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Iraq Invasion 12 Years Later: See How Much Has Changed

March 19, 2015 by abcnews.go.com Leave a Comment

— — On March 19, 2003, millions of Americans watched as President George W. Bush announced from the Oval Office that Americans and coalition forces had begun military operations inside Iraq against the regime of Saddam Hussein .

In his speech, the president said the goal would be to “disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger,” and that “we will accept no outcome but victory.”

But 12 years later President Obama has ordered a U.S. military presence back into Iraq to assist with the fight against ISIS , four years after he oversaw the complete withdrawal of all U.S. troops in December 2011.

ABC News took a look back on the past dozen years and the events and players who shaped one of the more divisive and consequential conflicts in recent history.

THEN: At the start of the 2003 military campaign, Saddam Hussein had been president of Iraq for more than two decades after seizing power in a 1979 Ba’athist party coup. When the U.S. “shock and awe” bombing campaign began in March Saddam escaped Baghdad and went into hiding. A month later, Iraqi citizens aided by U.S. troops brought down Hussein’s statue in Baghdad’s Firdos Square that had been erected for his 65th birthday. The toppling of the statue became one of the war’s most iconic images.

From the ABC News Archives: Where Is Saddam Hussein?

In December 2003, U.S. military forces found Hussein near his hometown of Tikrit hiding in a spider hole in the ground below a two-room mud shack on a sheep farm.

NOW: In December 2006, Hussein was executed after being found guilty of crimes against humanity by an Iraqi Tribunal. Now the Associated Press reports that Hussein’s grave, located outside the city of Tikrit, has been nearly destroyed in the ongoing fight between Iraqi forces and ISIS.

Today Haider al-Abadi is Iraq’s prime minister. He returned to Iraq in 2003 after having spent 30 years in exile, and has struggled to hold together sectarian interests and fend off the rapid advancement of ISIS, which currently controls vast swathes of land in the country’s northwestern region including the second-largest city of Mosul.

Haider Al-Abadi: Meet the Iraqi Prime Minister

THEN: 90,000 U.S. service members were involved in the 2003 ground invasion of Iraq. But by 2007 the number of additional American forces rose to 160,000 as President Bush ordered a surge of troops to help quell the sectarian strife that had consumed Iraq. More than 4,400 U.S. service members lost their lives in Iraq, with more than 33,000 wounded. At least 150,000 Iraqi civilians are estimated to have been killed in the conflict between 2003 and 2013.

NOW: After the ground invasion the U.S. disbanded what was one of the Middle East’s largest armies. Disenchanted former soldiers soon joined the ranks of the insurgency, fueling a spiral of violence that dominated the American occupation. Meanwhile the U.S. struggled for years to rebuild a capable military from scratch. By the time all U.S. military forces left in 2011 American military officials were confident that Iraq’s military had been rebuilt into a professional force. But with no security agreement between the two countries, the Army’s skills and professionalism eroded under the government of Prime Minister Maliki as training was reduced and he replaced Sunni commanders with Shiites. Today 2,875 American service members are in Iraq to advise, train and assist Iraq’s military so it can defeat ISIS.

ABC News’ Bob Woodruff on Iraq 10 Years Later

THEN: In 2003, Iran’s presence in Iraq was virtually non-existent.

NOW: The relationship between the two Shiite -majority countries is tighter than it has ever been. Iran has also taken a prominent position in the country’s fight against ISIS, sending 50 to 60 military advisers to Iraq and helping direct the large offensive on the ISIS held city of Tikrit.

Dempsey: U.S. Worries About Iran-Backed Militias in Iraq

THEN: 12 years ago Hussein’s Sunni-led government oppressed the majority Shiite population for decades.

NOW: The end of the Hussein regime brought democratic elections that shifted the balance of power to Shiites. And after being repressed for decades, sectarian divisions developed into full-scale conflict. Sectarian violence, even at its lowest levels, has become a part of daily life inside Iraq. In 2014, the country suffered the highest number of civilian deaths since 2008.

