The Iraq War Explained

Summary

The video script recounts the controversial Iraq War, detailing its causes, key events, and aftermath. It begins with the U.S. invasion in 2003, justified by the alleged presence of weapons of mass destruction, and Saddam Hussein's capture. The script then describes the rise of insurgency, the surge of troops, and the eventual withdrawal of American forces in 2011. It highlights the war's disastrous consequences, including the emergence of ISIS and the long-term destabilization of Iraq and the region, leaving a legacy of distrust and skepticism towards war among the American public.

Takeaways

• 🏠 The video script is a personal narrative starting from the creator's own experience of learning about the Iraq invasion while living in an apartment complex.
• 📺 The Iraq War began on March 19, 2003, with the U.S. citing the need to disarm Iraq and free its people from Saddam Hussein's regime, which was accused of possessing weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).
• 🌍 The invasion was controversial, with many questioning its justification and the U.S.'s motives, including the linking of Iraq to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, despite no direct connection.
• 🗓️ Prior to the invasion, the U.S. had supported efforts to remove Saddam Hussein from power, including passing the Iraq Liberation Act and conducting Operation Desert Fox.
• 🔍 Despite extensive inspections by the UN, no WMDs were found in Iraq, leading to accusations that the Bush administration was pushing for war without sufficient evidence.
• 💥 The initial invasion was swift, with U.S. and coalition forces taking control of Iraq's major cities within weeks, but it was the beginning of a longer conflict.
• 🕊️ President Bush's 'Mission Accomplished' speech on May 1, 2003, was seen as premature, as the war continued for years after and the situation in Iraq deteriorated.
• 🔄 The capture of Saddam Hussein in December 2003 did not end the conflict; instead, it marked the rise of insurgent attacks and sectarian violence within Iraq.
• 📉 The Iraq War had a significant impact on American public opinion, eroding trust in government and leading to a general aversion to similar conflicts in the future.
• 🌐 The war's aftermath included a power vacuum that allowed for the rise of ISIS, leading to further conflict and the need for international military involvement.
• 📊 The Iraq War is considered a costly and devastating event, with over a million deaths, massive displacement of people, and long-term destabilization of the region.

Q & A

What significant event did Mr. Beat experience in the apartment complex mentioned in the script?

Mr. Beat found out about the United States' invasion of Iraq while living in the apartment complex during his college years.

What was the date when the United States and Coalition forces initiated military operations in Iraq?

The United States and Coalition forces began military operations in Iraq on March 19, 2003.

Why was Saddam Hussein considered a threat by the United States?

Saddam Hussein was considered a threat due to his history of using chemical weapons against his own citizens, his invasion of a neighboring country, and accusations of developing weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).

What was the Iraq Liberation Act, and what did it call for?

The Iraq Liberation Act was a law passed by the United States Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton, which called for efforts to remove Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq.

How did the 9/11 terrorist attacks influence the Bush Administration's view on Iraq?

The 9/11 terrorist attacks led the Bush Administration to link Iraq with terrorism, seeking an excuse to invade Iraq under the broader 'War on Terrorism,' despite no direct connection between Iraq and the 9/11 attacks.

What was the main goal of the eight objectives outlined by General Tommy Franks for Operation Iraqi Freedom?

The main goal was to take out Saddam Hussein and his regime, along with finding and eliminating Iraq's supposed weapons of mass destruction, and supporting the transition to a representative democracy in Iraq.

Why did President Bush's 'Mission Accomplished' speech become controversial?

The 'Mission Accomplished' speech became controversial because it was perceived as prematurely declaring victory, as the war and its aftermath continued for years, and the situation in Iraq did not stabilize as implied.

What was the impact of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal on the Iraq War?

The Abu Ghraib prison scandal, where American soldiers were found torturing Iraqi prisoners, led to a surge of Islamist militants into Baghdad and increased anti-American sentiment, exacerbating the insurgency.

What was the 'Surge' strategy implemented by President Bush in 2007?

The 'Surge' strategy involved sending an additional 30,000 troops to Iraq and extending deployments by 3 months, aiming to restore security and reduce insurgent attacks.

