On March 19, 2003, President George W. Bush officially declared that the United States — along with other countries that shared the same concerns as the United States — would engage in war against the country of Iraq.
In this article, we’ll explain why the United States went to war against Iraq and provide notable details of this important event in history.
Reasons for the Iraq War
The main reason the countries of the coalition forces decided to invade Iraq was to destroy Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction — before they could be used for acts of brutality. President Bush said in 2003, “The dictator of Iraq and his weapons of mass destruction are a threat to the security of free nations. He is a danger to his neighbors. He’s a sponsor of terrorism. He’s an obstacle to progress in the Middle East. For decades he has been the cruel, cruel oppressor of the Iraq people.”
Combat During Invasion of Iraq
The United States had about 150,000 active Soldiers while other members in the coalition had about 25,000 active Soldiers during the Invasion of Iraq. On March 20, 2003, combat began when an American aircraft dropped several bombs on a bunker where Saddam Hussein — the president of Iraq at the time — was believed to have been.
On April 9, 2003, exactly three weeks after the United States announced the war against Iraq, the coalition gained control of Iraq’s capital and largest city — Baghdad. This was a major win for the coalition but was also a major win for the people of Baghdad — who had been prisoners under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein.
Only the Beginning
President George W. Bush announced on May 1st, 2003 that all major combat in the war against Iraq had come to an end. He is quoted saying, “Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.”
The war against Iraq continued for nearly a decade after the end of the Invasion of Iraq and resulted in 4,431 American deaths. The war officially ended in December of 2011.
Final Remarks
At US Patriot Tactical, as we look at events like this in our military’s history, we remember to honor all the sacrifices made and lives lost of all our brave servicemembers that were fighting for our freedom.
