Casualties were light, most were deemed accidents, and indeed, the accident ratio is in line with most large scale training exercises. Actual fatalities inflicted by foreign forces were minimal. In all aspects, attention was made to minimize long term infrastructure damage, as well as an eye to maintaining health and human services. The shocking fall of any and all forms of government once Saddam lost control was unexpected, and no credible person could be brought forward to 'surrender' Iraq to the coalition forces.
Search and destroy missions were carried out during and after the invasion, finding a hundred thousand tons of munitions and supplies that were not declared by Iraq as required as a condition of the cessation of hostilities from nearly 12 years before. Mass graves were found, detailed records of a regime that was brutal and sadistic, as well as financial records exposing an international web of deceit and evasion.
There ya go. Iraq in a nutshell. Anything after April 9th that was not directly related to investigating crimes committed by the nation of Iraq is just sideshow stuff. I do not belittle the service of our troops, they are there offering assistance to what has become at least a tentative ally. But the war in Iraq ended for all intents and purposes on the 20th day. One can not have a war against a nation that stopped existing.
But MOABITES and NUKEM types can't get that fact through their thick skulls.
Thanks very much for your excellent summary. The objective of the Iraq War was to replace Saddam's regime, and that has happened, so... we won.
All these reports, haggling, etc. are just exercises in politically-motivated goalpost-shifting. Largely irrelevent.
Next significant event is when Saddam hangs.
Thanks again.