The Iraq War demonstrated hugely misplaced faith in what military force can accomplish. But after 20 years, have any real lessons be learned?
It is easy to conclude that this war never should have been fought. The more useful rumination now, two decades later, is about the danger of a recurrence of the sorts of mistakes that led to this historic blunder. That danger, along several dimensions, is real.Incredible as it may seem given the magnitude and consequences of the Iraq War, the decision to launch it was not preceded by any policy.
The intelligence community had prepared at the request of Congress an estimate on the then-salient issue of possible weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but hardly any members of Congress bothered to look at it. One of the few who did, Florida Sen. Bob Graham, who chaired the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence,from his reading of the estimate that the administration’s case regarding Iraqi weapons was weak. He was one of only 23 senators to vote against the war resolution.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
This Democrat, Republican agree it's time to get Iraq war laws off the booksThis month marks the 20th anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the legal authorization to wage war against Iraq is still on the books today.
Read more »
Senate Dems confident they can repeal Iraq war authorizations — despite absencesSenate absences have complicated an otherwise straightforward vote to kill two decades-old Iraq war authorizations. Advocates still predict it will clear the chamber without too much drama.
Read more »
Senate advances vote to repeal Bush-era war authorizations that led to Gulf War, invasion of IraqThe Senate is advancing a vote to repeal two decades-old Iraq War authorizations as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle push to reclaim congressional war powers 20 years after the last invasion by U.S. troops.
Read more »
Saddam Hussein fell. Then violence in Iraq spiralledWhen U.S.-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003, Adel Amer celebrated what he thought marked the end of two decades of war and isolation. It turned out to be just the beginning of another era of conflict and chaos
Read more »
Legal immigrant who served in Iraq enraged after state allows driver's licenses for illegal immigrantsSomali-born Army veteran argues Minnesota's new law allowing driver's licenses for illegal immigrants is 'absolutely outrageous' after she waited years to obtain hers.
Read more »
The Urbanity of Evil: 20 Years After the US Invasion of IraqVast quantities of lies from top U.S. government officials led up to the Iraq invasion. Now, marking its 20th anniversary, the same media outlets that eagerly boosted those lies are offering retrospectives. Don't expect them to shed light on the most difficult truths, including their own complicit...
Read more »