Home Reports Two Decades of Turmoil: Iraq’s Journey Since the American Invasion

Two Decades of Turmoil: Iraq’s Journey Since the American Invasion

Basil Al Sayed
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Two Decades of Turmoil: Iraq’s Journey Since the American Invasion
Iraq

Watan-Iraq has experienced many impactful events, problems, and crises since the American invasion 21 years ago until today. The invasion that began on March 20, 2003, was a pivotal event that reshaped the region.

Iraqis remember scenes of the entry of US forces into the heart of the capital Baghdad on April 9, 2003, after about 3 weeks of intense bombing and unequal battles.

During that period and until today, Iraq has witnessed a whirlwind of chaos, looting, destruction, instability, and the control of Iranian militias over the state, governing all its aspects from ministries and security agencies to the judiciary, which now operates according to the whims of Iran and its militias.

The US forces used shock-and-awe tactics, scorched-earth policies, and deadly weapons like phosphorus in their brutal war against Iraq, preceded by a suffocating siege and comprehensive economic warfare.

The casualties of the American invasion

The British scientific journal “The Lancet” estimated in a report released in 2006 that the number of Iraqi casualties reached about 655,000, while the US military only acknowledges killing 77,000 Iraqis, including 63,000 civilians.

All of this pales in comparison to the psychological losses suffered by Iraqis, as the war shattered the psyche of citizens, troubled by the loss of their homeland and the uncertainty of the future.

Since that period until today, Iraq has been under the control of the US military, with Iran and its militias intervening, turning the country into a new Iranian province, characterized by numerous sectarian brigades and the exploitation of religious influence, using ISIS as a pretext, a manufactured intelligence organization that is no secret to anyone.

Post-American Invasion Milestones in Iraq

Among the decisions that followed the American invasion and were taken by the interim coalition authority under Washington’s control was the dissolution of the Iraqi army and the military and security institutions associated with it, ordered by US civil administrator Paul Bremer on May 23, 2003.

In an attempt to distract Iraqis from the heinous crimes committed, the United States supported the fierce sectarian war between 2006 and 2008, which erupted following the bombing of the shrines of the two Imams in Samarra.

Tens of thousands of Iraqis, both Sunnis and Shiites, fell victim to this war, with Iran and the United States being the worst parties, as both exploited religious influence to achieve common interests, such as distracting Iraqis from the main enemy and turning Iraq into a factory for Iranian sectarian militias.

The milestones that Iraq has witnessed since then are reminiscent of the repercussions of the chaos created by the American invasion, which have resulted in increased poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, and informal housing.

Widespread Protests

On October 1, 2019, the largest wave of protests erupted in Baghdad and the central and southern provinces, protesting the deteriorating economic conditions, the spread of financial and administrative corruption, and unemployment, with the protesters demanding the overthrow of the ruling regime.

Thousands expressed their frustration with Iran’s intervention in all aspects of power, with militia interference reaching the point of controlling judicial decisions, which no longer have any significant independence.

Observers affirm that the events and crises that have swept Iraq can be described as a summary of the American-Iranian chaos in the region over the past 20 years, aiming to distract the region from foreign occupations in Palestine, Yemen, and Syria, and plundering the wealth of those countries in plain sight of their peoples.

The American invasion 21 years ago was a gateway to making Iraq a hotbed for terrorist groups and militias, allowing foreign interventions in the region, most notably neighboring Syria.

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