Operation Iraqi Freedom
2003 Iraq War (3/20/2003-) is presently the largest war operation in the world, started when a Coalition of the Willing drawn from NATO members including the United Kingdom[1] launched a combat operation against Iraq, with the stated goal of deposing dictator Saddam Hussein, locating Weapons of Mass Destruction programs including "knowhow" to produce WMD and liberating the Iraqi people. Currently the outcome of the war is unknown, and there exists a large debate over topics such as withdrawal of American forces and the role of nations in the region. The Bush administration champions the war as part of the larger U.S. led War on Terrorism, although the topic is up for debate. The Administration has been widely criticized for numerous strategic blunders in the execution of the war, including the failure to have a post-invasion plan.
Iraqi Liberation
The Iraqis welcomed American troops as liberators. Iraqi resistance to the occupation began almost immediately after the invasion in March 2003, and has been consistently overplayed since then. An 'American Enterprise'-'Wall Street Journal'-Zogby poll in September 2003 found that "Iraqis are optimistic. Seven out of 10 say they expect their country and their personal lives will be better five years from now. On both fronts, 32% say things will become much better." [1]. Furthermore, in a March 2004 poll of Iraqis, the BBC found that Iraqis have great hope in a stable, unified government for their country, with 80% of respondents favoring a centralized state ruled form Baghddad. [2] A poll by the IRI in the autumn of 2006 found that 96% of Iraqis condemned the bombing of the mosque in Samarra and 78% of respondents answered that violence is never acceptable.[3]
Iraqi Casualties
Reporting of civilian casualties in the the Iraq war has been subject to a number of distortions involving projected, unconfirmed deaths.[4]. Less than 65,000 Iraqi civilians have died.
Weapons of Mass Destruction
The Iraqi weapons of mass destruction still have not been found. Some believe WMD were smuggled out of the country, possibly to Syria, before the onset of the war. Antiwar liberals insist Saddam Hussein had the country's stockpiles destroyed after the First Gulf War, and that Iraq was at least a decade away from producing more, in spite of evidence to the contrary.