Introduction

Foreword
George W Bush should never have been president of the United State if only because he lost the 1999 elections and Gore should have been in the White House since January 2000.

Why did Gore lost? There are many reasons. One of them was that he could not really communicate with the electors. There were others, of course, but one thing is certain: he is much more clever that George W Bush.

He also suffered from Clinton's legacy who left the White House angry, exhausted and broke and all this damaged Gore's prospects.

However most of this would not happened if only Monica Lewinsky had not been on pizza duty during the government shutdown of 1995 and if Clinton had not decided to eat a slide of it with his staff. If none of these two things happened, Gore would have been formally elected and George W Bush would be a forgotten ex-governor of Texas. The 9/11 attacks on the USA would still have taken place, the world number one power would have retaliated against al-Qaida and the Taliban -perhaps invading Afghanistan- but the USA would not have invaded Iraq as there never any justification for it.

As it sometime happens, little events lead to great consequences. What a pity Mrs Clinton did not prepare some sandwiches for her husdand! The world would be different today.

Preamble

The total number of victims -in the World Trade Centre Towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington DC and the four planes involved- is about 3,000, among them about 2,400 US citizens. There is no question that the retaliation against the al-Qaida and the Taliban was warranted. But was the mass killing of civilians in Afghanistan justified? Would it not have been enough to attack and destroy al-Qaida and the Taliban instead of invading the country as President Bush chose?

And what about Iraq:

- No Iraqis were involved in 9/11.

- President Saddam Hiussein was not linked to al-Qaida in anyway; on the opposite their ideology was completely opposed. The al-Qaida leaders, starting with Osama bin laden, were and are fundamentalist Muslims. Saddam's regime was non-religious.

- Iraq was no treat to the USA and its allies; moreover, as it was already known through the UN inspectors before the invasion, it had no weapons of mass destruction.

The net result was that up to June 15, 2006, 2,500 US military personnel died in Iraq. If we add the foreigners and the civilians (to the exclusion of the Iraqis) the total number of victims is well above 3,000. As said before, the invasion of Afghanistan was, up to a point, justified, and the human cost in soldiers killed there is, somehow, acceptable. But what is the justification for the death of all these people in Iraq?

More people were killed in Iraq that as a result of 9/11, it is obvious that the American soldiers and the occupation of the country by foreign troops is not welcome to the local people. Moreover it looks like the invasion did not produce the results hoped for by George W. Bush and it is probable that the war will be seen as an American defeat like in Vietnam. In addition there is also a probability that the country will be split with the formation of a fundamentalist Muslim regime in Baghdad and the south.

Is it astonishing that the majority of the people outside the USA are now disliking and mistrusting it and especially the president? But it also seems that a majority of Americans are fed up with him and his policies.

And, until now the civilian victims Afghans and Iraqis- have not been mentionned although their number must be at least around 50,000 both countries included. But, as usual, the Americans in general could not care about the number of foreigners killed. They are described as statistics at the best forgetting that they are human beings too.

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This document is very long, too long perhaps for most readers, but it was seen from the start as a "collection" of facts that happened in Iraq. And there were many, and still more happen everyday.

The Americans had a certain justification to invade Afghanistan. After all, al-Qaida the terrorist organisation responsible for the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington DC, and Pennsylvania had their headquarters and training ground in Afghanistan whose leaders at the time, the Taliban, refused to hand over al-Qaida members to the USA.

On the other hand, they had no such reason to invade Iraq since Saddam Hussein's regime:
- Did not participate to the September 11, 2001, attacks.
- Did not have any weapons of mass destruction.
- Did not threaten in anyway the US or its main allies.

The only motivation could have been that Saddam Hussein was a cruel dictator and that a regime change was a good thing. But getting rid of a cruel dictator has never been important for the US, quite the opposite. All the American governments have worked hand-in-hand with most dictators all over the world, and they are still doing it (see for instance their close contact with General Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan). For the USA, any dictator is welcome as long as he is right wing and useful. After all even Saddam Hussein was America's friend when he was fighting Iran in the 1980s. Donald Rumsfeld visited him, and supplied him with the armaments and equipment Iraq needed urgently.