How did the Iraq War contribute to the rise of ISIS?

The Iraq War destabilized the region, creating a power vacuum after American troops left. This allowed for the rise of extremist groups, including ISIS, which took control of significant areas in Iraq and contributed to another conflict.

What has been the long-term impact of the Iraq War on American public opinion and foreign policy?

The Iraq War eroded American trust in government, made the public wary of wars in general, and influenced foreign policy to be more cautious about engaging in military interventions under similar pretexts.

Outlines

00:00

🏠 Personal Reflection on the Iraq War's Start

The script begins with a personal account of the narrator's experience learning about the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 while at college. It captures the initial shock and the emotional response to President Bush's announcement of military operations to disarm Iraq, along with the public's mixed reactions to the war. The narrator sets the stage for a detailed exploration of the Iraq War, promising to set aside personal biases to recount the events and causes leading up to the conflict.

05:00

🔍 The Path to War: Justifications and Accusations

This paragraph delves into the historical context and the political motivations behind the Iraq War. It outlines the portrayal of Saddam Hussein as a ruthless dictator, the U.S. efforts to remove him from power, and the events following 9/11 that led to the 'War on Terrorism.' The narrative focuses on the Bush administration's attempts to link Iraq to terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, despite a lack of concrete evidence. It also touches on the public's divided opinion on the war's legitimacy and the political pressure that culminated in the Authorization of Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution.

10:02

🌍 International Relations and the Push for Invasion

The script describes the international diplomatic efforts and the build-up to the invasion of Iraq. It highlights the role of key U.S. officials like Colin Powell in making the case for war at the United Nations, the skepticism from figures like Hans Blix, and the challenges faced in gaining international support. The paragraph also details the formation of the 'coalition of the willing' and the initiation of Operation Iraqi Freedom, emphasizing the unilateral nature of the U.S.-led invasion.

15:03

🛡️ The Invasion and Initial Occupation of Iraq

This section provides an overview of the military strategy and objectives of the U.S.-led invasion, including the surprise attack on Baghdad and the swift advance of American and British forces. It outlines the goals set by General Tommy Franks, the initial success in taking over key Iraqi cities, and the declaration of the end of major combat operations. The paragraph also touches on the symbolic 'Mission Accomplished' speech by President Bush, which would later become controversial.

20:04

💥 The Emergence of Insurgency and Internal Conflict

The script discusses the transition from invasion to occupation and the rise of insurgency within Iraq. It details the initial resistance from Saddam Hussein's loyalists, the involvement of Islamist extremists, and the capture of Hussein himself. The narrative also covers the growing unrest due to the American presence, the escalation of violence, and the impact of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal on the conflict. Additionally, it explains the sectarian divisions between Sunnis and Shiites and the beginning of a cycle of violence within Iraq.

25:06

🔄 The Surge, Sectarian Violence, and Political Struggles

This paragraph focuses on the escalation of violence and the U.S. military's response, known as the Surge, which involved an increase in troop numbers. It discusses the impact of sectarian violence, particularly in Sunni-dominated areas, and the involvement of al-Qaeda in Iraq for the first time. The script also covers the political struggles within Iraq, including the drafting of a new constitution and the challenges of establishing a representative democracy amidst the ongoing conflict.

🏹 The Resurgence of Insurgency and the Rise of ISIS

The script describes the aftermath of the American withdrawal from Iraq, leading to a power vacuum and the resurgence of insurgency. It details the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) and the subsequent conflict that required international intervention to support the Iraqi government. The paragraph also reflects on the ongoing presence of American soldiers in Iraq and the complex legacy of the Iraq War, including its human and financial costs, and its impact on international relations and the perception of war among the American public.

Keywords

💡Iraq War

The Iraq War, also known as Operation Iraqi Freedom, was a conflict initiated by the United States and its allies in 2003. It was a central theme of the video, illustrating the narrative of a controversial military action. The script discusses the causes, the invasion, and the aftermath of the war, including the failure to find weapons of mass destruction and the rise of insurgency.

