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US Soldiers in Iraq–A New Battle

After the battle mission accomplished but a new battle begins for the soldiers who have seen action in Iraq. This time the battle is more difficult than fighting the enemies on air and land. Soldiers are faced with horrific brain and mental injuries aside from healing from gunshot and shrapnel wounds. Worst they have to face the fact that one or two of their limbs are gone. The hardest part after the battle is battling with one self which creates devastating and permanent effects not only physically but emotionally as well.

Just like the soldiers from Vietnam, Iraq soldiers suffer from unusual high rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that becomes their life – long battle. TBI symptoms include loss of memory, difficulty with attention and reasoning, headaches, anxiety, irritability, confusion and depression.

In spite of the decreased death rate in war brain injuries had shoot real high among soldiers coming in from Iraq. Most of the symptoms are not detected until the soldier goes home and his family starts noticing that something is wrong. The battle becomes a nerve wracking battle not only for the soldier but for his whole family. Counseling and rehabilitation takes time to bring back the soldiers to their usual self.

Post – traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is also very high among returning troops. Most of the symptoms are similar to brain injury. Other symptoms include feelings of detachment and isolation as well as poor concentration and memory, depression, insomnia, flashbacks including headaches, gastrointestinal complaints and problems with their immune system. Soldiers who suffer from psychological disorders have high rates of alcohol and drug abuse and some even end up committing suicide.

Yes, the soldiers are very well screened when they come in and they are screened well when they leave but when they come back from the war you’d be surprised why they end up taking their own lives when they are not supposed to do so. Most suicide and psychological disorders are partly because of the brutality of the US – led occupation. Most soldiers who have enlisted themselves in the army comes from the working class and poor families who looks at the army as way of getting themselves educated and a job.

The hard truth is that most of the young people who are deployed to the war are given a series of outrageous lies which have violated several international law fundamentals. These young people are ordered to intimidate and terrorized Iraqi people and also to crash any kind of resistance in relation to the occupation. Killing and brutalizing Iraqi people had stimulated guilt, shame and serious psychological issues among many of the soldiers.

Most of the soldiers upon returning home carry all these and end up taking their own lives and most cases have risen from the guilt they carry within them after the war.

The government have not shown enough support to these soldiers after they have shown the support they were ask of to give their country. Treatment from military establishments had proven to be inadequate. The people in the higher echelons should know that these types of psychological trauma frequently needs months of expensive, extensive and intensive rehabilitation, long – term drug therapy including psychological counseling. Facilities available for returning soldiers are not well funded and are overstretched to their own breaking point. Awards and citations will not cure these soldiers.

Worst, army psychologist are pressured to place back their patients out in the field at the soonest possible time while less than half of the soldiers do not seek treatment and are in denial because of fear in damaging their careers.

Another issue is that most officials leave many of the families unaware and unprepared in dealing with the PSTD condition of their husbands, sons and daughters.

Tens of thousands of young people are being used as cannon meals in Iraq and no one is taking responsibility for their sufferings including the criminals at the White House who have caused all the aggressions of war and maintaining an indefinite occupation of Iraq.

The government should be more appreciative of these soldiers and give them the support they need in return for the support they have given in the service of their country. If they don’t they well deserve to be called criminals much worse than the war they have gotten themselves into because of their own political interests.

US Government Treatment of the First Gulf War Veterans

What has the Operation Desert Storm brought to American soldiers after supporting the government in pushing out the Iraqi troops out of Kuwait? The government was never able to topple down Saddam Hussein and he continued to remain in power. After all the hard work from American servicemen and women nothing really came about with the war.

What the war had achieved are the 159,705 injured or ill veterans and 10,617 veterans who died of combat related injuries or illnesses since the Gulf War during August 1990. Another group of 5,884 casualties from the start of the second Gulf War came next.

Most of the veterans who went on active duty knew that they will be coming home either dead or alive or wounded. They know, too that it is part of their job.

Two months ago some veterans were interviewed and they chose not to be identified because they said that it is the government and they know what the government is capable of doing. It is best for them to keep their identity.

