War in Iraq

WAR IN IRAQ


Events have moved us into war with Iraq. Iraq needed to disarm and Saddam Hussein needed to be removed from power to have avoided the war. The period from the end of the first Gulf War in 1991 to the beginning of the second Gulf war in 2003 saw continuous military pressure on Iraq by the United States and the United Kingdom. The US-UK launched major air strikes against Iraq on several occasions, as well as deploying threatening forces in Iraq's proximity and operating military air patrols to enforce no-fly zones. In early 2002, the Bush administration announced that it considered Iraq to be part of an axis of evil and threats of a US-led war for regime change got steadily louder throughout the spring and summer. By September, it had become clear that Washington was planning a full-scale invasion, as it won authorization for military action from the US Congress. President Bush had said that the U.S. would unleash war against Iraq unless Saddam Hussein fled his cou...