War in Iraq

A conflict beginning with the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and continuing through the subsequent occupation and insurgency.

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2003 invasion of Iraq: The U.S.-led military operation that overthrew Saddam Hussein’s government in March and April 2003. It began the conflict and rapidly toppled Iraq’s Ba'athist government.
Saddam Hussein: The Iraqi political leader who ruled the country from 1979 until the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. His government was the target of the invasion and the central subject of U.S. threat claims.
Tony Blair: The British prime minister who committed the United Kingdom to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He was the principal foreign partner of George W. Bush in the invasion coalition.
De-Ba'athification: The removal of Ba'ath Party members from public employment and political life in post-2003 Iraq. The occupation authority’s policy excluded many former officials and disrupted state institutions.
Gulf War: The 1990–1991 conflict that expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait after Iraq’s invasion of that country. It was a separate war against Iraq, more than a decade before the 2003 invasion.
Coalition Provisional Authority: The U.S.-led occupation authority that governed Iraq from April 2003 until June 2004. Its decisions shaped the early occupation and the conditions for armed resistance.
Iraq disarmament crisis: The international dispute over Iraq’s weapons programs and compliance with post-1991 disarmament obligations. Disputes over weapons inspections and compliance featured prominently in the case for war.
Paul Bremer: The American diplomat who led the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq from 2003 to 2004. His administration issued measures that reshaped Iraq’s state and security institutions.
Dissolution of the Iraqi Army: The Coalition Provisional Authority’s 2003 order disbanding Iraq’s armed forces and security agencies. The decision left many armed, unemployed former soldiers outside the new political order.
Iran–Iraq War: The 1980–1988 war between Iraq and Iran, fought over borders and regional power. It was a distinct earlier conflict under Saddam Hussein, not part of the post-2003 war.