💡Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein was the President of Iraq from 1979 to 2003. He is a key figure in the video script, depicted as a ruthless dictator responsible for the deaths of many Iraqi citizens. His alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction was a primary justification for the U.S. invasion, as mentioned in the script.

💡Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Weapons of Mass Destruction refer to nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons that can cause large-scale death and destruction. In the video, the supposed existence of WMDs in Iraq was a significant pretext for the U.S. invasion, although none were ultimately found, leading to widespread controversy.

💡Insurgency

Insurgency refers to a rebellion against an established government or authority. In the context of the video, the term describes the armed resistance that emerged against the U.S.-led coalition following the invasion, including both Saddam loyalists and Islamist extremists.

💡Operation Desert Fox

Operation Desert Fox was a military operation conducted by the U.S. and the UK in 1998. The video script mentions it as a precursor to the Iraq War, where bombings targeted Iraqi military sites in response to Iraq's alleged development of WMDs and non-compliance with UN inspections.

💡9/11 Attacks

The 9/11 Attacks refer to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, in the United States. The script uses this event to illustrate the heightened security context that led to the Authorization for Use of Military Force, which was later used to justify the Iraq War.

💡Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF)

The AUMF is a resolution passed by the U.S. Congress that grants the President the authority to use military force. In the video, it is mentioned as the legal basis that allowed President George W. Bush to fight terrorism globally, including the invasion of Iraq.

💡Coalition of the Willing

The 'Coalition of the Willing' refers to the multi-national force assembled by the U.S. to support the invasion of Iraq. The term is used in the script to describe the countries that participated in the military effort, although it is noted that most of the burden fell on American and British forces.

💡Mission Accomplished

The 'Mission Accomplished' speech was given by President George W. Bush on May 1, 2003, aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The video script uses this term to highlight a controversial moment when the President declared an end to major combat operations, which later turned out to be premature as the insurgency escalated.

💡Sunni and Shiite

Sunni and Shiite are the two main branches of Islam. The script explains that Iraq has a significant divide between these two groups, which played a critical role in the sectarian violence that followed the invasion. The conflict between Sunni and Shiite factions contributed to the complexity and instability of the post-invasion period.

💡General David Petraeus

General David Petraeus is a U.S. military leader who took command of coalition forces in Iraq in 2007. The video script mentions him as a key figure in implementing the 'surge' strategy, which involved increasing troop numbers to restore security. His leadership is highlighted as one of the few successes in the war effort.

Highlights

Introduction of the Iraq War's context and personal reflection by Mr. Beat.

Background on Saddam Hussein's regime and the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998.

Link between the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the decision to invade Iraq.

The role of key Bush administration officials in advocating for war.

Diplomatic efforts and UN inspections leading up to the invasion.

Colin Powell's presentation to the UN Security Council justifying the war.

Divergent views on the war's justification among the American public.

Operation Iraqi Freedom's commencement and the initial invasion strategy.

The rapid fall of Baghdad and the end of major combat operations.

President Bush's 'Mission Accomplished' speech and its implications.

The rise of the insurgency following the declaration of victory.

Capture of Saddam Hussein and the subsequent trial and execution.

Escalation of violence and the impact of the Abu Ghraib scandal.

The sectarian conflict between Sunnis and Shiites within Iraq.

The 'Surge' strategy and General David Petraeus's leadership.

Public opinion and the political impact of the war on the U.S.

The withdrawal of U.S. troops and the subsequent rise of ISIS.

The long-term consequences and legacy of the Iraq War.

Personal conclusion and call to action for further research on the Iraq War.

Transcripts

What’s disastrous?

I’m Mr. Beat

You may be wondering, why am I hanging out at some  random apartment complex? Well, this apartment

complex isn’t random. It’s where I lived when I  found out that the United States had invaded Iraq.