The Cost of War: Iraq By the Numbers

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‘Freudian slip of the century’: George W. Bush accidentally admits to ‘brutal invasion’ of Iraq in Ukraine speech

May 19, 2022 by www.chron.com Leave a Comment

Former President George W. Bush may have just accidentally likened himself to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The 41st president spoke Wednesday night for an event at his presidential center at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, during which he compared Ukrainian leader Volodymr Zelenskyy to former British leader Winston Churchill. He even described Zelenskyy as a “cool little guy.”

However, while referring to Putin and Russia’s attack on Ukraine during the 10-minute speech, the 43rd President of the United States had a regrettable slip of the tongue.

“Political opponents are imprisoned or otherwise eliminated from participating in the electoral process,” Bush said. “The result is an absence of checks and balances in Russia, and the decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq.”

Wincing, Bush quickly correctly himself: “I mean of Ukraine.”

The former president then shrugged and muttered under his breath, “Iraq, too,” which drew a few chuckles. The crowd erupted in laughter when he proceeded to blame the mistake on his age.

“I’m 75,” Bush said.

Speaking in Dallas this afternoon, former President George. W Bush made a significant verbal slip-up while discussing the war in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/tw0VNJzKmE

— Michael Williams (@michaeldamianw) May 19, 2022

Despite Bush’s correction, the damage was already done. A video of his remarks has been viewed more than 18 million times on Twitter as of Thursday morning. Social media users say the mistake is an admission of Bush’s guilty conscience.

Andrew Stroehlein , European media director of Human Rights Watch, called the gaffe the “Freudian slip of the century.” Writer Marisa Kabas also chimed in, tweeting: “If I could tell my 17-year-old self one thing it’s that George W. Bush will admit to unjustly invading Iraq in 17 years.”

if i could tell my 17-year-old self one thing it’s that george w. bush will admit to unjustly invading iraq in 17 years

— Marisa Kabas (@MarisaKabas) May 19, 2022

Actor and comedian John Fugelsang wrote: “George W. Bush didn’t do a Freudian slip. He did a Freudian Confession.”

Others have used the slip to suggest Bush should face war crime charges over the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, which many of his critics have called brutal and unjustified. Some even compared the invasion of Iraq to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Former Ohio Senator Nina Turner tweeted, “George W. Bush just admitted to being a war criminal of the likes of Vladimir Putin, then laughed. Sickening.”

George W. Bush just admitted to being a war criminal of the likes of Vladimir Putin, then laughed.

— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) May 19, 2022

Tech entrepreneur Kim Dotcom wrote, “Finally the mass murdering war criminal, former U.S. President George W. Bush, admits his war crimes.”

Codepink , a women-led anti-war group, tweeted, “I don’t care how many portraits he paints. Nothing will erase the memory of war criminal George W. Bush LAUGHING — yes laughing — about his grievously apt slip of the tongue accidentally referring to the ‘wholly unjustified invasion of Iraq — I mean of Ukraine.”

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AOC calls out Joe Biden for selling the “invasion of Iraq” and being “open to a Republican running mate”

January 22, 2020 by www.newsweek.com Leave a Comment

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took aim at Joe Biden in a Wednesday tweet, criticizing the former vice president for his support of the Iraq War, his record of trying to freeze funding to Social Security and saying he’d be “open to a Republican running mate.”

Biden has come under significant criticism, particularly from fellow presidential hopeful Senator Bernie Sanders and his supporters, for his vote on the resolution that allowed President George W. Bush’s Iraq invasion and Biden’s repeated efforts to curb Social Security funding while in Congress. Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, has repeatedly criticized Biden, even suggesting earlier this month that they shouldn’t be in the same political party.

