The document discusses the start of the Iraq War, including the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s where the US supported Iraq against Iran. It then discusses the Gulf War in the 1990s where the US led a coalition against Iraq after it invaded Kuwait. This sets the stage for the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 over claims that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, though it was later revealed that Iraq did not have active WMD programs. The document also examines the human costs of the war through civilian casualties, refugee crises, torture of prisoners, and the mental health impact on soldiers including high suicide rates.