Report says that one soldier went to the Veterans Administration to ask for help for combat – related injuries but was turned down because of missing records. The strange part is all his medical records when he was in the states or at the time he was in the country were all there. For everything that had happened outside the country, his records were not there.

This story is no longer new to the Veterans Administration as they have heard similar complaints before. The shocking truth is that the Department of the Army had issued a letter after the Operation Desert Storm which had never been made public wherein units were ordered to destroy all their records. Furthermore it says that there is no room to ship all the paperwork back in the states. It also says that it was in direct contradiction of the Army regulations.

The letter was shown to one of the regional directors of the Disabled American Veterans and was surprised that the units were ordered to do that and putting it into writing is more surprising. Considering the number of soldiers who would need help after the Gulf War means not only hundreds but thousands of them.

Yes, they were welcomed with cheers from people unlike the Vietnam soldiers who were not welcomed when they came back. But, is this the price they have to pay for the gallantry and valor they have shown? The regional director says there should be backups to the destroyed records at the Persian Gulf. But several years later when soldiers started claiming their medical benefits, it was discovered that all records below the brigade level are no longer there as stated on the Army’s letter. The director agreed that some could have been destroyed.

There are files that show records that the veterans had served when they come to the Veterans Administration to seek help but they are being turned down because their medical records can’t be found.

One Gulf War veteran who served in the Army for 20 years as an Army ranger for the 82nd Airborne Division had been denied help because his medical records are gone. Come to think of this man had made 125 parachute jumps, loss his hearing and had an ankle and back injury and this is what he gets in return.

What is disturbing is that the Department of Defense sent this soldier a letter saying that he and others in his unit were in an area that could have been possibly exposed to nerve agents and that he should not worry about any ill effects.

These men placed their lives on the line and all the military could say is it is never going to affect them after being exposed to a nerve agent. Is this how the government or the nation will treat them? Turn their backs on them when they come home with injuries from keeping their country safe but when they were well and able they sent them to war?

Isn’t it time for the government to wake up from their sleep and stop thinking of their interests? Everyone has to do their job and these men had done theirs, now it is your time to do that part of your job. Treat them well and don’t just call them heroes of the country. More than the medals and awards this is the time they need your help and understand what they have been through and what they are going through. Do not let their efforts die in vain and be deaf to their pleading.

The Effects of War to a Family –Tim and Laura Kahlor’s Story

Tim and Laura Kahlor have fought a series of adjustments that may either seem strange or familiar to military families. Tim felt that it all part of joke when his doctor prescribed him with anti–depressants to help him cope with his son’s illness. He and his wife have become opposed to war because until now they are still being inhabited with their son’s physical and emotional breakdown.

Tim’s patriotism arose after the 9/11 terrorist attacks but turned against war after their son Ryan complained about his first tour having an ineffective body armor and poorly armored vehicles. Laura his wife had blamed the war for their son’s condition and they just wished that they never allowed Ryan to enlist in the army.

For the past several months, both husband and wife are still bitter while their son floated and at the same time are pleading with both the military for an effective post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Ryan. Tim felt guilty for helping his son get into the military driving him to the local Army recruiting office to sign up after the 9/11. They were proud of their son’s determination in serving his country.

But when Army Sergeant Ryan Kahlor returned home from two combats tours in Iraq he was never the same again. He had a detached retina, a ruptured disc, headaches, memory lapses, and numbness in his arms. Fluid seeped from his ears and was diagnosed of PTSD and traumatic brain injury. He was violent and suicidal and carries a gun wherever he goes. Turned to alcohol and drank until he falls asleep. Ryan cut himself, burned his skin with cigarettes and bit his tongue and watched it bleed.

Tim recalls telephoning and writing the Pentagon and Congress about shortage on equipments of soldiers in Iraq when Ryan wrote them about it. Laura sent her son a hand–held GPS device because the military’s devices kept on failing.

