Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003: The Invasion (Documentary)

Get Nebula with 50% off annual subscription with my link: https://go.nebula.tv/realtimehistory Watch our documentary about the Saigon Embassy Raid exclusively on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/realtimehistory-striking-at-the-heart-of-america-the-saigon-embassy-raid-1968 In March 2003, a US-led coalition invades Iraq. US President George W. Bush claims he must disarm Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein of weapons of mass destruction and depose a brutal regime supporting global terror. But after a lightning capture of Baghdad and other Iraqi cities in the south, the war is far from over. » SUPPORT US https://patreon.com/realtimehistory https://nebula.tv/realtimehistory » THANK YOU TO OUR CO-PRODUCERS Mike Gloudemans, George Durrett, Luis Gonzalez, Mike Cumings, Jr., Charles Shananaquet II, Joel Sanchez, shane cawthon, Andrew Thomas Mooney, Chris Rohde, Bruce D, Jim Frame, Glenn Sugden, Lisa Anderson, George Haramundanis, G S, Kempf Mario, jhgBo8jigr hzufjkl, Gayle Elizabeth, Glenn G Webb, Stephen D Nugent PsyD, Daniel L Garza, Chris Daley, Simen Røste, Amy Williams, Jim F Barlow, Taylor Allen, Adam Smith, Josh Bruder, Konstantin Bredyuk, Richard L Benkin, Matt, Rob Carle, Murray Godfrey, Jan, Gage Manthey, Theodore Patrick Shannon, Bruce G. Hearns, Stephanie Schindhelm, Paul Wilcox, Brad Durbin, Fogeltje, » SOURCES Barry, Ben. “Blood, Metal and Dust: How Victory Turned into Defeat in Afghanistan and Iraq”, Osprey Publishing, 2020 Beck, Sara & Malcolm Downing (eds). “The Battle for Iraq: BBC News Correspondents on the War against Saddam and a New World Agenda”, BBC Worldwide Limited, 2003 Brookes, Rod; Lewis Justin; Mosdell, Nick & Terry Threadgold. “Shoot First and Ask Question Later: Media Coverage of the 2003 Iraq War”, Peter Lang, 2006 The Daily Telegraph. “A day of joy for Iraq, a day of reckoning for tyrants”, The Daily Telegraph, Telegraph View, (10 April 2003) DeFronzo, James, “The Iraq War: Origins and Consequences”, University of Connecticut, 2010 Gordon, Michael R & Bernard E. Trainor. “Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq”, Pantheon Books, 2006 Kukis, Mark. “Voices from Iraq: A People’s History, 2003-2009", Columbia University Press, 2011 Mosely, T. Michael. “Operation IRAQI FREEDOM – By the Numbers”, CENTAF-PSAB, 2003 Newton, Mark. “Strategic News Management in the Iraq War: How were US and UK media organisations utilised by Coalition forces to instigate information and psychological operations against domestic audiences?”, Aberystwyth University, 2012 Newsinger, John. “Taking Baghdad: some US Marine memoirs of the invasion of Iraq”, Race & Class, 52(4), 2011 Ricks, Thomas E. “Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq”, The Penguin Press, 2006 U.S. Joint Forces Command. “US. Joint Forces Command, Report, Iraqi Perspectives Project: A View of Operation Iraqi Freedom from Saddam’s Senior Leadership”, Department of Defense, 2007 »CREDITS Presented by: Jesse Alexander Written by: Mark Newton, Jesse Alexander Director: Toni Steller Editing: Toni Steller Motion Design: Toni Steller Mixing, Mastering & Sound Design: https://above-zero.com Research by: Mark Newton Additional Footage Research: Chris Stuart https://thearchiveproject.com Fact checking: Florian Wittig Executive Producer: Florian Wittig Channel Design: Simon Buckmaster Contains licensed material by getty images, picture alliance, and Reuters Maps: MapTiler/OpenStreetMap Contributors & GEOlayers3 Music Library: Epidemic Sound All photos and film in our documentaries are authentic historical footage. We do not use generative AI to create new assets. However, we may use AI tools to upscale or clean up certain assets without distorting or compromising the original image. All rights reserved - Real Time History GmbH 2026