1. Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs): The US government claimed that Iraq possessed WMDs, including biological and chemical weapons, and posed a threat to the US and its allies. However, no substantial evidence of such weapons was found after the invasion.
2. Regime Change: The Bush administration sought to remove Saddam Hussein from power. They believed that Hussein was a brutal dictator who supported terrorism and posed a threat to regional stability.
3. Oil: Some critics argue that the war was motivated by the desire to control Iraq's vast oil reserves. However, the US government denied this claim, stating that the war was not about oil.
The war in Iraq became commonly known as the "Iraq War" or the "Second Gulf War." The term "Operation Iraqi Freedom" was the official name given to the US military operation that initiated the invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq.