Iraq War at its official end; let us never forget how we were fooled into this mess

After seven years of our poorly-planned, massively expensive and unjustified war, President Obama has declared the end of our war in Iraq. Shots will still be fired, soldiers and civilians will die, and Iraqis must deal with ravaged infrastructure and utilities, all paid for by the American taxpayer. All the elements of war are still there, but for now, things have quieted.

The same unaccounted crimes remain from 2002, when George W. Bush's intentions to depose Saddam Hussein became clear. Corroborated by the Downing Street Memo, accusations of the Bush Administration's intentional misrepresentation of intelligence are as valid as ever. No matter how often and loudly Bush and company blame their error on "flawed intelligence," the truth remains: facts were ignored and "facts" were manufactured to feed to the American public.

George Tenet, then-Director of the CIA, repeatedly advised Bush that the connection between Iraq and Al-Qaeda, which Bush used as a primary motive for war, was non-existent. Predictably, the political power of Bush's dishonesty won over many Americans who were still enraged and vengeful after 9/11. Repeat a lie often enough and, not matter how false it is, it will be accepted.

Just days before the October 1, 2002 Senate vote on the resolution to invade Iraq, 70-odd Senators were told, in a closed session, that Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction capable of striking the eastern seaboard. The claimed WMDS, a convenient jus ad bello falsehood, have probably not been in Iraq since 1991. Each of the Administration's allegations of Iraqi unconventional armaments has been debunked – no biological or chemical weapons, bombs or bomb-making materials have been verified.

Then, in a February 3, 2003 address to the UN Security Council that he admitted contained false information, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell won the UN's support for our invasion.

With no WMDs or links to Al-Qaeda found, and no democratic government established in Iraq, Bush has but one prize to show for our blood, tears, and tax dollars – his original goal of deposing Saddam Hussein.

We look back upon hundred-billions of U.S. dollars spent, hundred-thousands of human lives ended; a deep scar of agony, carved forever into the collective consciousness of man. Let us never forget this awful lesson, that we may hold our leaders accountable and never again be led on false premises to the abomination of war.