#20: The Invasion of Iraq (2003)
The case for invading Iraq in March 2003 was based on the belief that Saddam Hussein’s government had weapons of mass destruction and links to terrorist groups. The U.S. and its allies invaded to remove this threat. The military campaign was quick, and Hussein’s government fell within weeks. But what came next was far more complicated. Investigators found no active WMD stockpiles, while the country fell into a long and violent insurgency. Sectarian conflict spread across the region, making the war one of the most controversial and costly decisions of the 21st century.
