This week marks the 20th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Then-President George W. Bush and his British counterpart, Prime Minister Tony Blair, signed off on a war based on the myth that the Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, harbored weapons of mass destruction.
In less than a month, Hussein's government would be overthrown and the country would be plunged into a state of chaos that has lasted decades. Between 2003 and 2019, an estimated 275,000 Iraqi civilians were killed by direct violence stemming from the invasion.
On March 17, 2003, Bush ordered Hussein and his sons to leave Iraq within 48 hours, or the country would be invaded. Two days later, on March 19, Bush declared war with Iraq, stating that it would be a “broad and concerted campaign.”
“Operation Iraqi Freedom” began with an aerial bombardment, in a bid to topple the Iraqi leadership and allow for a ground invasion. The next day, 150,000 troops from the U.S.-led coalition, composed of American, British, Australian and Polish soldiers, marched over the border from Kuwait into Iraq.
The same day, Hussein called on the people of Iraq to take action against the “criminal junior Bush.”
“His criminal act comes from — and the act of those who helped him, and his followers,” Hussein said in a public address. “This is added to the series of their shameful crimes against Iraq and humanity.”
The battle of Nasiriyah began on March 23, as U.S.-led forces pushed towards Baghdad, and it continued until April 2, when the Iraqi resistance was defeated.
By April 9, coalition troops had successfully occupied Baghdad, forcing Hussein into hiding. Images of American soldiers toppling Hussein’s statue in Firdos Square were broadcast around the world. Then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld described the scene at the time as “breathtaking.”
One year later, then-UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan would call the war in Iraq “illegal,” stating that the invasion was not sanctioned by the Security Council.
“From our point of view and from the charter point of view, it was illegal,” Annan told the BBC at the time. The war in Iraq would continue for another seven years.
Affluent Americans may want to double-check how much of their bank deposits are protected by government-backed insurance. The rules governing trust accounts just changed.
Teams have made their big splashes in free agency and made their draft picks, it's time for you to do the same. It's fantasy football mock draft time. Some call this time of year best ball season, others know it's an opportunity to get a leg up on your competition for when you have to draft in August. The staff at Yahoo Fantasy did their first mock draft of the 2024 season to help you with the latter. Matt Harmon and Andy Behrens are here to break it all down by each round and crush some staff members in the process.
Former NBA guard Darius Morris has died at the age of 33. He played for five teams during his four NBA seasons. Morris played college basketball at Michigan.
With free agency and the draft behind us, what 32 teams look like today will likely be what they look like Week 1 and beyond for the 2024 season. Matt Harmon and Scott Pianowski reveal the post-draft fantasy power rankings. The duo break down the rankings in six tiers: Elite offensive ecosystems, teams on the cusp of being complete mixed bag ecosystems, offensive ecosystems with something to prove, offenses that could go either way, and offenses that are best to stay away from in fantasy.
It’s key to note that we’re not saying the “best team” or “best roster.” Instead, we’re talking about the best confluence of factors that can outline a path for survival and then success.
In the most anticlimactic way possible, Nintendo on Tuesday confirmed years of rumors: The Nintendo Switch 2 console is on the way. "We will make an announcement about the successor to Nintendo Switch within this fiscal year," wrote Shuntaro Furukawa, the president of Nintendo, on X. Rather, Furukawa wanted to warn users not to expect the actual announcement in next month's Nintendo Direct livestream.
An annual government report offered a glimmer of good news for Social Security and a jolt of good news for Medicare even as both programs continue to be on pace to run dry next decade.
The 2023-024 NBA season isn't yet over. A number of teams are still dreaming of championship glory. But for those that have been bounced from the playoffs, it's time to reassess and re-evaluate for next season.