No, there were no good moral motivations for the US invading Iraq but only the desire to control its oil fields.

Using the right orthography is difficult and very often a choice must be made. In this document we will use the following spelling for non-English names and words:
- al-Qaida (and not Al-Qaida or Al-Qaidaa)
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), 2005 Nobel prize winner
- Mujahideen
- Shia or Shiite, both words will be used to describe this Muslim sect members.
- Taliban (and not Taleban)
- UN (and not U.N.)
- US (and not U.S.)

Cities:
- Abu Ghraib, a town and a prison west of Baghdad
- Abu Saida, village north of Baghdad
- Adhaim, town 60 miles northeast of Baghdad
- Adhamiya, district of Baghdad
- Aitha, village near Mosul, north Iraq, civilians killed by US planes
- Al-Adel, district of Baghdad
- Al-Amil, district of Baghdad
- Al-Anbar a western province
- Al-Bu-Faraj, village
- Al-Dawr, town northern Iraq
- Al-Hir, village
- Al-Khalir, town near Baquba
- Al-Mualimeen, district of Baghdad
- Al-Radgha, town, 50 kilometres southwest of Basra
- Amara, (not Amarah), southeast of Baghdad
- Amil, district of Baghdad
- Amiriya (not Amiriyah), town 25 miles west of Baghdad
- Anah, town western Iraq
- Arbil, town northern Iraq
- Ashraf, town
- Athamiya, district of Baghdad
- Azamiyah, town
- Aziziya, town 55 km southeast of Baghdad
- Bal al-Mu'adam, district of Baghdad
- Babil, Iraqi province, south of Baghdad
- Babylon, town, central Iraq
- Bad-al-Mu'adham, district of Baghdad
- Baghdad, the capital
- Baghdali, town northwest of Baghdad
- Balad, town 80km north of Baghdad
- Balad Ruz, town central Iraq, 100km northeast of Baghdad (not Baladruz)
- Baquba (and not Baqubah or Baqoubah), town 40 miles northeast of Baghdad
- Barwana, town
- Basra, southern Iraq
- Beiji (and not Baiji), northern Iraq
- Bhriz, town
- Buhriz, town south of Baquba, 35 miles north of Baghdad
- Burriz, town
- Camp Bucca, a US military base near Umm Qasr, also a prison
- Dibis, town 30 km from Kirkuk
- Dijiel town 40 kilometres north of Baghdad
- Diwaniyah, town 180 km south of Baghdad
- Diyala, Iraqi province, central Iraq, northeast of Baghdad
- Doura, Shia district of Baghdad (not Dura, Dora)
- Dulluiyah, town 40km north of Baghdad
- Falluja, (and not Fallujah), west of Baghdad
- Ghazaliya, district of Baghdad
- Gubba, village 60km north of Baghdad
- Habaniya (not Habaniyah), town 80 km west of Baghdad, near Syrian border
- Haditha, town, 200 miles northwest of Baghdad
- Haglaniya, (not Haglaniyah), town northwest of Baghdad
- Halabja, town Kurdish region
- Hamdaniyah, town
- Hamman Alil, town near Mosul
- Haqlaniya (not Haqlaniyah), town
- Haquba, town north of Baghdad
- Harithiya, district of Baghdad
- Haswa, a town south of Baghdad
- Hawiya (not Hawija), town 240 km north of Baghad
- Heet, town Anbar province
- Hilla (not Hillah), 60 miles south of Baghdad
- Hit, town, 90 miles northwest of Baghdad
- Howaider, town north of Baghdad
- Huriya, district of Baghdad
- Husayba (not Husaybah), town near Syrian border
- Huweder, village 45 miles northeast of Baghdad
- Irbil, north of Iraq
- Is'haqi, town northern Iraq
- Iskandariya, (not Iskandariyah), 40km south of Baghdad
- Jabilla, town south of Baghdad
- Jadida, district of Baghdad
- Jalula, town 130km northeast of Baghdad
- Jbala, 70 km south of Baghdad
- Kadhimiya, Shia district of Baghdad
- Kalak
- Karabila (not Karabilah), town near border with Syria, 185 miles west of Baghdad
- Karmah, town 50 miles west of Baghdad
- Karrada, (not Karradah), district of Baghdad
- Karbala (and not Kerbala or Karbalah), south of Baghdad
- Kazimiyah, district of Baghdad
- Khalis, town 60km northeast of Baghdad
- Khaldiya, town 75 miles west of Baghdad
- Khanaquin, Kurdish town near Syrian border
- Khan Bani Saed, village 20 km northeast of Baghdad (not Saad)
- Karrada (not Karradah), district of Baghdad

