Facts About Iraq War

 How Iraq War Started

The Iraq War (2003) began when the United States and its allies invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003, overthrowing Saddam Hussein's government.

The Iraq War started because the U.S. and UK believed Iraq had hidden weapons of mass destruction and supported terrorism — claims that were later disproven — and chose to invade without final UN approval.

How many country went to war with Iraq

United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Poland, Denmark, Spain, others versus Iraq alone.

Many other countries publicly supported the war (about 49 nations in the "Coalition of the Willing"), they offered political support, use of airspace, bases, or small troops later during the occupation.

The invasion did not have explicit authorization from the UN Security Council. The US and UK argued that existing UN resolutions, particularly those concerning Iraq's weapons programs, provided the legal basis for military action, while many other countries and international lawyers disputed that interpretation.

How Long Did It Take?

Saddam's government was completely defeated in about 1½ months, but the war was not actually over. 

After the regime fell, the Iraqi people and insurgents began fighting the occupying forces. This dragged on for so many years. Total length: 8 years, 8 months.

What Happened After The War Ended

After the war ended, Iraq was ruled directly by the U.S. for about 14 months, then slowly gained back power while foreign armies stayed. 

By the time troops left in 2011, Iraq became almost fully independent — it governs itself — but the U.S. still kept strong influence. 

Iraq was not turned into a U.S. colony, but it also did not become completely free from foreign influence.

What's The Purpose of Attacking Iraq

We all know that no weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) existed in Iraq in 2003. The U.S. and UK made claims that were later proven completely wrong. 

Investigations found that 8 senior Bush administration officials made at least 935 false statements leading up to the war — repeatedly claiming Iraq had WMDs and links to al-Qaeda, when intelligence agencies already knew those claims were unproven or false.

The WMD claim was the excuse, not the reason. The real purpose was to seize control of Iraq's massive oil reserves, install a government loyal to Washington, and show the world America's military power after 9/11. 

Iraq holds the world's 3rd or 4th largest proven oil reserves — roughly 112 billion barrels.

Control of Iraqi oil meant the U.S. could secure cheap oil for itself and its allies, control global oil prices, keep the petrodollar system (oil traded only in U.S. dollars) — which gives America enormous financial power.

The U.S. government knew or suspected there were no active WMD programs — but used that fear to convince the American people and the world to support a war they had already decided to fight.

After The War, Did The U.S. "absorb" or take ownership of Iraq's oil fields

The oil legally remained Iraq's property. However, the U.S. gained enormous financial control over Iraq's oil money — and Western companies got preferred access — but in the end, China actually won the biggest contracts, which was NOT what the U.S. planned.

On May 2003, UN Resolution 1483 ordered ALL Iraqi oil revenues deposited into the Development Fund for Iraq, held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. This meant Iraq could not fully access its own money without U.S. oversight. 5% was automatically deducted as reparations to Kuwait. This arrangement gave Washington enormous financial leverage over Iraq — but the money was officially still Iraq's.

In 2009–2010, Iraq auctioned oil field contracts openly. BP (UK) and ExxonMobil (US) won major deals — BUT, Rumaila field (largest): BP (38%) + China's CNPC (37%) → Chinese company almost equal share. West Qurna field: ExxonMobil teamed up with China's PetroChina. Many other fields went to Russian, Malaysian, and especially Chinese companies.

In 2009, CNPC jointly won the bid for the super-giant Rumaila oil field—but they won it alongside Britain's BP, not alone. In the following years, Chinese companies (CNPC, Sinopec, CNOOC) successfully bid on other major fields like Halfaya and West Qurna-1.

By the 2010s, Chinese companies became the largest foreign operators in Iraq, not American ones.

American companies were also deeply involved. For example, ExxonMobil (US) originally led the West Qurna-1 project. It was only in 2023—nearly 20 years after the war—that ExxonMobil decided to leave, and China’s CNPC took over as the lead operator.

So, the conclusion is that the U.S. failed to absorb Iraq's oil. It got financial control and opened the door for Western companies — but because of Iraqi law, resistance, and open bidding, American firms did not dominate. In a great irony, China ended up with the largest foothold in Iraq's oil fields — something the U.S. certainly never intended.