Remembering March 2003. Like many people, I thought the invasion of Iraq was wrong and likely to have catastophic consequences. But I was staying up nights watching the war live, hoping the Army and the Marines would do alright even though our cause was not just.
In the extended section is a brief look back at the stated objectives of Bush and Rumsfeld, and some interesting links.
"Our nation enters this conflict reluctantly -- yet, our purpose is sure. The people of the United States and our friends and allies will not live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder. We will meet that threat now, with our Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and Marines, so that we do not have to meet it later with armies of fire fighters and police and doctors on the streets of our cities."
President G.W. Bush, 19 March 2003
"Our goal is to defend the American people, and to eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, and to liberate the Iraqi people. Coalition military operations are focused on achieving several specific objectives: to end the regime of Saddam Hussein by striking with force on a scope and scale that makes clear to Iraqis that he and his regime are finished. Next, to identify, isolate and eventually eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, production capabilities, and distribution networks. Third, to search for, capture, drive out terrorists who have found safe harbor in Iraq. Fourth, to collect such intelligence as we can find related to terrorist networks in Iraq and beyond. Fifth, to collect such intelligence as we can find related to the global network of illicit weapons of mass destruction activity. Sixth, to end sanctions and to immediately deliver humanitarian relief, food and medicine to the displaced and to the many needy Iraqi citizens. Seventh, to secure Iraq's oil fields and resources, which belong to the Iraqi people, and which they will need to develop their country after decades of neglect by the Iraqi regime. And last, to help the Iraqi people create the conditions for a rapid transition to a representative self-government that is not a threat to its neighbors and is committed to ensuring the territorial integrity of that country."
Donald Rumsfeld, 21 March 2003
LINKS:
President Bush Addresses the Nation (19 March 2003)
Iraq: the Military Campaign Objectives (20 March 2003) from the U.K.
DOD News Briefing (21 March 2003)
Implications of Attacking Iraq from GlobalSecurity.org
National Strategy for Victory in Iraq
Iraq War from Wikipedia