All the support on Ryan’s military career went down the drain when their son came back a stranger. Tim knew that he had to do something about it and have to focus on his son’s deteriorating mental and physical condition. He talks about the delays on treatment because Ryan was placed on desk duty and seeing his son unable to perform simple work because of his brain injuries and violent outburst is something that is hard to bear.

Both Tim and Laura were faced with the pain of seeing a son that is no longer himself and they both know that they need to be strong for him to get through his mental and psychological condition. This is the time they need to be stronger for their son and their family. They helped and pushed Ryan get into treatment and supported him all the way.

Now, Ryan had gotten better and plans to go to university and quit the Army. If Tim and Laura didn’t hold on to their son’s well being, Ryan could have been one of those soldiers who committed suicide because of the trauma he had experience in war.

The US is known to be a powerful country but it is shameful to know that their soldiers lack equipments considering that they are risking their lives for their country. What happened to Tim’s letter to the Pentagon? Did they notice it? How can America expect his soldiers to win the battle if their soldiers lack the equipment they need?

How many more Tim and Laura, wives and husbands who have to go through an ordeal that they have never experience before. Yes, the war is cruel but you need to be tougher to face its aftermath and the government had to be more helpful and supportive of their soldiers when they get home. They should not keep them waiting because these soldiers didn’t let them wait when they called on them.

The Call of the Generals – The Respect Due to the Military

Getting into war needs to be well – planned. Most army officials who have been into a series of battles in their careers have been risking their lives in defense of freedom yet it seems that people who have not been to battle knows better than them.

Lieutenant General John Riggs was force to retire and allegations has it that that his demotion was politically motivated by allowing contractors outside to do unauthorized work. Apparently, Gen. Riggs was forced to retire as a result of his contradiction of the US government position regarding the troop strength that needs to be sent to Iraq and Afghanistan for support. The troop size was too small compared to the ones sent earlier.

Back in 2006, Gen. Riggs is one among the retired generals of the US military that had come out calling for the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld, US Secretary of Defense because of the way he was handling the Iraq War.

The generals have a lot of things to say to Rumsfeld. According to General Swannack, he does not believe that Rumsfeld is the right person to fight the war because of his complete failure in managing the war against Saddam. General Riggs said on public radio that he had brainwashed the civilian administrators of the war with a culture of insolence needing the military advices only when it satisfies their agenda.

An array of generals who have been in service for decades have been calling out to people at the Pentagon because the soldiers in Iraq are still paying for their mistakes with their blood. Three special operations had been sent to contain Iraq. The Operation Desert Storm, Operation Desert Fox and now the Iraqi Operation Freedom and two of which have failed to capture Saddam Hussein and allowed him to stay in power. The last one was a war where soldiers are sent undermanned and had resulted to more casualties than the first two operations.

Rumsfeld is not the only person who had made mistakes. There are more people like him that will follow suit. There will be more bloodshed that will come. Unless people at the higher echelons will start listening to more experience military men nothing will happen. The country will be haunted by the ghosts it had created. Soldiers will continue to die and get wounded. Worst, their country is an ungrateful country that relies on its public image. They only know their soldiers when they need them. When they return home, they do not take care of them.

Just look at the soldiers who came from their Vietnam tour. It was not their choice to be deployed in Vietnam. Yet, they served in the war for their country. When they got home they were not welcomed by the people or the nation they believed they had served. They were treated as if they were criminals who went out there killing people. And those who have been vocal about their opinions had become controversial.

The soldiers sent to Iraq are far better. They were welcomed when they came back after the first and the second operation but were these missions really successful with Saddam still at large? How many more need to die with a war that do not belong to them?

With Iraqi Operation Freedom, finally Saddam was toppled down at the expense of more deaths and wounded. It had been eight years since the campaign had started and still deaths and wounded soldiers are piling up. What more do the country need from Iraq to continue risking the lives of their soldiers?

Jessica Lynch – The Lies and the Truth

The real story about Jessica Lynch abduction and rescue had raised a lot of questions and criticisms. The coverage of her rescue is too good to be true and was seen worldwide. It was like seeing a scene from the movie instead of real dangerous mission in capturing a captive. Is it the media or is the government who made Jessica Lynch a hero? These are the things that are valued by the Pentagon and the military.