I was in college at the time. On March  19, 2003, I remember coming home after

a long day at both class and work,  and turning on the TV to see this…

my fellow citizen at this hour  American and Coalition forces

are in the early stages of military  operations to disarm Iraq to free its

people and to defend the world from  grave danger and I saw footage like

this and reports like this it was just over  90 minutes Beyond President Bush's deadline

for Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq that us  warships and planes launched the opening

Salvo of operation Iraqi freedom and I remember  being filled with anger and frustration why was

my government doing this wasn't this  an unjust War well I wasn't the only

one who felt this way we live in a time  where we have a man sending us to war for

fictitious reasons we are against this war  Mr. Bush shame on you Mr Bush shame on you

and anytime you've got the pop and the Dixie  Chicks against you your time is up thank you

But as you could hear from the boos from those  Hollywood actors in the audience at the Oscars,

many Americans thought this war  was JUST. Meaning it was…ok.

So you know my bias, as you should  know my bias, but in this video,

I’m going to try very hard to IGNORE  my bias to tell the story of one of

the most controversial wars in  American history, The Iraq War.

-Causes of the Iraq War- It’s 1998. The country of Iraq is headed by a

ruthless dictator named Saddam Hussein. A ruthless  dictator infamously known for killing as many

as 250,000 of his own citizens, sometimes using  chemical weapons to do so. A ruthless dictator who

had invaded a smaller country to the south in what  became known as The Persian Gulf War. (sing) I got

a video about that! Yeah, Hussein was not a  nice dude, and by 1998, the United States was

actively supporting efforts to remove him from  power. Heck, the United States Congress even

passed a law that President Bill Clinton signed  (Iraq Liberation Act) calling for just that.

After the United States accused Hussein of  developing weapons of mass destruction and

after he refused to let the United Nations look  for them, Clinton ordered Operation Desert Fox,

which led to the American military  dropping bombs on approximately 100

military sites around Iraq, killing  or wounding as many as 1400 Iraqis.

Flash forward to September 11, 2001, the  day of the deadliest attack on American

soil and the deadliest terrorist attack in world  history ever. I made a whole video about 9/11,

as it’s more commonly called, but the gist of  it is that terrorists associated with al-Qaeda

hijacked four planes with the goal of crashing  them into four prominent American buildings.

They crashed two into the World Trade  Center and one into the Pentagon,

ultimately killing nearly 3,000 people. In an  attempt to hunt down those responsible for 9/11,

the United States government invaded Afghanistan  and fought a war there for 20 years. But it wasn’t

just Afghanistan that the United States sent  troops. Oh no. With the Authorization for Use

of Military Force, Congress gave President George  W. Bush the power to fight terrorism ALL OVER THE

WORLD. In fact, the country has been fighting  the so-called “War on Terrorism” ever since.

So what does 9/11 have to  do with Iraq? Well nothing.

But MANY in the Bush Administration wanted to  link the two. In fact, they had been looking for

an excuse to invade Iraq for YEARS, and perhaps  9/11 was their chance. One of the loudest voices

to link 9/11 with Saddam Hussein was a dude named  Paul Wolfowitz, who served as the U.S. Deputy

Secretary of Defense at the time. He argued that  Hussein was helping terrorists around the world,

and basically said that taking HIM out would  go far in ending terrorism around the world.

Wolfowitz even compared Hussein to the head  of a snake. “It’s almost like cutting off the

head of the snake, and the rest of the body  will go.” It wasn’t just Wolfowitz. His boss,

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, also  was hoping this new War on Terrorism would

give them a chance to take out Hussein. He began  going around telling the press stuff like this:

they weaponized chemical weapons we know that  they've had an active program to develop nuclear

weapons they uh it's also clear that they are  actively developing biological weapons I don't

know what other kinds of weapons would fall under  the rubric of weapons of mass destruction but but

if there are more I suspect they're working on  them as well even though I don't have to know

what they are in this the big thing that was  there was the weapon of mass destruction issue

and he had agreed and the UN had agreed that  they would he would not have a wmd program we

know he does have one and he is continuing it soon  Vice President Dick Cheney was sounding the alarm

about Hussein simply stated there is no doubt that  Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction

there is no doubt that he is amassing them to  use them against our friends against our allies

and against us oh there was plenty of Doubt but  sheney also was really wanting to go to war with

