Existing comment:
The War Begins:
On 17 March 2003, President Bush issued an ultimatum to Iraq, demanding the departure of Saddam Hussein and his two sons within 48 hours. On 19 March, the deadline elapsed, and military operations began to depose Saddam Hussein's regime and disarm Iraq. Coalition forces included combat forces principally from the US, UK, and Australia, although many other nations provided different forms of support. The war opened with an air attack intended to eliminate the senior leaders of Iraq, including Saddam Hussein. Ground operations began shortly afterward in response to the Iraqi regime's efforts to sabotage and destroy Iraq's oilfields. The oilfields represented the nation's best chance of economic recovery in the wake of Saddam Hussein. |