On this day in history, March 19th, 2003, the United States and coalition forces invade Iraq and start the Iraq War. This would not be the first time however as the United States had attacked Iraq previously in 1990 in what was known as Operation Desert Storm or the Gulf War. In this instance, the United States was defending and liberating a small Arab state known as Kuwait. In 2003 however, the United States and coalition forces invaded Iraq primarily for human rights reasons and the apparent threat that Saddam Hussein, leader of Iraq, possessed weapons of mass destruction such as chemical, biological, and even nuclear weapons.

The war began with a devastating American air campaign in which much of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad was devasted with minimal losses. One-sided victories would continue for the United States and coalition forces. In fact, the Iraq War was one of the most lopsided victories for the United States. Notorious events such as the Battle of 73 Easting and the Highway of Death cemented the United States as a seemingly invincible foe in warfare. Eventually, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein would be found hiding in a hole. The United States turned him over to Iraq, and soon after he was hung by his own people.

After the complete destruction of Iraqi forces, the United States would be stuck in a brutal insurgency for years to come. There is much more that is controversial about the conflict however. First off, it was never proven that Saddam Hussein even had weapons of mass destruction in the first place. This being one of the main reasons for the invasion has enraged many. Not only this, but the toppling of the Hussein regime in Iraq massively destabilized not only Iraq but the Middle East as a whole and can be cited as one of the main reasons for the rise of ISIS.

Cites:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/did-the-iraq-war-bring-the-arab-spring

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_the_Iraq_War

https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/smart-facts/what-isis-what-you-need-know-about-islamic-state-iraq-n859996