'The US army destroyed our lives': five Iraqis on the war that changed the Middle East

[milestogo]

Survivors tell of the devastating impact of the US-led invasion 20 years on

Emma Graham-Harrison and Salim Habib
Sun 19 Mar 2023 07.00 EDT

Twenty years ago today the US and the UK invaded Iraq in a disastrous military mission based on flawed intelligence, months of lying to the world, and a casual disregard for international law.

The invasion would lead to hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths, decades of civil war and vicious sectarian violence in Iraq, and the rise of the Islamic State militant group. Incubated in a US prison camp, IS was directed and staffed in part by former members and officers of the Saddam-era Ba’ath party.

In a pattern that would be repeated again and again over the following two decades of the “war on terror”, the US and its allies, including the United Kingdom, assumed that overwhelming technical and military superiority was all they needed to control a distant nation and its people.

A “shock and awe” bombing campaign showcasing that military power launched the invasion, and ground troops moved into Iraq the next day, 20 March. Saddam was soon on the run, and in early April, Baghdad was formally occupied.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/19/the-us-army-destroyed-our-lives-five-iraqis-on-the-war-that-changed-the-middle-east

[Blues Heron]

1. Bono's buddy Booosh should be locked up for that intense level of evil

He thought the world trade center attacks gave him carte blanche to rampage across the middle east. So far, history has proven him right because he walks free among us.

[Ferrets are Cool]

2. And this is ONLY if you weren't KILLED by the invading army.

Jr should be in prison as a war criminal.

[friend of a friend]

3. Was it flawed intelligence? I thought it was nonexistent intelligence.

[raccoon]

4. Thank you for posting this. Many Americans might not think about this much,

But I guarantee you the Iraqis still do.

And the Iraqis who were killed in the invasion and consequent “preemptive war” were just as innocent as the Americans who were killed in the attack on 9/11.