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15 Years After Invading Iraq: Winning the War, But Still Fighting for Peace

U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division 3-7 infantry sqauds take a brief rest break during their move deeper into Iraqi territory March 21, 2003. U.S. and British forces are currently assaulting Iraq from land sea and air in what has been dubbed Operation Iraqi Freedom. (Photo by Scott Nelson/Getty Images)
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Posted: March 18th, 2018

Monday marks 15 years since President George W. Bush announced the start of the Iraq war, followed by a ‘decapitation’ air strike on Baghdad meant to target Saddam Hussein. After a 48-hour deadline for Saddam to leave Iraq expired, ground troops from the U.S., UK, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq from Kuwait, launching a war that lasted from 2003 to 2011.

The Cipher Brief asked its experts in the intelligence, diplomatic and military to assess the war’s impact. Their conversations are adapted for print below.

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Categorized as:Middle East ReportingTagged with:

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