“I don’t understand why some folks run as if the internet doesn’t exist. Joe Biden helped sell the invasion of Iraq and spent years working to cut social security, Medicare, and Medicaid. He’s open to a Republican running mate,” the progressive congresswoman, who has endorsed Sanders’ campaign, tweeted Wednesday,

“Spin it however you want, but those are the facts,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote, sharing a post by the Vermont senator criticizing Biden on Social Security.

In Sanders’ original tweet, the Vermont senator wrote: “Let’s be honest, Joe. One of us fought for decades to cut Social Security, and one of us didn’t. But don’t take it from me. Take it from you.”

With the post, he shared a video featuring audio of Biden calling for freezing spending on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

The quote featured in the clip was from a 1995 speech Biden made in the Senate. “When I argued that we should freeze federal spending, I meant Social Security as well,” he said at the time. “I meant Medicare and Medicaid. I meant veterans’ benefits. I meant every single solitary thing in the government. And I not only tried it once, I tried it twice, I tried it a third time, and I tried it a fourth time.”

Biden has insisted that his remarks about Social Security have been taken out of context, denying that he ever wanted to cut funding to the programs. He has also promised that he will not support such cuts if elected.

As Ocasio-Cortez noted, Biden also voted in favor of the congressional resolution that led to the Iraq War. “I do not believe this is a rush to war. I believe it is a march to peace and security,” he said at the time. However, when it became clear that Bush would invade the country and not try to resolve tensions with diplomacy, Biden urged the administration to pursue the latter approach.

At the end of last month, Biden said during a town hall in New Hampshire that, if nominated, he would be open to choosing a Republican as his vice president.

“The answer is I would [consider a Republican], but I can’t think of one now,” he said. “There is some really decent Republicans that are out there still, but here’s the problem right now: Of the well-known ones, they’ve got to step up.”

In an interview with New York magazine in early January, Ocasio-Cortez pointed to her strong political differences with the former vice president. “In any other country, Joe Biden and I would not be in the same party, but in America we are,” she said .

Filed Under: Uncategorized U.S., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Democrat, Republican, progressive, Democratic presidential candidate, social security, Iraq war, ..., did joe biden ever run for president, when did joe biden run for president, did joe biden run for president, joe biden running president, what years did joe biden run for president, run joe biden

Bernie Sanders calls out Joe Biden for support of Iraq war: “I did everything I could to prevent that war… Joe saw it differently”

January 14, 2020 by www.newsweek.com Leave a Comment

At the Democratic debate in Des Moines, Iowa Tuesday, Senator Bernie Sanders took former Vice President Joe Biden to task for his support of the war in Iraq during the Bush administration.

Sanders said he never believed what he was told by the Bush administration about the war and made every effort to stop the armed conflict from happening.

“The war in Iraq turned out to be the worst foreign policy blunder in the modern history of this country,” Sanders said. “As Joe well knows, we lost 4,500 brave troops. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died. We have spent trillions of dollars on that endless war, money which should go into health care and education and infrastructure in this country.”

“Joe and I listened to what Dick Cheney and George Bush and [Donald] Rumsfeld had to say,” Sanders continued. “I thought they were lying. I didn’t believe them for a moment.”

“I took to the floor,” Sanders added. “I did everything I could to prevent that war. Joe saw it differently.”

Sanders’ comments came after Biden expressed his view that his vote to authorize military force in Iraq in 2002 was a “mistake.”

“I said 13 years ago it was a mistake to give the president the authority to go to war if, in fact, he couldn’t get inspectors into Iraq to stop what was thought to be the attempt to get a nuclear weapon,” Biden said. “It was a mistake and I acknowledge that.”

Biden said he would only send troops into battle “very, very reluctantly” and then, only for the right reason.

“We should not send anyone anywhere unless the overwhelming vital interests of the United States are at stake,” Biden said. “They were not at stake [in Afghanistan]. They were not at stake in Iraq and it was a mistake in vote. But I think my record overall, on everything we’ve done, I’m ready to compare it to anybody’s on this stage.”

Biden has told reporters that he was in opposition to the Iraq War from its inception, saying that he opposed President George W. Bush’s decisions.

