Question: How did the U.S. invasion of Iraq lead to the rise of ISIS? The death of bin Laden in 2011 was gratifying to the United States and provided closure for the September 11 attacks. It did not, however, make Afghanistan or the Middle East as a whole a more peaceful or stable region. U.S. troops remained in Afghanistan to assist in rebuilding efforts. However, in 2003, eight years before bin Laden's death, the U.S. military had shifted its focus to an invasion of Iraq. The administration of President George W. Bush claimed to have received intelligence tying Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to al-Qaeda and evidence that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Many people believed that these claims were an excuse for the United States to secure Iraq's oil supply-another example of conflict over a valuable resource. "Shock and Awe" The 2003 invasion of Iraq was meant to be quick and easy, using "shock and awe" tactics to overwhelm the enemy. American officials even predicted that U.S. forces would be welcomed as liberators because Saddam Hussein was a brutal dictator. After the initial attack that overthrew Saddam Hussein in April 2003, this seemed to be the case. However, as the occupation continued and U.S. troops fought off guerilla attacks from insurgents, opinions turned against the United States. A stable government failed to emerge in Iraq. Support for the war faded in the United States and beyond, especially when neither weapons of mass destruction nor direct ties between Saddam. Need Assignment Help?