• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Ex-US official: Iraq invasion "unqualified disaster"

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

London, March 24, IRNA -- The 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq was a “mistake and unqualified disaster” the consequences of which continues to the present time, a former US Department of State official said.

Delivering a speech in the “Post-American Iraq” conference in London’s Chatham House on Wednesday, Rachel Schneller said that the United States is continuing its military presence in Iraq pushing the country into an “unqualified disaster”.

"Has the situation in Iraq improved after the invasion? It is not a clear “yes” because the US is still in Iraq. Some 100,000 American soldiers are still in the country while 1,100 people are working in the US Embassy in Iraq, alongside some 200 police trainers stationed there,” she said, adding that the US is in Iraq to stay for a long time.

Referring to the positive developments after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Schneller said the country is not more isolated and is largely engaged in economic and political integration in the world community.

She said the people in Iraq have been provided with better educational opportunities as Iraq has the “biggest educational exchange” with the US in the Middle East.

Touching upon the negative impacts of the occupation of Iraq by the United States and Britain, Schneller said the US legacy in Iraq is an “unqualified disaster”.

“The problem of refugees and internally-displaced Iraqis and increasing extremism and violence created in Iraq under a security vacuum after 2003 are the negative impacts of the US occupation”, she said.

According to Schneller, half a million Iraqi refugees have fled to Syria, 160,000 to Jordan and more than 150,000 to other Middle Eastern countries such as Lebanon and Egypt.

“Some 1.5 million Iraqis were internally displaced as a result of occupation, 1.3 million of whom are living in camps with no proper access to health and educational services,” she said, adding that Iraq has the biggest infant mortality in the region.

The former US Department of State official said the invasion of Iraq occurred “on false pretences as there were no weapons of mass destruction.”

“Besides, the UN was not behind us in invading Iraq. It was a mistake [to attack] because it was not in the interests of the American people.”

Referring to the “large unemployment” rate and “ethnic violence” after 2003, Schneller said that the US-led invasion of Iraq “culturally alone is a tragedy”.

She said the next few months are “very critical” for the political future of Iraq when the new Iraqi government is formed.

333**345**1420

End News / IRNA / News Code 1023417