Consider the following statements regarding the Operation Iraqi Freed...
- On 19 March 2003, the US launched its invasion of Iraq under the codename ‘Operation Iraqi Freedom’.
- More than forty other countries joined in the US-led ‘coalition of the willing’ after the UN refused to give its mandate to the invasion. The ostensible purpose of the invasion was to prevent Iraq from developing weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
- Since no evidence of WMD has been unearthed in Iraq, it is speculated that the invasion was motivated by other objectives, such as controlling Iraqi oil fields and installing a regime friendly to the US. Although the government of Saddam Hussein fell swiftly, the US has not been able to ‘pacify Iraq. Instead, a full-fledged insurgency against US occupation was ignited in Iraq.
- While the US has lost over 3,000 military personnel in the war, Iraqi casualties are very much higher It is conservatively estimated that 50,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed since the US-led invasion.
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Consider the following statements regarding the Operation Iraqi Freed...
Explanation:
1. Purpose of the invasion:
The first statement is correct. The ostensible purpose of the Operation Iraqi Freedom was to prevent Iraq from developing weapons of mass destruction. The US government, under President George W. Bush, claimed that Iraq possessed chemical and biological weapons, as well as was pursuing nuclear weapons, posing a threat to international security. This justification was a major factor in the decision to invade Iraq in 2003.
2. Participation of other countries:
The second statement is also correct. While the United States led the invasion of Iraq, more than forty other countries joined in the operation. These countries provided varying levels of support, including troops, logistical assistance, and political backing. Some of the key allies in the coalition included the United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland. The coalition of countries aimed to overthrow the regime of Saddam Hussein and stabilize Iraq after the invasion.
Therefore, both statements are correct as the Operation Iraqi Freedom was indeed carried out to prevent Iraq from developing weapons of mass destruction, and it involved the participation of more than forty other countries in the military operation.
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