Iraq and finally the president himself was now  sounding the alarm about Hussein pleading his

case to the American people directly I take the  fact that he develops weapons of mass destruction

very seriously I remember the fact that he has  invaded two countries before I know for a fact

that he's poisoned his own people the regime  must allow witnesses to its illegal activities

to be interviewed outside of the country these  Witnesses must be free to bring their entire

families with them so they're beyond the reach  of Saddam Hussein's Terror Saddam Hussein's

torture Saddam Hussein's murder in addition to  declaring and destroying all of its weapons of

mass destruction C Iraq in accordance with un  Security Council demands must end its support

for terrorism heck as early as January 29th  2002 during his State of the Union Address

he was talking trash Iraq continues to flaun its  hostility toward America and to support Terror the

Iraqi regime has plotted to develop Anthrax and  nerve gas and nuclear weapons for over a decade

I mean it’s no surprise, really,

that President Bush wanted to take out Saddam  Hussein. Bush had hated Hussein for years,

especially after Hussein threatened and possibly  even planned to kill his dad, George Bush, Sr.

Anyway, and just so we’re clear here…even though  they had absolutely no evidence to back this up,

the Bush administration just kept arguing that  Hussein not only had weapons of mass destruction,

but was giving these weapons of mass destruction  to terrorists to attack the United States again.

Well, this fear mongering  freaked Americans out, for sure.

Including members of Congress. Intelligence reports show that

Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his  chemical and biological weapon stock his

missile delivery capability and  his nuclear program he has also

given Aid comfort and Sanctuary to  terrorists including Al-Qaeda members

In October 2002, Congress passed the Authorization  of Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution,

which said that President Bush could send  troops into Iraq to take out Hussein’s

government if needed. That said, the  law also “encouraged” diplomacy first,

saying that the Bush administration  should work with the United Nations

to see if Hussein would hand over weapons of  mass destruction before invading. It’s worth

noting that most Americans wanted diplomacy  to be continued before any kind of invasion.

Still, the British government and even the  United States Department of Defense found

hardly any evidence of the development  of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

At this point, there’s quite a bit of evidence  that shows Bush was gonna invade Iraq whether

his administration found weapons of  mass destruction there or not. Still,

it’d be nice to at least get the United  Nations on board with it, amirite?

In November 2002, the United Nations  sent weapons inspectors to Iraq but

they ultimately never found any, even  after around 700 inspections, man.

And yet, on February 5, 2003, the  well-respected Secretary of State,

Colin Powell, who also happened to be  a general during the Persian Gulf War,

made his case for invading Iraq to  the United Nations Security Council.

The facts and Iraq's Behavior show that  Saddam Hussein and his regime are concealing

their efforts to produce more weapons of mass  destruction Saddam Hussein has no compunction

about using them again against his neighbors  and against his own people and we have sources

who tell us that he recently has authorized  his field commanders to use them he wouldn't

be passing out the orders if he didn't  have the weapons or the intent to use them

However, Hans Blix, the dude in charge  of the weapons inspections of Iraq,

accused Powell and the entire Bush  administration, for that matter,

of beating the war drums without sufficient  evidence. The CIA even investigated Blix in

an apparent attempt to undermine him since  he was hurting support for an invasion.

By March, even though UN inspections were still  ongoing and despite the fact that anti-war

protests were building around the world,  the United States prepared for an invasion

anyway. Many of the world’s most powerful  countries were against an invasion. Still,

the Bush administration was able to put together  a multi-national force of at least 48 countries to

help them overthrow Hussein. Together, they were  known as a “coalition of the willing.” In reality,

most of these countries had little power and  would contribute little to the war effort. Indeed,

unlike the Persian Gulf War that happened just  over 12 years prior, this was mainly a unilateral

effort. Sure, the United Kingdom helped out  quite a bit, but this invasion would mainly

just be by American forces. Heck, even the pope  was like, “yo dudes you sure you want to do this?”

Regardless, what became known as  Operation Iraqi Freedom began on

March 19, 2003 when the United  States began bombing Baghdad,

Iraq’s capital. Two days later, American  and British troops invaded southern Iraq.