The Jessica Lynch story is about an American soldier whose troop was ambushed after making a wrong turn in Iraq. Some of her comrades were killed and taken as prisoners like her. But according to the story, she was full of stab wounds and bullet holes and was left off in an Iraqi hospital where she was held for eight days by dangerous Iraqi guards, abused and raped. Then comes the most exciting part, the rescue team all composed of US Army Rangers and Navy Seals. A real treat in an action packed movie except it didn’t happen that way.

The truth, Lynch does not remember anything. You will learn from the statement of nurses and doctors that the fedayeen guards had left the day before the rescue and that Jessica was not abused and there was no danger or resistance of any kind. In short, the US forces can just walk in and they knew it.

The hospital doors were open and doctors and nurses have provided decent care for Jessica and even tried to return her to the US forces themselves. She has no knife wounds or bullet holes on her body as the US claims. All she had were a few broken bones. The dramatic and violent rescue was nothing but fake but America bought it because it was on TV.

The hard truth is, this is how the government does their politics and fabricate history. This is how they create patriotism by simply relying on PR. They care more about their image on TV with a faked rescue at the expense of a sound judgment. The people are consumed with the idea that the US will not do anything wrong and that the TV will not lie.

Then months later, Jessica started speaking publicly and was very critical about what really happened and said she was used to symbolize all those heroic acts. She denied about her heroine status and was not ready to take credit for something she had never done. She also denied of fighting her captors and it had been hard for her to convince people that it was not her who made all those stories.

Jessica was a good story to make because she does not remember anything. All she remembers after the ambushed was she was down on her knees praying. She further said that she was well treated in Iraq and remembers one person singing to her to make her feel at home.

The real Jessica is that courageous girl who served her country well by going to Iraq when she was called for. But the government made a puppet out of her to ease them of the violence and bloodshed they have created among hundreds of dead citizens making them more dangerous than Saddam or Osama.

The truth behind the lies is that the Pentagon cares more about the power they portray as people around the world see them. They don’t care who they step on or who they use to get what they want.

Hero or a Victim – Shoshana Johnson

Is Shoshan Johnson a hero or a victim of racism? A lot of critics have accused the military including the media of racism because of their attention was more focused on Jessica Lynch a white woman compared to Johnson who is black.

Talking about heroism, who is more of a hero Johnson or Lynch? Both have been victims of the Nasiriyah Incident. One lost her memory and one was shot and kept as a prisoner. However, Lynch got a million dollar book deal and more disability payments from the military than what Johnson had received. A few people have said that racism had long been a standing issue in the military but heroes are not made the way they it made Jessica Lynch. Heroes are born and it knows no color.

Specialist Shoshana Nyree Johnson entered the JROTC program at the Andress High School. She did not plan a military career but joined the US Army in 1988 September after dropping out from the university. While serving her second military service in February 2003 at the Fort Bliss, Texas she received orders that she will be deployed to Iraq as Quartermaster Corps Food Service Specialist assigned to the 507th Maintenance Company. And she enlisted with the duty of preparing meals and had no intentions of going into combat. Her main company’s duty was to supply mechanics for the repair of Patriot missiles house at the post.

After one month of being assigned in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Johnson’s convoy was ambushed by Iraqi troops when their convoy took a wrong turn on March 23, 2003 in the city of Nasiriyah.

Nasiriyah is known for bitter fighting and a crucial crossing point of the Euphrates River. Johnson was shot on her ankle with a bullet that injured both of her legs and was one among the dozen soldiers who was captured.

Johnson was rescued together with six other prisoners on April 13, 2003 after subsequent raids done by the United States Marines in the city of Samarra. They returned to the United States on April 16 and were given a heroes’ welcome. They were recognized by the US Army for their courage, valor and service and were awarded several awards.

