USA marks the 20th anniversary of Iraq invasion
The invasion of Iraq in 2003. Photo: AP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The United States commemorates the 20th anniversary of Iraq invasion where thousands of American soldiers were killed.
“The day witnesses honoring nearly 4,500 American soldiers killed in that war. 20 years after the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom, we commemorate all the service members who fought during the operation,” the commander of the US Central Command, Michael Corella, said.
“We honor the memories and legacies of the 4,418 American soldiers killed in that war and care for the families they left behind,” Corella said in a statement, adding that US Central Command soldiers are now serving in Iraq as part of the Joint Task Force, as invited by the Iraqi government.
Corella also noted that the coalition commends its Iraqi partners as they continue to build capabilities during the fight against ISIS.
Earlier, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, commented on the 20th anniversary of the American invasion of Iraq.
“On the 20th anniversary of the fall of the dictatorial regime, we remember the pain and suffering of our people, in those years that were dominated by absurd wars and systematic sabotage, until the moment of change came in 2003, and the people of Iraq became the decision maker,” Al-Sudani stated during his speech in the Baghdad International Dialogue Conference, on Sunday.
“In 2005, masses of Iraqis flocked to the polls in elections defying bombs and suicide terrorist attacks,” Al-Sudani added.
On March 17, 2003, former US President, George W. Bush, issued an ultimatum that his country would take military action if the Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, did not leave Iraq within 48 hours, and on March 19, bombs began to fall on Baghdad, and the next day, the American forces began the land invasion of Iraq.