This episode explores the start of the Iraq War in 2003—from the Bush administration’s claims about weapons of mass destruction to the swift U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

Though the military campaign was quick, the aftermath was chaotic. Looting, disbanded institutions, and poor planning fueled instability. An insurgency soon emerged, while the failure to find WMDs undermined the war’s legitimacy.

The episode ends by showing how a war launched with confidence became the start of a long, complex conflict that would reshape Iraq and U.S. foreign policy.