Specialist Shoshana Nyree Johnson is the first black female to be taken as a prisoner of war in the whole history of the United States military. She left US Army on December 12, 2003 on a Temporary Disability Honorable Discharge. She was awarded the Purple Heart Medal, Prisoner of War Medal and a Bronze Star for her service in Iraq including other awards and recognition for her braveness and service to the country.

A hero can be a lot of things. There are heroes who do not go in combat or in war but still they are considered heroes because of what they have done in the service of their country and other people. Shoshana Johnson is a hero in her own right but whether she was a victim of racism or not only Johnson can tell.

Shoshana Johnson’s book I’m Still Standing: From Captive U.S. Soldier to Free Citizen—My Journey Home was released on February 2, 2010.

From Cook to Gunner – The Suicide of Josh Barber

Josh Barber enlisted in the Army in 1999 and was assigned as a cook and his main job involves cooking for his fellow soldiers and he excelled. His fellow soldiers were impressed with his skills and loved his cooking.

Come 2004, Josh arrived in Iraq in support of Iraqi Operation Freedom but upon arriving in Iraq he was no longer assigned to cook. Cooking was awarded to outside contractors and he was suddenly assigned at the front and became a Humvee gunner and manned an observation tower at the base security along the Syrian border.

Josh went back home in 2005 after his tour in Iraq. The usual happy man who loves food and the outdoors was never the same again. He left active duty in 2006 for the Army Reserve and got a temporary job as a cook at the Madigan Army Medical Center dining facility in Fort Lewis, Washington.

But Barber’s record shows he didn’t leave for active duty instead he was forced out of the Reserve after being diagnose of depression which was “non-duty related.” According to his wife, his plea to be retained and transferred for psychological care into one of the Warrior Transition Units was never answered. In fact, Barber does not have any history of mental health problems before enlisting in the Army according to the Veterans Affairs psychologist.

Upon his return, life for Josh started to unravel in different ways and evaluating his wartime ability took more than seven months before he was granted any benefits. So, he has to struggle to be retained as permanent employee before he started getting benefits to be treated for his disability.

One morning, in August 2008 Barber was sitting in his truck wearing his battle fatigue, earplug and a camouflage hood and was equipped with loaded guns and a thousand rounds of ammunition and knives in his pockets. He parked his truck outside the Madigan Army Medical Center. And Josh Barber took his life that day with a shot in the head.

Josh Barber is not the only one who had the experience to smell death and he was not also the only one felt alienated with his post – traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In fact many soldiers are suffering from it and most of them who have PTSD are crippled with it just like what Barber has gone through. The real issue why many suicide cases are not being avoided and are on the rise is because of the Army’s failure to treat it.

Josh Barber’s suicide meant something and this had gone unnoticed. How many more Josh Barbers have to kill themselves before the government starts listening? There are more soldiers out there who have ended killing themselves after coming back from combat and all the government can think about is meeting their security plans in Iraq.

More soldiers are without limbs and suffering traumatic brain injuries. Whatever they have become after the war is all because they were pushed to do something that is beyond the call of duty. The government should not start turning their backs on them and should be supportive of them the way they supported their government.

Operation Desert Fox – Reserving the Right to Strike Iraq

Operation Desert Fox is just like its predecessor Operation Desert Storm and the only thing that was accomplished was to prove the power of American airpower. It was a strike of hope against hope. Saddam Hussein in spite of the brutal force employed by the US and UK was still in power. In a nutshell, the Hussein regime did not collapse but continued to reign.

There are more questions than answers why the United States and its allies failed to find considerable weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq, why? Only 13 targets were associated with the chemical and biological weapons and 35 targets were Iraq’s air defence system. The main core of Operation Desert Fox is not about the destruction of WMD it is the Iraqi regime itself which consists of the palace strongholds and their supporting cast of secret police including the guard and transport organizations. This makes up of the 49 of the 100 target list. There was no evidence that WMD were hit if they ever existed. And beyond the physical damage done, Iraq still remained a threat to its neighbours and the interest of the United States and its allies.

What actually did Desert Fox accomplish, a more belligerent Iraq that fragmented the coalition of the 1991 Gulf War that later led to the rise of the Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 with or without the 9/11. The continuity of the US and Britain reserves the right to strike on Iraq in the future legally or illegally, with or without the UN Security Council approval.

