英语新闻与报道—News & Reports 104（在线收听）

 Wk 12 (19 March 2003)

American-led Forces Invade IraqThis Week in HistoryIraq is invaded in order to destroy weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons are found.

In 2003, forces led by the USA invaded Iraq without the backing of the United Nations. The invasion was based on intelligence which supposedly indicated that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. This intelligence was later found to be inaccurate and no such weapons were ever found. Tens of thousands of Iraqis died during the invasion and subsequent occupation. In 2004 the Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, declared the invasion illegal.