The Iraq War: A 15 Year Anniversary

Smoke rises from the Trade Ministry in Baghdad March 20, 2003 after it was hit by a missile during US-led forces attacks. In 2007, four years into the Iraq war, President Bush stared down a Congress in revolt. He bucked public opinion by sending some 30,000 more U.S. soldiers to Baghdad. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
Smoke rises from the Trade Ministry in Baghdad March 20, 2003 after it was hit by a missile during US-led forces attacks. In 2007, four years into the Iraq war, President Bush stared down a Congress in revolt. He bucked public opinion by sending some 30,000 more U.S. soldiers to Baghdad. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
Smoke rises from the Trade Ministry in Baghdad March 20, 2003 after it was hit by a missile during US-led forces attacks. In 2007, four years into the Iraq war, President Bush stared down a Congress in revolt. He bucked public opinion by sending some 30,000 more U.S. soldiers to Baghdad. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
Smoke rises from the Trade Ministry in Baghdad March 20, 2003 after it was hit by a missile during US-led forces attacks. In 2007, four years into the Iraq war, President Bush stared down a Congress in revolt. He bucked public opinion by sending some 30,000 more U.S. soldiers to Baghdad. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

The Iraq War: A 15 Year Anniversary

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It’s been 15 years since the United States invaded Iraq.

The move was based on the premise that weapons of mass destruction (WMD), controlled by the government of Saddam Hussein, posed a threat to the United States. 

Post-9/11 anxieties contributed to initial overwhelming American support for the invasion. Years later, the U.S. still has a presence in the region. No WMDs were ever found in Iraq, and millions have been displaced or killed in the power vacuum left by Saddam Hussein’s absence. 

To discuss, we’re joined by Vince Emanuele, an Iraq war veteran and community organizer.