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.