Overall, Desert Fox is a misapplication and abuse of airpower that kept Saddam in power and made him think that Desert Fox was the worst he could expect from the military pressure of the Western World. And only the fall of Baghdad in the upcoming Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 ended the threat from Saddam but it carried more criticisms and protests. More people strived to prevent it but Washington and its allies closed their doors to any of the diplomatic negotiations sent to them.

Operation Desert Storm may have been inevitable but coming up with another war did not really improved the situation or did it accomplish anything. Iraq who agreed for the inspection of sensitive sites stopped cooperating with the UN because the US itself provoked Iraq to non – compliance which was later confirmed by the United Nations Special Commissions department inspector. It was a way to provide the US war planners to justify the war.

What kind of war are we fighting for, war against weapons of mass destruction or war against global terrorism? What is it in Iraq that the US and Britain cannot let go of? Does Iraq deserve to have three strikes in a row? Do more people need to die with wars that are uncalled for just to prove one’s power?

Is the US getting into another war that it can’t win just like what happened in Vietnam where most of its soldiers were not welcome when they returned home?

Operation Desert Storm – Placing the Air Land Battle Doctrine

Driving Iraq forces out of Kuwait or Operation Desert Storm was the first real war after the post – Cold War period. Commonly called the Gulf War, it still has the intricacies and military lessons that had been affecting the policies today. The only thing that resulted from Operation Desert Storm was the establishment of the Aril Land Battle Doctrine. It did not result into anything more positive less it created an unfriendly and ungrateful Iraqi nation.

If the U.S had stuck it out with Hussein ten years ago, it could have created a free and friendly Iraq considering the history between the two countries. It was the U.S. who helped Iraq to succeed in their war against Iran as well as in starting their biological weapons program in the early 1980s together with Britain. The history between the two countries goes back wherein the U.S had been supporting Iraq if it had dealt with Hussein earlier it could have stopped more casualties of war.

Operation Desert Storm proved only two things. One, that the Air Land Battle is an effective way in winning the war and two, Bust might have delayed dealing with Hussein and Iraq for President George W. Bush, his son to be obliged to carry out.

The Air Land Battle doctrine had developed for a number of years against the Soviet Army in Central Europe and it worked logically during the Desert Storm. The fierce maneuvering of land and air forces had devastated the Iraqi forces and that led them out of Kuwait.

Desert Storm saw the first accurate use of munitions by taking out specific targets which was an indication of things to come. It was also an example of a war that was fought with limited goals that allowed the retreating Iraqi forces to escape back to Iraq. It has shown no serious planning of following the Iraqis to their country and carrying out a regime change.

The older Bush was contented that Iraq will remain weakened and did not want to take the headache of conquering Iraq and dissolve the Hussein regime and commit in building a nation to establish the first democracy in the Arab world.

Remembering Operation Desert Storm, it looks like it was not a wise choice because over the years of no – fly zones and all other moves seemed to have been senseless in striking at Hussein and failing to kill him. Come to think of it, even without the Arab allies, who would be discouraged in invading another Arab country considering the American – led coalition is more than twice the force used in liberating Iraq during the Operation Iraqi freedom.

Dealing with Hussein after the Operation Desert Storm may not have stopped the 9/11 or the rise of the al – Qaeda but it would have solved one problem out of the way and might have resulted in gaining a valuable ally.

After the Desert Storm there were no real changes in the Middle East and war still continues within most of its countries.

American soldiers who were proud to serve their country had suffered the consequences of war with the Iraqis and until now they continue to suffer the devastating effects of all these Operations from Operation Desert Storm until the Operation Iraqi freedom. Parents, wives and relatives suffered the loss of sons and daughters. And for those who are alive, they have to see their husbands and sons deteriorating from the effects of the Iraq War. The government support was not what they have expected just like what happened with the veterans of the Vietnam War.

