Protestersgatherduringtheanti-wardemonstrationinWashington,D.C.,theUnitedStates,March18,2023.HundredsofprotestersgatheredoutsidetheWhiteHouseinWashington,D.C.onSaturdayafternoontodemandastoptoendlessU.S.warsandthe"WarMachine,"twodaysbeforethe20thanniversaryoftheU.S.-ledinvasionofIraq.(Xinhua/LiuJie)

CAIRO,March23(Xinhua)--U.S.militaryinvasionofIraq20yearsagowaslargelyframedinnewsmediatomeetstrategicobjectives,andtheskewedmedianarrativescontinuetohidemanytruths,saidanopinionpiecepublishedonthewebsiteofAlJazeeraonMonday.

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Inthearticletitled"HowU.S.propagandawonIraq"s"battlespace","thecolumnistssaidtheUnitedStateshasutilizedinformationoperationsastoolsofwarssinceWorldWarI.

DuringtheU.S.invasionofIraq,inadditionto"dressingupbattlefieldeventsinpolitelanguage,"theU.S.propagandaalso"inventedtargetsandsetoperationalobjectives."

TheU.S.missioninIraqdefinedvictoryas"thewinningofIraqiandAmericanheartsandminds,"andthemediawasenlistedasaforcemultiplierintheexerciseofsoftpower,itsaid.

"Perceptionmanagement"becameastrategicpriorityfortheU.S.,whichinvolved"carefullycraftedpressconferencesandpressreleasesaswellastheselectiveleakingofinformation,"andjournalistswithinmilitaryunits"helpedcontroltheperspectivefromwhichAmericansviewedtheconflict,withtheexperiencesofU.S.soldiersforegroundedandthoseofIraqisrelegatedtothebackground,"itadded.

IraqiprotesterstakepartinademonstrationagainstthepresenceofU.S.troopsinthecountryinBaghdad,Iraq,Jan.24,2020.(Xinhua/KhalilDawood)

U.S.informationoperations"exaggeratedthethreatofenemiesoreveninventedonealtogether,"itnoted,addingfewAmericansareawareofhowmanyIraqicivilianswerekilledalongsidetheso-calledinsurgents,mostofwhomsawthemselvesasdefendingtheirhomelandfromanaggressiveinvasionandoccupation.

ThesuccessofU.S.propagandaontheIraqiwarisreflectedinAmericans"attitudesabouttheinvasion.Thefactthatthewarwasillegalunderinternationallaw"drewlittlecommentinthemainstreampress,"andtheviolationofIraqisovereignty,aswellasnumerouswarcrimescommittedthere,"weresimplyfilteredoutofmediacoverageandpoliticaldiscourse,"saidtheopinionpiece.

Ultimately,theU.S.invasionandoccupationofIraqprovedcalamitousforIraqis,withoveramillioncivilianskilled.Meanwhile,tensofthousandsofAmericansoldierswerealsodeceivedintofightinganunjustwar,and4,500paidwiththeirlives,itsaid.

However,tillnow,20yearsafterthewar,nopoliticiansormilitaryplannershavebeenheldtoaccount,itstressed.