-What went down in the Iraq War- The invasion of Iraq lasted just over a month.

As I said like a minute ago, it started  with airstrikes on Iraqi military bases

and the Presidential Palace in Baghdad. It was a  surprise attack. There was no declaration of war

or anything like that. According to Tommy  Franks, the general who led the invasion,

Operation Iraqi Freedom had eight goals: Taking out Saddam Hussein

Finding and getting rid of Iraq’s  supposed weapons of mass destruction

Looking for and getting rid  of terrorists in the country

Well that could, uh…take a while, couldn’t it?

Gathering intelligence to  destroy global terrorist networks

Gathering intelligence to find weapons  of mass destruction around the world

Ending sanctions and getting humanitarian  support to Iraqi citizens presumably hurt

under Hussein’s control Securing Iraq’s oil fields

Ok ok ok. I know what’ you’re thinking, but Franks  said that American troops would secure this oil

for the Iraqi people…(shrugs) I don’t know And finally…

Helping the Iraqi people transition  to a representative democracy

Approximately 160,000 troops, again mostly  American and British troops, landed in

southern Iraq beginning on March 21, 2003. They  met little resistance. Only Hussein’s most loyal

supporters fought back, many of them fighting back  in Basra. Still, the Americans and British fairly

easily defeated them and soon worked their way  northwest, up through the Tigris-Euphrates river

system toward Baghdad, skipping over areas  where resistance was stronger. By April 4,

American forces had taken over Baghdad’s  international airport. Iraq’s Republican

Guard defended Baghdad, but its defense was very  disorganized. American forces bombarded and raided

the city in what became known as the Battle of  Baghdad. By April 9, American soldiers had already

taken control of the city. Kurdish fighters from  the north helped the Ameicans capture the northern

Iraqi cities of Kirkuk and Mosul by April 11.  And finally, Saddam’s home city of Tikrīt fell

on April 13. Isolated groups of soldiers loyal to  Hussein continued to fight in the following days,

but by the end of the month the United States had  controlled basically most of Iraq. The initial

invasion cost the lives of nearly 13,000  Iraqis and just 172 coalition soldiers.

On May 1, 2003, President Bush made  his now infamous, televised “Mission

Accomplished speech” aboard the USS Abraham  Lincoln, just off the coast of San Diego. In

case you were wondering, San Diego is on  the opposite side of the world as Iraq.

major combat operations in Iraq have ended in  the Battle of Iraq the United States and our

allies have [Applause] prevailed now I know  this speech has become a meme at this point

you know it basically comes up anytime anyone  declares Victory too early in a crisis but it's

worth noting that bush also said the following  in this speech we have difficult work to do in

Iraq and boy was that an understatement little  did Bush know that this war would go on for

the next 8 years meanwhile Saddam Hussein  and his inner circle had gone into hiding

we thought the war was over and we celebrated and  we'd won the war eaten ice cream and I thought

they would hate us but they didn't you know  they didn't start hating us until we stayed

If the coalition forces had just left on May  1st, perhaps this war wouldn’t have been so

controversial. One Gallup poll found that 79%  of Americans thought the war had been justified,

with or WITHOUT clear evidence  of weapons of mass destruction.

And yet, the Americans stayed…the  insurgency portion of the war had now begun.

An insurgent is a person who revolts against  a government or authority. Soon after Bush

declared victory on May 1, 2003, the first, armed  insurgents began to attack American soldiers. In

the beginning, these insurgents were just Saddam  Hussein loyalists refusing to surrender. However,

soon the insurgents were Islamist extremists  seeing the overthrow of Hussein as an opportunity

to create an Islamist government. Oh hey  speaking of Hussein, American forces were

soon closing in on him. They had killed his  sons Uday and Qusay in a shootout in Mosul,

as well as killed or captured at least 300 of his  top leaders in his government. On December 13,

2003, they found Hussein hiding on a farm  just outside Tikrit. He surrendered and

the new Iraqi government found him guilty  of crimes against humanity and sentenced

him to death by hanging. You can watch the  footage of it online. I’m not even joking.