- Khadra, district of Baghdad
- Khanaquin, town Diyala province, eastern Iraq
- Khazaliya, town south of Baghdad
- Kirkuk, town 290 km north of Baghdad
- Kish, town between Mosul and Tal Afar
- Kufa, town central Iraq
- Kut, town central Iraq
- Kuz Khormato, town 55 miles south of Kirkuk
- Latifiya (not Latifiyah), town 20 miles south of Baghdad
- Maamel, district of Baghdad
- Madain, town central Iraq
- Mahaweel, village, 85km south of Baghdad
- Mahmudiya (not Mahmudiyah), town central Iraq, 30km south of Baghdad, Babil province
- Majar al-Kabir southern Iraq
- Mansur, district of Baghdad
- Markab al-Tair, village near Syrian border
- Mashahda, town north of Baghad
- Mosul, town northern Iraq, 225 nprthwest of Baghdad
- Mukaradeeb, hamlet near the Syrian border, where the Americans killed innocent civilians
- Mullah Eid, village near Buhriz
- Muqdadiya (not Muqdadiyah or al-Muqdadiya), town 60 miles north of Baghdad
- Musayyib, town 70 km south of Baghdad
- Mussaieb, town south of Baghdad
- Mushahidah, town 40 kilometres nord of Baghdad
- Nafaq al-Shurta, district of Baghdad
- Najaf, south of Baghdad
- Nahrawan, town 45 km southeast of Baghdad
- Nasser wa Sallaam, town near Falluja, 25 miles west of Baghdad
- Nassiriya (and not NasS or Sammarahiriyah), south of Baghdad
- Nineveh, northwest province
- Obeidi, town western Iraq, near border with Syria
- Om el Ma'lif, village southeast of Iraq
- Parwana, town northwest of Baghdad
- Quain, town western Iraq, near Syrian border
- Rabia, town 50 miles northwest of Mosul
- Ramadi, town 110 km west of Baghdad
- Rashad
- Rashid, district of Baghdad
- Rawa, 250 km west of Baghdad
- Riyadh. Town north of Baghdad, near Kirkuk
- Rustumiya, town southeast of Baghdad
- Sadah, village near Syrian border
- Sadr City, district of Baghdad
- Safwan, town southern Iraq, near Kuwait border
- Salahuddin, northwest province
- Salman Pak, town south of Baghdad
- Samarra (and not Samara), 95 km north of Baghdad
- Saydeiyh, district of Baghdad
- Saydia, district of Baghdad
- Shala, district of Baghdad
- Sherqat, town 250km north of Baghdad (not Shurgat)
- Shula (not Shu'la, district of Baghdad
- Shurgat, town
- Sinjar, town southwest of Mosul, near Syrian border
- Suwayrah, town 40 miles south of Baghdad
- Sulaimaniya (not Sulaimaniyah), northeast of Baghdad
- Suwariyah, town
- Taji, town 20km north of Baghdad (not al-Taji)
- Tal Afar, (not Talafar or Talaffar), northern Iraq town
- Talibiya, district of Baghdad
- Taqaddum, town
- Tarmiyah, town 30 miles north of Baghdad
- Tawila, town 65 km north of Baghdad
- Tikrit, town 130km north of Baghdad
- Trebil, town near Jordan border
- Tuz Khurmato, town northern Iraq, 90 km south of Kirkuk
- Udaim, town north of Baghdad
- Uja, town, birthplace of Saddam Hussein
- Umm Qasr, harbour near Basra
- Wihda, town
- Yarmouk, district of Baghdad
- Yusifiya, town 75 km south of Baghdad (not Yusifiyah or Youssifiya)
- Zafaraniya, town, district of Baghdad
- Zaidan, town 20 miles southeast of Falluja
- Zubayr, south of Basra

