It is now widely accepted that there was no cooperation between Iraq and al-Qaeda in the 9/11 attacks. The commission’s September 11 report confirmed that there was no evidence of collusion between the two.
Another lie was that Iraq was an immediate threat to the United States and that it had weapons of mass destruction. Despite the overwhelming evidence that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction, the US government continued to push this narrative to justify the invasion. The US intelligence community’s pre-war estimates were also flawed and based on unreliable sources, including forged documents.
The third lie was that the United States had evidence that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. This was the argument used to defend the invasion, but after the war it was revealed that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction.
The fourth lie was that the United States had to invade Iraq to protect America. This argument was used to gain public support for the war, but has been widely criticized for its lack of evidence.
The fifth lie was that the United States had the support of the international community for the invasion of Iraq. The United States did not have the support of the UN Security Council, and several countries opposed the invasion.
The sixth lie was that the United States would be welcome as liberators in Iraq. This turned out to be far from the truth, and instead the war led to prolonged violence and insurgency in the country.
The seventh lie was that the US had a post-war plan for Iraq. The lack of proper planning and preparation contributed to the chaos and violence that followed the attack.
The eighth lie was that the United States would not need to use force to bring about regime change in Iraq. This proved false as the US eventually used force to remove Saddam Hussein from power.
The ninth lie was that the Iraq war would be quick and easy. The war lasted more than eight years and resulted in the loss of many lives.
The tenth lie was that the United States would not need to send large numbers of troops to Iraq. The US ended up sending hundreds of thousands of troops to Iraq.
The eleventh lie was that the US military was preparing for war in Iraq. The lack of proper planning and preparation contributed to the chaos and violence that followed the attack.
The twelfth lie was that the United States would not need to spend a lot of money on the Iraq war. The Iraq war cost the US government more than $2 trillion.
The thirteenth lie was that the Iraq war would pay for itself through Iraq’s oil revenues. This was another claim that turned out to be false.
The fourteenth lie was that the US military would be able to secure Iraq’s borders. The US military was unable to secure Iraq’s borders, allowing militants and weapons to flow into the country.
The fifteenth lie was that the US military could prevent sectarian violence in Iraq. The US military was unable to prevent sectarian violence in Iraq, further destabilizing the country.
The sixteenth lie was that the US military could prevent a civil war in Iraq. The Iraqi civil war was one of the biggest consequences of the war.
The seventeenth lie was that the United States would be able to establish a stable, democratic government in Iraq. Iraq’s instability and subsequent sectarian violence made establishing a stable democratic government challenging.
The eighteenth lie was that the Iraq war would make the US safer. Instead, the war increased anti-American sentiment and increased the threat of terrorism.
The nineteenth lie was that the Iraq war would increase stability in the Middle East. The opposite proved true as the war destabilized the region and led to increased violence and instability.
Finally, the twentieth lie was that the US had a moral obligation to invade Iraq. This was the argument used to justify the war, but in hindsight it is clear that the attack was a serious mistake.
In conclusion, the Iraq War was a tragic and costly mistake based on lies and misinformation. The lies used to justify the war have been exposed and it is important to reflect on these lies and learn from them. As we mark the 20th anniversary of the Iraq War, we must continue to hold our leaders accountable and demand transparency and honesty in our foreign policy decisions. We must also work for a world where war is no longer considered a viable solution to conflict, and prioritize diplomacy and peaceful solutions.
Experts and human rights organizations have accused the United States and its allies of war crimes and called for the International Criminal Court to investigate the actions of the United States and its allies during the Iraq war, the lack of jurisdiction over American citizens and the Security Council opinion has prevented the ICC from taking action.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established in 2002 to investigate and prosecute individuals for the most serious international crimes, including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, the International Criminal Court can only exercise jurisdiction over crimes committed by persons from countries that are parties to the Rome Statute that established the ICC.
The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute and has not ratified the treaty, meaning that the ICC has no jurisdiction over US citizens. In addition, the ICC has limited jurisdiction over crimes committed by non-state parties unless the United Nations Security Council refers the matter to the ICC.
One of the most publicized war crimes was the torture and abuse of prisoners held in the United States, including at Abu Ghraib prison. The use of these tactics has been widely condemned as a violation of the Geneva Conventions and international law. In 2014, a Senate report on CIA torture found that the agency engaged in “brutal” and “ineffective” practices that amounted to torture.
Another is the unlawful killings of civilians by US and allied forces, including the “Collateral Murder” video released by Wikileaks in 2007, which showed a US helicopter strike that killed Iraqi civilians, including two Reuters journalists. Meanwhile Julian Assange is in prison for exposing these crimes, the perpetrator of the crimes has never been caught.
In addition, the US-led coalition has been accused of using arbitrary force in civilian areas, resulting in high civilian casualties. Human rights groups have argued that the coalition did not take sufficient steps to protect civilians during the war.
HT
Source: The Nordic Page