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American soldiers continue their work in Iraq by preparing Iraqi mortars and rockets to be destroyed.

‘Stories of sadness’ mark three years of Iraqi war

Taney Kurth KUR04001@BYUI.EDU Scroll Staff

Sunday, March 19 marks the three-year anniversary of declaring war in Iraq, yet the American involvement in Iraq pre-dates even the Gulf War.

The United States and Britain have engaged in on-again-off-again air strikes on Iraq for close to 26 years.

The state of Iraq was first put under sanctions in 1991 for violating more than 65 United Nations resolutions.

In the past three years, the official American casualties in Iraq have climbed to 2,301, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

So far, there have been no nuclear weapons found in Iraq, although more than 300 UN weapons inspections have taken place, according to the Department of Defense.

In a recent visit to Iraq, President George W. Bush talked with people who lived under Saddam Hussein’s regime.

“These are folks who have suffered, one way or another, because the tyrant was a law unto himself and was willing to deny people basic human rights,” Bush said. “They are stories of sadness and stories of bravery.”

Immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, Hussein released an official statement.

“America is reaping the thorns planted by its rulers in the world,” he said.

During his reign, Hussein established military training camps for children ages 10 to 15. He also ignored pleas for laws governing child labor, which still persists in some areas of the country.

Widespread reports indicated that food and medical supplies intended for the general public were stockpiled to be used by certain government officials.

“The United States is doing all it can to prevent civil war from breaking out in Iraq, but it’s ultimately up to Iraqis to maintain political ... progress,” Bush said on March 10.