People:
- Abizaid John, American commanding general in Iraq
- Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al-Qaida leader in Iraq
- Ali al-Sistani, Grand Ayatollah (and not Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani)
- Al-Jaafari Ibrahim, Iraqi prime minister
- Allawi, Ayad, interim Iraqi prime minister
- Ammash (Mrs), Dr Anthrax (and not Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash)
- Ayman al-Zawahri, al-Qaida's deputy leader
- Bremer Paul, US pro-consul in Iraq
- Chalabi, Ahmad, US pet exilee, a lier
- ElBaradei Mohammed, Egyptian head of the IAEA, 2005 Peace prize winner
- Feith Douglas, American conservative politician
- Ghazi al-Yawer, Iraq's interim president
- Imam Hussein, grandson of prophet Mohammed
- Kimmit Mark, US Brigadier general
- Kofi Annan, UN General Secretary
- Lakhdar Brahimi, UN envoy in Iraq
- Moqtada al-Sadr, radical Shia cleric
- Osama bin Laden, al-Qaida leader
- Recip Tayep Erdogan, Turkish prime minister
- Rihad Taha (Mrs), Dr Germ
- Talebani Jalal, Iraqi president
- Vieiro de Mello, UN envoy to Iraq, killed in the bombing of the UN headquarter in Baghdad on August 20, 2003
- Wolfowitz Paul, American conservative politician
- Zalmay Khalizad, US Ambassador to Iraq

Groups:
- Abu Hafs al-Masri, terrorist group linked to al-Qaida
- Al-Jazeera, Arab television network
- Al-Arabiya, Arab television network
- Al-Mahdi militia, Moqtada al-Sadr's militia
- Ansar al-Sunnah Army, terrorist group
- Armed Vanguard of the Second Mohammed Army, terrorist group
- Association of Muslim Scholars, Sunni clerical group
- Baath, former party of Saddam Hussein (not Baa'th)
- Baathist, member of the Baath party
- Badr Brigades, Shia Militia
- Black Flag, terroriat group
- Combined Mujahideen Brigade, terrorist group
- Green (The) Battalions, terrorist group
- Holders (The) of the Black Banners, terrorist group
- Horror Brigades of the Islamic Secret Army, terrorist group
- Imam al-Hassan al-Basri Brigades, terrorist group
- Iraqi Ansar al-Islam, terrorist group
- Iraqi Free Progressive Party, Sunni political party
- Islamic Army of Iraq, terrorist group
- Islamic Dawa Party, Shia party of Prime Minister al-Jaafari
- Islamic Jihadists, terrorists
- Islamic Resonse Movement, terrorist group
- Islamic Sufi Movement, mystic group
- Jaish Ansar al-Sunna, terrorist group
- Kurdistan Democratic Party, Kurd political party
- Martyr (The) Brigade, terrorist group
- Mohammed ben Abdullah, terrorist group
- Mujahideen Army, terrorist group
- Mujahideen Squadron, terrorist group
- Mukhabarat, Saddam Hussein former intelligence service
- Patriot Union of Kurdistan, Kurd political party
- Peshmerga, Kurdish fighters
- Salafut Brigades, terrprist group
- Saraiya al-Mujahideen Brigades, terrorist group
- Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), Shia political party close to Iran
- Sword (The) of Righteousness, terrorist group
- Tawhit and Jihad group, terrorist organisation led by al-Zarqawi
- United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), Shia coalition of various religious political parties

Festivals:

- Arbain, Shiite festival
- Ashura, Shiite festival
- Eid al-Ahda, Muslim festival
- Ramadan, Muslim feast

Main contractants (all Americans):
- Bechtel
- Fluor
- Halliburton, old firm of US Vice President Dick Cheney
- Luois Berger Group
- Parsons
- Washington, an Idaho conglomerate