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Virtual Event | 20 Years Later: The Legacy of Operation Iraqi Freedom

Mar 27, 2023
1:00pm to 3:15pm ET


Watch:

March 20, 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). OIF was launched by U.S. forces to end Saddam Hussein’s authoritarian regime. The 2003 invasion of Iraq transformed Iraq and reverberated throughout the Middle East in ways that are still felt today. The U.S. military continues to confront and contend with the lasting impact of the war on the force and veterans, while military necessity birthed rapid technological advancements which have indelibly altered the way of war. As we reflect on the past two decades, what is the current-day legacy of OIF? How did emerging technologies impact the war? And how did OIF influence the U.S. military’s veteran’s culture?

On March 27, 2023, CNAS hosted a series of expert panel discussions to examine the lasting echoes and impacts of OIF here and in Iraq.


Introduction

Richard Fontaine
Chief Executive Officer
Center for a New American Security

OIF: An Accelerant for Emerging Technology

Martijn Rasser
Senior Fellow and Director, Technology and National Security, CNAS

Kris Osborn

Military Affairs Editor, 19 FortyFive
President of Warrior Maven: Center for Military Modernization

The Lasting Impacts of OIF on the Force

Katherine Kuzminski
Senior Fellow and Director, Military, Veterans, and Society, CNAS

Dan Vallone
Executive Director, More in Common

Iraq War and Future of U.S-Iraq Policy

Jonathan Lord
Senior Fellow and Director, Middle East Security Program, CNAS

Hamzeh Hadad
Adjunct Fellow, Middle East Security Program, CNAS
Visiting Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations

Dr. Marsin Alshamary
Nonresident Fellow, Foreign Policy, Brookings Institution

Sarkawt Shamsulddin
Nonresident Fellow, Iraq Initiative, Atlantic Council

Ahmad Bunnia
Head of Expansion Strategy, Wahed Invest