Hans von Sponeck

On the night of March 20, 2003, the second U.S.-led war against Iraq began. With “Shock and Awe”, the attackers wanted to demoralize the government and the army, force them to surrender quickly and ‘liberate’ the population. But war and occupation brought death to hundreds of thousands of people, destroyed the social fabric of ethnic groups, prepared the ground for jihadist militias such as the Islamic State, and destabilized the entire region.

Why was it not possible to stop this development, which was contrary to international law, despite strong, worldwide protest? What role did the United Nations play? What is the situation in Iraq today? What reforms are needed to give peace a new chance worldwide? Hans von Sponeck discusses these and other questions on the anniversary of the momentous attack.

Hans-Christof von Sponeck, born in 1939, is a former German UN diplomat and is committed to coming to terms with the Iraq war and its devastating consequences.

In cooperation with the Peace Alliance Heidelberg