1/ The 9th of April 2003, will forever be etched in the minds of most Iraqis, as one of the darkest days in living memory. For that, George W. Bush and Tony Blair will always be remembered for the pain, suffering and misery that is the hallmark of Iraq.
#IraqWar
#Iraq

2/ 17 years ago, #Iraq was occupied by a coalition of US and British forces.
Ever since, the country has continued to descend into chaos, anarchy, bloodshed and corruption on an unprecedented scale.

3/ The 9th of April 2003 was Day One of an ill-considered, badly planned and executed, hurried and zealous dismantling of a semi-functioning state. 17 painful years on, most Iraqis yearn for the scant blessings of that semi-functioning state.

4/ As despicable and repugnant as were the Ba’athist era and the rule of Saddam Hussein, somehow those who were shipped in by the US and the UK to rule Iraq, managed to perform even worse and to make the country an actual living hell and a stain on our collective conscience
#Iraq

5/ Iraqis, who never recognised sectarian or ethnic differences prior to the occupation, were thrust into a new reality of sectarian and ethnic divisions that will take several generations to overcome.
#Iraq

6/ On this day 17 years ago, the ransacking of #Iraq and the installation of a corrupt, failed and unworkable political system, commenced. The result has been the untold suffering for 30 million Iraqis and the rise of terrorism in an area that previously had none.

7/ To date, none of the culprits of this incredible crime against humanity, has admitted guilt. No one has stood accountable for the flagrant lie of the WMDs which dragged the entire region into a state of chaos.
#Iraq

8/ If justice existed, George W. Bush and Tony Blair would not be living lavishly off the back of this travesty, but standing trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Their project ultimately cost the lives of millions who had nothing to harm us.
#Iraq

9/ Whether the rise of Al-Qaeda, Al-Zarqawi, sectarian Shi’i militias, ISIS or any future monstrous horrors, the original sin was committed 17 years ago, and continues to be acted out every single day against millions of innocent people.
#Iraq

10/ The fact that even the fiercest enemies of Saddam Hussein consider that his brutal era was far better than what Iraq has today, is to the eternal disgrace of Bush, Blair and those who supported this crime.
#Iraq

11/ The fact that neither Bush nor Blair wish to ever mention Iraq in any public place, is their inadequate admission that this was a stain that will forever haunt them and mark their legacies.
#Iraq

Meanwhile, #Iraq continues to be governed by a failed, corrupt sectarian system which only yesterday named its 4th candidate to head the government in as many months.

The resilience of the Iraqi people is something to be admired and future generations will tell stories about how people endured. However, the pain and suffering has been immeasurable and very very few see any light flickering at the end of this dark and long tunnel.
#Iraq