What were the reasons behind the US-led coalition's intervention in the War in Iraq?

The United States, along with the United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland, led a coalition in a military intervention in Iraq in 2003, which toppled the government of Saddam Hussein. The reasons behind the intervention were complex and debated at the time, as well as in the years since.

One of the primary reasons cited by the US government was the belief that Saddam Hussein's regime possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), and that he posed a threat to the region and to US national security. Despite extensive efforts to find evidence of WMDs, none were found, and this has been widely criticized as a major failure of US intelligence.

Another stated goal of the intervention was to promote democracy and human rights in Iraq, and to support the country's transition to a stable, democratic government. The US-led coalition believed that the removal of Saddam Hussein's regime would pave the way for a more stable and democratic Middle East.

Finally, the US-led coalition argued that the intervention was necessary to combat terrorism and to disrupt networks that were believed to be associated with Al-Qaeda. Critics of this view have argued that the intervention actually fueled terrorism and extremism, and that it had a destabilizing effect on the region.