21 Year anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War

21 Year anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War

Reported By CW2 L.Kelso March 20

The Iraq War, also known as Operation Iraqi Freedom, began 21 years ago today in 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by a coalition led by the United States. The primary stated justification for the invasion was the belief that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and posed a significant threat to global security. The Bush administration argued that Saddam Hussein had links to terrorist organizations and could provide WMDs to them. Despite worldwide opposition and protests, the coalition launched airstrikes on March 19, 2003, followed by ground forces moving into Iraq.

The initial phase of the war saw rapid advances by coalition forces, overwhelming Iraqi defenses and capturing key cities such as Baghdad within weeks. However, the anticipated WMDs were not found , leading to questions about reason for the invasion. As the conflict transitioned from conventional warfare to insurgency, the coalition faced increasing resistance from various Iraqi factions opposed to the occupation. What was view initially as a normal and reasonable military operation would lead to an 8 year war