Iraq War 20 Years Later
In the lead up to the US-led invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003, proponents of the war spoke of the Iraqi people as helpless victims of a dictatorial regime. Yet the Iraqi people paid the heaviest price of the invasion. Almost half a million people lost their lives, millions lost homes, and countless civilians suffered abuses by all parties to the conflict. Then and now, Human Rights Watch urged parties to the conflict to compensate victims and hold perpetrators accountable, but impunity prevails. Read up on our history of work around the problems of Iraq’s past, the legacy the US-led invasion, and the challenges for Iraq’s future.
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Middle East/North AfricaSeve, a 19-year-old Yazidi woman, has vivid memories of the Islamic State fighter who locked her in his house and tried to rape her after she was kidnapped by IS in August. “He told me his name was Zaid,” Seve said, covering part of her face with her headscarf. “He tried to take me by force.” When Seve fought back, he told her: “I will kill you.”
News
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Iraq: ISIS Executed Hundreds of Prison Inmates
About 600 Shias Killed in Desert During Mosul Capture
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Iraq: Forced Marriage, Conversion for Yezidis
Victims, Witnesses Describe Islamic State’s Brutality to Captives
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Iraq: Survivors Describe Government Airstrike
At least 31 Dead, 24 Children, in Attack on School Sheltering Displaced
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U.S.: Soldiers Tell of Detainee Abuse in Iraq
Abusive Techniques Were Authorized, Soldiers’ Complaints Ignored
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Iraq: Insurgent Groups Responsible for War Crimes
Report Challenges Justifications for Attacks on Civilians
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U.S.: Hundreds of Civilian Deaths in Iraq Were Preventable
Cluster Munitions, ‘Decapitation’ Attacks Condemned
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