contemplative
The invasion lasted from March 19, 2003 to May 1, 2003, beginning the Iraq War. The invasion lasted for 21 days of major combat operations, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland, invaded Iraq and deposed the Ba'athist government of Saddam Hussein. It concluded with the capture of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad by American forces. The number of troops involved in the invasion from each country were: the United States (148,000), United Kingdom (45,000), Australia (2,000), and Poland (194). In preparation for the invasion, 100,000 U.S. troops were assembled in Kuwait by February 18.
According to President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the coalition mission was "to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein's support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people." Former chief counter-terrorism adviser on the National Security Council Richard A. Clarke later stated that be believed that Bush took office with a predetermined plan to invade Iraq. According to Blair, the trigger was Iraq's failure to take a "final opportunity" to disarm itself of alleged nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons that U.S. and British officials called an immediate and intolerable threat to world peace. In 2005, the Central Intelligence Agency released a report saying that no weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq.
Bush wrote about the decision in his 2010 autobiography entitled Decision Points at pages 252-3:
For months I had solicited advice, listened to a variety of opinions and considered the counterarguments. Some believed we could contain Saddam by keeping the inspectors in Iraq. But I didn't see how. If we were to tell Saddam he had another chance - after declaring this was his last chance - we could shatter our credibility and embolden him.
Others suggested that the threat wasn't as serious as we thought. That was easy for them to say. They weren't responsible for protecting the country. I remembered the shattering pain of 9/11, a surprise attack for which we received no warning. This time we had a warning like a blaring siren. Years of intelligence pointed overwhelmingly to the conclusion that Saddam had WMD. He had used them in the past. He had not met his responsibility to prove their destruction. He had refused to cooperate with the inspectors, even with the threat of an invasion on his doorstep. The only logical conclusion was that he was hiding WMD. And given his support of terror and his sworn hatred of America, there was no way to know where those weapons would end up.
Others alleged that America's only intent was to control Iraq's oil or satisfy Israel. Those theories were false. I was sending our troops into combat to protect the American people.
I knew the cost would be high. But inaction had a cost too. Given everything we knew, allowing Saddam to stay in power would have amounted to an enormous gamble. I would have had to bet that either every major intelligence agency was wrong or that Saddam would have a change of heart. After seeing the horror of 9/11, that was not a chance I was willing to take. Military action was my last resort. But I believed it was necessary...
On Wednesday morning, I convened the entire National Security Council in the Situation Room, where I gave the order to launch Operation Iraqi Freedom.