Anyway, even though American forces had captured  Hussein, insurgency was on the rise, and now

many of the insurgents were Iraqis mad about the  occupying forces refusing to leave. Kidnappings,

murders, car bombs, suicide bombings, and highway  blasts caused by improvised explosive devices,

or IEDs, became much more common and increasingly  put the lives of American soldiers at risk. Things

got worse in April 2004, when word got out about  American soldiers torturing Iraqi prisoners at

Abu Ghraib prison. This led to a flood of Islamist  militants into Baghdad. And talk about bad timing.

This all went down when the American military  was trying to prop up a new Iraqi government.

Meanwhile, the Iraq War hadn’t hurt President

Bush’s popularity too much…yet.  He’d win re-election in 2004.

But if Americans knew how bad the war  would get over the next two years,

he likely would not have gotten re-elected.

In 2005, millions of Iraqis voted  to draft a new constitution and

vote for new representatives and a  president. But uh…that didn’t go so

well. Sunnis boycotted the elections,  resulting in the Shiites gaining power.

Oh wait, you may not know  what the words “Sunni” and

“Shiite” mean. Oh crap. I guess I’d  better explain what they mean, eh?

Sunni Islam is just a branch of Islam, the  largest branch of Islam, as a matter of fact.

Shia Islam is the second-largest branch. Iraq  is unique in that the country has a fairly even

divide between Shiites and Sunnis within its  borders. One big development during the Iraq

War was actually a smaller conflict within  a bigger one- radicalized Iraqi Shiites and

Iraqi Sunnis began attacking each other. Sunnis  accused Shitte leaders of killing Sunni leaders

and blowing up bombs in Sunni neighborhoods.  Sunnis retaliated, and the cycle of violence

spiraled out of control, especially after the  bombing of the al-Askari Shrine on February 22,

2006. At one point Baghdad became so violent  that it averaged around 33 deaths a day.

Most of the violence, though, was based  in the Sunni-dominated areas of Iraq,

particularly in the provinces of Al Anbar and  Saladin. By the end of 2006, all of this violence

and destruction had led to the displacement  of hundreds of thousands of ordinary Iraqis.

One spot where insurgents were  particularly active during the

Iraq War was Ramadi, in the Al Anbar province.

For six months in 2006, American forces fought  al-Qaeda in the city in what became known as the

Battle of Ramadi. Uhhh yeah. You heard that right.  Al-Qaeda. One particularly crazy development that

happened during the war was al-Qaeda showing up to  Iraq for the first time. Yep. They weren’t there

before, and no links were ever found between  the Hussein regime and al-Qaeda, but after the

overthrow of the Hussein regime and after American  occupation not only are they there but they be

recruiting. Oh, and THEY also now had Saddam’s  old chemical weapons from back in the day.

Now that al-Qaeda was actually  IN Iraq, President Bush was like,

well uh…maybe we should send MORE troops eh?

And that’s exactly what happened. In January  2007, Bush announced plans for a Surge. No, not

the soda pop. A surge, as in a quick increase in  the number of American troops in Iraq to restore

security there. He sent 30,000 additional troops  and extended deployments by 3 months. Well, 2007

ended up being the deadliest year for American  forces since 2004, but stability did follow and

insurgent attacks went down afterward, though it’s  not clear if it was because of the surge or not.

On February 10, 2007, General David Petraeus  took over as leader of the coalition forces. His

leadership had been one of the few success stories  during the war, much of it centered around his

focus on rebuilding the country’s infrastructure  and redirecting funding directly to Iraqis.

Still, by 2008, most Americans  were done with this war.

Polls now showed that a clear majority of  Americans were against it and wanted the

troops home. And not only did the war  hurt the popularity of George W. Bush,

but it hurt the popularity of the entire  Republican Party. Barack Obama won the

presidential election of 2008, in fact, promising  to end the Iraq War. That said, around that time,

the Iraqi parliament had already established  a timetable to withdraw American forces. In

February 2009, the newly-elected President  Obama said all American combat forces would

be out of Iraq by August 31, 2010. Well,  this happened two weeks ahead of schedule.

