Invading Iraq: Diplomatic, Political, and Military Perspectives

March 3-4, 2023

University of Kansas & Fort Leavenworth

The 20th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq offered the opportunity to look at the inception of the conflict—from the months leading up to the war through the end of 2003—from a historical perspective. This symposium examined the conflict from a variety of angle to answer a diverse set of questions:

• Why did the Bush administration choose to go to war?

• How did the invasion impact the American political landscape?

• How does the invasion of Iraq fit within the larger Global War on Terror?

• What were the diplomatic ramifications of the invasion for the United States on the international stage?

• How well did the coalition work together?

• How did the military achieve its initial mission and defeat the Iraqi military?

• Why and how was that victory lost?

• How did civilian and military leadership interact in the months leading up to and directly following the invasion?

• And lastly, why are the initial months of Operation Iraqi Freedom historically significant?