Iraq War 2003 Explained | Why Bush and Blair attacked Saddam Hussein

British Soldiers Invade Iraq in 2003

This video discusses the reasons behind the invasion of Iraq by British soldiers in 2003. The main reason was the fear that Saddam Hussein, Iraq's dictator, had weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and could provide them to terrorists.

The Cause of the Iraq War

• The cause of the Iraq war can be traced back to the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States.

• The fear of international terrorism led to concerns about WMDs being used in future attacks.

• President George Bush declared an "Axis of evil arming to threaten the peace of the world" and sought to disarm these regimes.

• Saddam Hussein was seen as a threat due to his track record of using chemical and biological weapons against his own population and during the Iran-Iraq war.

History Leading Up to Invasion

• After invading Kuwait in 1990, an international coalition led by George Bush's father pushed Saddam back into Iraq, imposed strict sanctions, and introduced UN weapon inspectors who began disarming Iraq of its WMDs.

• Successive U.S Presidents decided against removing Saddam from power until after NATO invaded Afghanistan in 2001.

• By this point, President George Bush had already decided to take action against Iraq but needed allies. The UK became their natural choice.

Conclusion

The invasion took place on March 24th, 2003 with Royal Marine Commandos capturing Basra within a month while American forces took Baghdad. However, no WMDs were found in Iraq leading many people to question whether or not it was worth going to war over.

The Legal Basis for War in Iraq

This section discusses the legal basis for war in Iraq and how the UK pursued any means necessary to ensure that Iraq is disarmed of weapons of mass destruction.

Legal Case for War

• The UK couldn't form a legal case for war in Iraq based on regime change.

• The legal basis for war in Iraq was to pursue any means necessary to ensure that Iraq is disarmed of weapons of mass destruction.

Disarming Iraq Peacefully

• The UK's preferred means of disarming Iraq was through the United Nations, using sanctions and weapons inspectors.

• In November 2002, the UN passed Resolution 1441 giving Saddam one last chance to give up his weapons of mass destruction.

Belief That Saddam Had WMDs

• Throughout the 90s, UN weapons inspectors ensured that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction disappeared.

• Saddam's lack of transparency on this issue allowed nations to see whatever they wanted to see in his actions with intelligence reports simply used to confirm pre-existing beliefs.

Building a Coalition for Military Action

This section discusses how different countries were divided into two main camps regarding military action against Iraq.

Two Main Camps

• There are two main camps: Spain, Britain, and United States who are working to build a coalition to support military action and France, Germany, and Russia who are opposed to military action.

• These negotiations went on right up until the invasion basically like 48 hours before.

Tipping Point

• What eventually tipped the scales was the weather.

• George Bush issued a final ultimatum to Saddam Hussein on the 17th of March.

The Invasion and Impact of the Iraq War

This section discusses how the invasion began, its initial success, and how it impacted military interventions.

Beginning of Invasion

• On the 20th of March, the invasion began with these Royal Marines some of the first to set foot on Iraqi soil.

• At first, the invasion was a huge success, with British troops taking Basra while the main force moved on to Baghdad.

Impact of Iraq War

• The Iraq war is one of the most controversial wars since 9/11 unquestionably.

• The Iraq war has had a massive impact on how military interventions are perceived.