“From the moment ‘shock and awe’ started,” Biden said during the Democratic debate in July 2019, “from that moment I was opposed to the effort and I was outspoken as much as anyone at all in the Congress and the administration.”

Before the decision to invade Iraq was made, Biden was the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In 2002, Biden voted to allow the usage of military force against Iraq.

“It is appalling that after 18 years Joe Biden still refuses to admit he was dead wrong on the Iraq War,” said senior adviser to Bernie Sanders’ campaign Jeff Weaver in a Saturday statement. “Unlike 23 of his Senate colleagues who got it right, Biden made explicitly clear that he was voting for war, and even after the war started, he boasted that he didn’t regret it.”

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Bush condemns ‘unjustified and brutal’ invasion of Iraq, instead of Ukraine, in speech gaffe

May 19, 2022 by abcnews.go.com Leave a Comment

Former President George W. Bush had a tongue-tied moment at a speech on Wednesday and millions on social media took notice.

When condemning Russia’s attack on Ukraine , Bush mistakenly referred to the decision to launch an “unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq” before quickly correcting himself to say “Ukraine,” in what was a bungled criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The result is an absence of checks and balances in Russia, and the decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq,” said Bush, before catching himself and shaking his head. “I mean — of Ukraine.”

Realizing his mistake, Bush then appeared to say under his breath, “Iraq, too.”

MORE: Russia-Ukraine updates: US sanctions Russian military shipbuilder, diamond miner

Bush made the comment in a speech at his presidential center at Southern Methodist University in Dallas on Wednesday during an event examining the future of American elections. After a pause, Bush blamed the mistake on his age and the audience erupted in laughter.

“Anyways, I’m 75,” he added.

But on Twitter, the reaction to Bush’s inadvertent reference to the most polarizing decision of his administration was mixed, as users revived criticism of his decision to invade and sarcastically riffed on his history of such slip-ups .

MORE: Pennsylvania GOP reaps what Trump sows: The Note

Former Rep. Joe Walsh, who ran for the Republican nomination for president in 2020, tweeted as the clip swirled through social media: “All gaffes aside, George W Bush was wrong to invade Iraq. And Putin was wrong to invade Ukraine.”

Another user cracked that “Freud really stepped out of his grave to personally slap the ‘Iraq’ out of Bush’s mouth didn’t he.”

The mixup was widely seen. Since video of Bush’s speech was clipped and tweeted by Dallas News reporter Michael Williams on Wednesday, it has been viewed more than 17 million times.

MORE: Iraq Invasion 12 Years Later: See How Much Has Changed

In his Wednesday remarks, Bush also described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “cool little guy,” deeming him “the [Winston] Churchill of the 21st century.”

As president, Bush oversaw the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 — as part of the post-9/11 conflicts in the Middle East — under the pretext that the country was hiding weapons of mass destruction, or WMDs. Iraq’s dictator, Saddam Hussein, was deposed but no weapons were found, and the war officially lasted for nearly a decade.

While the Bush administration argued the fighting was necessary for national security even without the WMDs, it became increasingly unpopular at home. Thousands of U.S. service members and tens of thousands of civilians died.

Bush wrote in his post-White House memoir that he had a “sickening feeling” when he learned there were no WMDs in Iraq after their supposed existence was used as justification for the invasion. He told ABC News’ “World News Tonight” when leaving office in 2008 that the “biggest regret” of his presidency was what he called the “intelligence failure in Iraq.”

MORE: Bush: ‘I Did Not Compromise My Principles’

When pressed in that interview, Bush declined to “speculate” on whether he would still have gone to war if he knew Iraq didn’t have WMDs. “That is a do-over that I can’t do,” he said.

Nonetheless, he wrote in his memoir, “I strongly believe that removing Saddam from power was the right decision.”

ABC News’ Chris Donovan contributed to this report.

Filed Under: Uncategorized abcnews

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