Five years ago today the United States invaded Iraq.
In that time, four thousand American soldiers have died.
In that time, countless Iraqis have died. Some of the casualty estimates I’ve seen are appalling.
Despite a speech proclaiming that “major combat operations in Iraq have ended” six weeks after the start of the war, there appears to be no end in sight.
The masterminds behind 9/11 were not caught.
No weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq.
The threat of terrorism has likely increased, rather than decreased.
Billions of dollars that could have been spent improving schools, fixing roads, improving our quality of life, etc., were instead poured down the drain in the desert.
Among the President’s many shifting rationales for the war, one was that he wanted to bring peace and stability to the Middle-East. The irony, of course, is that the Middle-East was stable prior to March 19, 2003 (even if there was a dictator ruling Iraq), and since the invasion Iraq has been anything but stable.
The war was a mistake five years ago. Intelligence was manipulated to present the best-possible spin, the best-possible case. Reports from foreign heads of state make it clear that the President had decided on an invasion of Iraq long before March, 2003, and the American government went through the motions of working with the United Nations only to cover itself in the eyes of the international community. There was no urgent need for military action. There was never a need for military action.
Our next President will bring this insane war to a close and withdraw American forces. The current President is too intractable to ever admit to a mistake, and he holds too dearly to his belief that history will ultimately vindicate him.
Five years ago today the United States invaded Iraq.
It should never have happened.