“The United States and its coalition partners invaded Iraq in 2003.”

My fellow citizens, at this hour, American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger. On my orders, coalition forces have begun striking selected targets of military importance to undermine Saddam Hussein’s ability to wage war.

To give the intervention greater support and provide an international flavor to the intervention, President George W. Bush assembled a “coalition of the willing,” ultimately involving about sixty nations. Although some of these countries supplied little more than nominal assistance, fully thirty-seven of them furnished a total of around 150,000 ground forces from the start of the operation through the end of 2003. From the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003 until mid-2009, ground troops from thirty-seven countries deployed alongside U.S. forces, with some twenty other countries providing indirect support.

President Bush is assembling a Coalition that has already begun military operations to disarm Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction, and enforce 17 U.N. Security Council resolutions. Forty-nine countries are publicly committed to the Coalition, including … Afghanistan, Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Britain, Bulgaria, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Honduras, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Mongolia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Tonga, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United States, Uzbekistan.

In his televised address on 19 March 2003 announcing the start of hostilities, President George W. Bush said: “My fellow citizens, at this hour, American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger.” He also referred repeatedly to “coalition forces” when describing the troops crossing into Iraq, indicating that the United States was acting with partner countries when it invaded.

My fellow citizens, at this hour American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger. On my orders, coalition forces have begun striking selected targets of military importance to undermine Saddam Hussein’s ability to wage war.

On 20 March 2003, a US-led coalition invaded Iraq, launching air strikes followed by ground forces crossing from Kuwait. The invasion, led by the United States and the United Kingdom with smaller contingents from other countries, quickly toppled the government of Saddam Hussein.

The 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq failed to uncover clandestine weapons of mass destruction and produced a bloody occupation that exposed the limits of American power. The U.S.-led forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom quickly toppled the government of Saddam Hussein.

On March 20, 2003, the United States and a coalition of allies, including the United Kingdom and Australia, launch an invasion of Iraq. U.S. President George W. Bush says the goal is to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction and end Saddam Hussein’s support for terrorism.

The United States and Britain last night launched war on Iraq, firing cruise missiles and precision-guided bombs at targets in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities. The attack, which began just after 5.30am local time on March 20, 2003, marked the start of a ground and air invasion by US and British forces massed in the Gulf.

The size and scope of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq has dwindled since the height of the invasion in 2003. Shortly after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, thirty-eight countries supplied around 25,000 forces. Which nations contribute significant components of the coalition? Britain fields the largest force (7,100 troops) behind the United States. After Britain, the biggest forces belong to South Korea, Poland, Australia, and others.

The coalition of nations willing to support the United States' invasion of Iraq includes countries that have not traditionally been American allies, let alone military partners. The official public list of the United States’ allies as of March 21, 2003 contained the following 31 countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and Uzbekistan.

A White House statement of 21 March 2003 informed the world that: “President Bush is assembling a Coalition that has already begun military operations to disarm Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction, and enforce 17 UNSC resolutions,” and that already 48 countries were “publicly committed to the Coalition.” … But, apart from Kuwait, none of them contributed anything to the action in Iraq. Afghanistan is the only Muslim member of the Coalition, apart from Kuwait.

At the beginning of 2003 George Bush enjoyed overwhelming domestic support but he also knew he had a problem. His administration was preparing to invade Iraq but of the 192 countries then recognized by the UN he could only find four others willing to take part if war came.

A number of scholars and commentators have argued that describing the 2003 Iraq invasion as undertaken by a broad “coalition of the willing” overstates the extent and substance of non‑US participation. They note that only a relatively small number of states contributed combat troops, that many listed coalition members provided only political support or access rights, and that several of the largest military powers (such as France, Germany, and Russia) opposed the invasion. These critiques do not deny that some partners joined the operation, but contend that the label “coalition” was used in part for political legitimation.

In blatant violation of international law, the United States, with the support of Britain and a handful of other countries, has launched an unprovoked war of aggression against Iraq. Cruise missiles and bombs struck Baghdad and other Iraqi cities as the US-led forces began their invasion on March 20, 2003.