​Return to Iraq

​Following the Persian Gulf War and Saddam Hussein’s defeat in 1991, the U.S. government came to believe that Iraq had an active nuclear weapons program. Given Hussein’s dislike of the U.S. following the 1991 war, the U.S. demanded that Saddam Hussein dismantle the Iraqi nuclear weapons program. Saddam Hussein refused, saying no such program existed.

​Rumor has it...

​It was rumored that Hussein was developing WMDs (weapons of mass destruction). Because of pressure from the United Nations and the rest of the world, Hussein allowed inspectors from the UN to search Iraq for these weapons. However, some inspectors claimed that Iraq was not fully cooperating with the inspections.

U.S. and British officials threatened to disarm Iraq by force since they felt Iraq was not fully cooperating with the weapons inspectors. President George W. Bush declared Hussein "a great threat in an age of increased terrorism". On March 17th, 2003, President Bush gave Saddam and his top aides 48 hours to leave Iraq or face a military strike. When Hussein and his aides refused to leave, a coalition led by the U.S. and Britain launched air attacks in and around Baghdad on March 19th.

Baghdad Falls

​Almost a month later, Baghdad had fallen and Saddam Hussein and his regime had collapsed. No WMDs were ever found. U.S. forces stayed in Iraq to help rebuild the country and keep peace between the country's religious and ethnic groups. However, violence continues to this very day between Iraq's Sunnis, Shias, and Kurds. These continued conflicts in the nation threatens the democratic government that is currently in place.

​Operation Iraqi Freedom Ends

​Although Saddam Hussein went missing during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom), he was eventually captured and brought to justice in Iraq where he tried, convicted, and executed for his crimes in December 2006.

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​Finally in August 2010, the U.S. declared an end to combat operations in Iraq and American forces were completely withdrawn fthe country by December 2011.