Iraq War Facts & Worksheets

Let’s find out more about the Iraq War!

In 2003, U.S. President George W. Bush, with the aid of the coalition members, the U.K. Prime Minister Blair Tony, oversaw the invasion of Iraq and the beginning of the conflict. Saddam Hussein, the tyrant accused of supporting terrorist groups and perpetrating heinous acts throughout his control of Iraq, was toppled. Moving to D/Company, the convoy of U.S. Marine Corps [USMC] High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV) were assigned and, during a sandstorm, the 1st Light Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion and 1st Marines Division arrived in Northern Iraq when USMC soldiers were in Iraq to support Operation Iraqi Freedom, several vehicles equipped with Tube-launched Optically-tracked Wire-guided [TOW] missile launchers.

The U.S.- Iraq Relations

• Mesopotamia, has a Greek meaning of land between the rivers, and is the home of countries in Western Asia, one of which is the Republic of Iraq. Before World War II, the American government exhibited a minimal - essential interest in Mesopotamia.
• In 1910s, during the search for business prospects, American oil companies started exploring Mesopotamia.
• In 1928, they obtained a 23.75 per cent stake in the Iraq Petroleum Company (IPC). The IPC found a massive oil field near Kirkuk within a decade and set up a line of wells, pipelines, and production facilities that brought it substantial revenue.
• The American government's involvement in Iraq’s discovery quickly decreased. At that time, President Woodrow Wilson anticipated a liberal post-World War I political system and would offer the right to self-determination to Iraqis and other people of the former Ottoman Empire. Unfortunately, he was unable to share this vision.
• During World War II, when Nazi Germany threatened Baghdad in Iraq of possible political dominance and fears of Soviet expansionism into the Middle East increased in Washington, the United States moved into a closer political alliance with Iraq. As a result, American policymakers became more determined to stop the rise of communism in Iraq.

  

• On 1940s and early 1950s, United States officials worked to stabilise Iraq. To end the first Arab-Israeli war, they assisted in negotiating the disengagement of Iraqi military forces from the Palestinian theatre. They pushed the IPC to raise oil production and give the Iraqi government a higher cut of profits. They sponsored the Iraqi government in military and economic needs. 
• During the period of U.S. President G. W. Bush, he used political connections and financial inducements to persuade Hussein to act and think well during the Kuwait-Iraq War.
• In response to escalating conflicts and Hussein's movement of 100,000 troops to the Kuwaiti border, Bush increased the American naval presence in the Gulf and forbade Hussein from inciting armed conflict.
• Bush continued to cooperate with Hussein despite his horrible record on human rights and foreign policy because he thought that taking severe action may promote Hussein's aggressive behaviour, which the United States sought to stop.
• Bush made the decision to use all necessary means, including military force, to stop Iraq from occupying Kuwait. Additionally, his resolve to oppose Iraqi expansionism led to the development of two strategic initiatives, the first of which focused on military action and the second on deterrence. 

The U.S. and Coalition Group Invasion of Iraq

• The George W. Bush administration consistently suggested Saddam Hussein had ties to Al-Qaeda after the 11 September 2001 incident (also known as 9/11), which left the American public with a negative impression.
• On 15 February 2003, there were anti-war protests across the world which included three million people in Rome and became part of the Guinness Book of Records, considered as the hugest anti-war assembly ever.
• About 36 million people worldwide participated in almost 3,000 anti-Iraq war – marches between 3 January and 12 April 2003, as reported by French professor Dominique Reynié.
• On the beginning of 19 March (in the air) and 20 March 2003 (on the ground), the invasion and devastation in the Republic of Iraq began by the U.S. and the coalition of the willing.

  

• U.S. President gave a speech from the Oval Office and declared the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On the morning of 19 March 2003, when Saddam and his two sons, Uday and Qusay, refused to leave Iraq after 48 hours, the United States and its allies initiated an attack. It started when American aircraft dropped several precision-guided bombs on a bunker complex where the Iraqi ruler thought he was meeting with key officials. 
• Air strikes were launched against the government and military facilities in the following days and the American forces soon invaded Iraq. 

Alleged Weapons of Mass Destruction by Saddam Hussein

• Saddam Hussein allegedly had connections to terrorist organisations, including Al-Qaeda. The top accusations were that Saddam Hussein had used weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in towns like Halabja and was planning to develop more.
• It was especially pertinent in light of Iran and Israel because of two prior attacks on Baghdad Nuclear Weapons Production Sites, which are said to have hindered the creation of new weapons.
• U.S. President George W. Bush and U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair aimed to disarm Iraq from WMD. They also planned to dissuade Saddam from his purported support of terrorism and to free the Iraqi people. The intention was for the oppressed people of Iraq to have a freedom after the war.
• Some steadfast U.S. allies, such as the governments of France, Canada, Germany, and New Zealand, firmly opposed the invasion of Iraq. Their leaders argued and did not support an invasion of Iraq since the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission [UNMOVIC] assessment from 12 February 2003 had no proof of the presence of WMD.
• U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair strongly supported the plan of Bush and claimed that the forced decision for the war was the missed "last opportunity" for Iraq to immediately disarm itself of any purported nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons.

The End of Iraq War 2003

• 01 May 2003, from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, President Bush declared the end of crucial warfare operations in Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld dismissed lawlessness and uncertain violence as the last-ditch efforts of "dead-enders" at the nation.

  

• On 10 April 2003, U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians pulled down the statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad.
• Although the operations ended, Saddam Hussein continued hiding. His two sons, Uday and Qusay, died on 23 July 2003 when U.S. soldiers raided one of their places in the north of Iraq, the City of Mosul.
• After the war ended, until the 14th of  December 2003, Saddam Hussein was found hiding in a manhole. It was nine miles outside his hometown of Tikrit. After years of standing trial, he was executed on 30 December 2006.
• The goal to end the reign of Saddam Hussein was successful. Unfortunately, despite a prolonged search for weapons of mass destruction, which was the reason for the beginning of the invasion, no WMDs were ever found in the Republic of Iraq.

Causes and Consequences of the Invasion in Iraq

• The major goal of the Bush administration was to remove Saddam Hussein from his power. It was to restore international peace, security, and unity of people in a nation.
• The U.S. and other coalition countries wanted to have democracy in Iraq. However, Saddam Hussein made himself an unceasing dictator and lived in war. He was fearsome due to his illegal acts.
• One of the causes of the war was to secure Iraq's oil fields and resources. The U.S. is one of the biggest consumers of oil - it contains a growing demand for it. The Oil and Petroleum Exporting Countries [OPEC] received a proposal to open their fields to foreign investment but resisted. As a result of this, the U.S. and coalition members’ invasion of Iraq determined to take control the oil-resources regions and fields.
• The most significant effects of the invasion were the numerous armed forces and civilian casualties, the destruction of Iraq's healthcare system, loss of capital, destroyed cities, loss of security, war crimes, drastic rises in looting, chaos in people’s lives, and complete reliance on the U.S.
• One of the coalition members was the United Kingdom, which spent £8.4bn on the 2003-2009 Iraq war. 
• The end of the Iraq War 2003 marked the beginning of the democratic and intelligence stages. John Kerry, the Democratic nominee for president of the United States, outlined the possibility of regime changes in Iraq and the American administration.