I am announcing that the American combat  mission in Iraq has ended operation Iraqi

freedom is over and the Iraqi people now have lead  responsibility for the security of their country

That said, around 50,000 American soldiers

remained in Iraq to help with the  Iraqi military fully taking over.

By that time, the whistleblower media organization  WikiLeaks had released footage of what became

known as the July 12, 2007 Baghdad airstrike. The  video, which WikiLeaks called Collateral Murder,

showed American troops aboard an Apache  helicopter firing on and killing journalists

and other civilians. This footage, as well  as 400,000 secret American military documents

from the war released by WikiLeaks later on that  year, further turned Americans against the war.

In October 2011, President Obama announced  that the last 39,000 American soldiers in

Iraq would leave the country by the end of 2011.

And I wish that was the end  of the story, but it’s not.

You see, almost as soon as American troops left,  a power vacuum happened and insurgency once

again went on the rise in Iraq. Sunni extremists  stepped up attacks against the Shiite majority,

and soon many of them teamed up  with Islamist extremists in Syria,

a country bordering Iraq to the north  which had its own civil war going on.

Well, long story short, this all  ultimately led to ANOTHER FREAKING WAR.

That’s right. The Iraq War led to the War in Iraq.

By December 30, 2013, the insurgency had turned  into all-out guerrilla warfare all across western

Iraq with the rise of the Islamic State, aka  the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant,

aka the Islamic State of Iraq and  Syria, aka ISIS. By the end of 2015,

ISIS controlled an area where millions  of Iraqis lived. The Iraqi government

eventually defeated them by 2019, but only  after coalition forces returned to aid them.

In fact, today, and I bet you didn’t know this,

there are still around 2,500 American soldiers  stationed in Iraq to assist Iraqi soldiers there.

-The legacy of the Iraq War-

By most accounts, the Iraq War was a disaster.

Likely at least a million people died directly  because of it. It led to the displacement of

millions of Iraqis. It cost TRILLIONS of dollars.  Not billions. TRILLIONS. It led to one of the

biggest humanitarian crises in modern history,  and today the Iraqis are still recovering from

its devastation, although, to be fair, things  are WAY better there than they used to be.

Similar to the Vietnam War  which happened 30 years prior,

The Iraq War further eroded American trust  in their government. Today most of us view

it as an unnecessary war…a war that just  made things worse for everyone involved.

By invading and conquering Iraq in 2003 and  then occupying it for nine years after that,

the United States ended up destabilizing  not only the entire country, but the entire

freaking region. Before the war, there was no  proven connection between the Iraqi government

and al-Qaeda. And yet, this war was so  disastrous that it literally…ironically,

you could say…CAUSED al-Qaeda to take  over major parts of Iraq. Holy crap.

The Iraq War hurt the international  reputation of not only the United

States but also the United Kingdom. It  hurt global efforts to fight terrorism.

Heck, the Iraq War made the majority of  Americans sick of wars in general. After that,

when the American government tried to drum  up support for war in a foreign country in

the name of “spreading democracy” or “nation  building,” most Americans just didn’t fall

for it anymore. And not just Democrats. I’d  argue that just as many Republicans today

say the Iraq War was a mistake as Democrats,  as demonstrated by the rise of Donald Trump,

who has made no secret of his  dissatisfaction with that war.

But perhaps that’s one silver  lining of the Iraq War. Before it,

we were just more likely to fall for  an unjust war. After it, we weren’t.

In 2003, when I lived in these apartments, I was  young and an idiot. (turning to look back) But

even back then I knew this war was unjust.  Ok well, for the record I’m still an idiot.

Obviously, I left a lot out, and as always, I  encourage you to research The Iraq War further.

I’ve listed some sources in the description.  Again, I’m biased. I lived during the Iraq War.

I have family and friends who were actually  IN the Iraq War. Obviously I’m gonna have

an opinion about it. Anyway, I did the best I  could. I appreciate you watching. Bye bye now.

Bye bye