Iraqi Operation Freedom – The Unheard Voices

The invasion on Iraq had met a lot of criticisms, whether it was legal or illegal everyone has its own point of view but the damage it has done to people especially to soldiers is a part of history that will never be forgotten by families who lost their sons and daughters during the Iraqi Operation Freedom. If only the unheard voices before the invasion were heard there might have been a better way of saving lives instead of wasting them.

Since the occurrence of the 9/11 attack on the US the Bush administration started a massive campaign on Iraq invasion which was agreeable with US key allies in the NATO, others disagreed of the plans. After a considerable debate a resolution was passed by the UN to reopen the weapons inspection on Iraq which Hussein accepted. Inspectors from both from the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) returned to Iraq on February 2003 and found no evidence or any indication of restoration of a nuclear weapons program in Iraq.

In October 2002, the US Congress passed a resolution authorizing the US to use any means to invade Iraq but the Americans favored further diplomacy over invasion after the polls. However, the government engaged in an intensive campaign to market the war to its citizens and the Americans believed that Hussein has weapons of mass destruction and that it has ties with the al – Qaeda. By February 2003, the Americans supported the military action against Hussein.

The US continued its efforts in gaining UN authorization for invading Iraq that brought two opposing conclusion. The opposition to invasion was the largest protest in the human history.

In March 2003 U.S. and its allies started preparing for the invasion. Bush demanded Hussein and his two sons to surrender and leave Iraq within 48 hours but the US began bombing Iraq before the deadline expired. U.S. and its allies started bombing Iraq on March 18, 2003 and unlike the War in Afghanistan, this war had no absolute UN authorization.

Prior to the invasion, a representative of the Iraqi Intelligence contacted the former Central Intelligence Agency Counterterrorism Department head saying that Hussein knew about the campaign linking him to the 9/11 as well as proof that he had weapons of mass destruction. The Iraqi Intelligence representative further said that Hussein and the Iraqis are prepared to satisfy their concerns which the former CIA Counterterrorism Department head reported to senior levels. But, he was told to stand aside. Efforts and offers made by Hussein and the Iraqis were killed by the Bush administration. At that time Hussein was prepared to go into exile if allowed to keep USD$1 billion.

Further attempts to stop the invasions were made from the Egyptian president national security advisor as well as through the Syrian, French, German, and Russian intelligence services but all their efforts were in vain. Until January of 2003, people who have been trying to contact the U.S. were having difficulties. Until they were able to meet have an audience in the person of Hage a Lebanese – American who had been recruited by the department of defense to assist in the War on Terrorism. He was told by the chief of Iraqi intelligence’s foreign operations that Baghdad did not understand why they were being targeted and that they do not have any weapons of mass destruction and offered Washington to send in 2000 FBI agents to confirm this and other offers like petroleum concessions and a suggestion for elections supervised by the UN. Iraq also offered to have over an al – Qaeda agent as a sign of good faith. On February 19, 2003 the report was faxed to the people at the Pentagon but all these were later denied of being received.

Continued efforts to stop the invasion were being made but Washington refused to meet with the concerned people. And the finally the invasion on Iraq was done.

The invasion of the U.S. and British government statements about Iraqi weapons programs and links to terrorist organizations had been discredited. For more than 18 months after the invasion comprehensive inspections were don on Iraq but no weapons of mass destruction were found.

In fact, back in October 2002, a closed session of 75 senators at the senate were told the Iraqi government had a means of delivering biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction through unmanned aerial vehicle or UAV but the truth is Iraq, has no offensive UAV fleet nor it has the ability of placing UAVs on ships. Even the US Air Force agency completely denied that Iraq possess any offensive UAV ability.

All accusations against Iraq or Saddam Hussein were all allegations and until now nothing have not been proven. The invasion on Iraq brought about more than a million of dead people as of 2009 aside from the wounded.

All these lives were wasted for nothing. If only the Bush administration listened and listened to what they have to say it could have save the lives of these people. Worst, until now soldiers assigned in Iraq are still suffering from the war. The US never learned its lesson from the Vietnam War. It has not proven anything until now.