As 250,000 or more of American and British troops move into Iraq under .
operation "Liberating Iraq", it is important to understand how this war came to be,.
and why we are fighting it. It is important for all in America to have at least a general .
understanding why thousands of American men and women are entering a conflict that .
military officials say will entail destruction never seen on this earth.
In 1991 Saddam Hussein and his army invaded Kuwait despite the warnings .
of the United States and the international community. Upon the Iraqi invasion of .
Kuwait, the United States along with it's allies initiated Operation "Desert Storm" .
and liberated Kuwait within forty eight hours. Upon a cease fire with Iraq, their .
government agreed to let United Nations weapons inspectors enter their country.
and "unconditionally accept" the destruction, removal or rendering harmless .
"under international supervision" of all "chemical and biological weapons, all .
stocks of agents, all related subsystems and components and all research, .
development, support and manufacturing facilities." For twelve years Saddam and .
his regime has continued to defy many United Nation Security Council resolutions, .
and has not accounted for weapons of mass destruction that he is known to have.
On November 8th 2002, The UN Security Council unanimously adopted .
Resolution 1441 outlining an enhanced inspection regime for Iraq's .
disarmament to be conducted by the U.N. Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection .
Commission (UNMOVIC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). .
Unfortunately, Saddam Hussein did not disarm Iraq of nuclear, biological, and .
chemical weapons. .
The importance of Saddam Hussein to disarm is apparent in his reign over .
Iraq. He has unleashed chemical and biological weapons on his own people in .
southern and northern Iraq, killing innocent thousands of women and children. He .
has also unleashed these weapons on his neighboring countries, most notably Iran.