helvenston, Jerko Zovko, Wesley Batalona, and Michael Teague, were killed with grenades and small arms fire. [251][252][253][254], Some Americans have discussed "loopholes"[255] and some Iraqis have said they believe parts of the pact remain a "mystery". However, despite popular opinion in their countries, the governments of Italy and Spain supported the war politically and militarily, although Spain ceased to do so after the election of a Socialist government in 2004. ", "Tomgram: Schwartz on Why the Military Is Failing in Iraq - TomDispatch", "Western occupiers are still the insurgency's main target. The invasion phase concluded when Tikrit, Saddam's home town, fell with little resistance to the U.S. Marines of Task Force Tripoli. For example, Harvard's public finance expert Linda J. Bilmes has estimated that the long-term cost of providing disability compensation and medical care to U.S. troops injured in the Iraq conflict will reach nearly $1 trillion over the next 40 years,[367] and that the war in Iraq diverted resources from the war in Afghanistan, led to rising oil prices, increased the federal debt, and contributed to a global financial crisis. In his new position, Petraeus oversaw all coalition forces in Iraq and employed them in the new "Surge" strategy outlined by the Bush administration. On 17 September 2007, the Iraqi government announced that it was revoking the license of the U.S. security firm Blackwater USA over the firm's involvement in the killing of eight civilians, including a woman and an infant,[221] in a firefight that followed a car bomb explosion near a State Department motorcade. Schmitt, Eric, David Sanger and Sheryl Gay Stolberg. [15] He later accused the Bush administration of deliberately misleading the public. [90], President Bush began laying the public groundwork for an invasion of Iraq in January 2002 State of the Union address, calling Iraq a member of the Axis of Evil, and saying "The United States of America will not permit the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most destructive weapons.