5, 2003, in which he laid the groundwork for the invasion of Iraq based on false claims that dictator Saddam Hussein had amassed weapons of mass destruction.

invasion of Iraq,” said Ahmed Falah Hassan, 54, a lawyer in Baghdad after Powell's death was announced on Monday?

That invasion, Hassan said, didn't just dislodge Hussein, it destabilized the entire region, splintered Iraq in sectarian warfare, emboldened Iran and helped bring about the Islamic State terror group.

“Most of the Iraqis wanted to get rid of Saddam Hussein because he treated people badly, but the invasion allowed all these political parties to control the country, which resulted in the handing over of Iraq over to Iran,” Hassan said.

“Powell, as well as all those who were behind the invasion, are responsible for the death of Iraqis since 2003 until now, because they worked hard not to change Saddam Hussein, but to serve the interests of their own colonial countries,” he said.

“They said that Powell was the reason behind liberating Iraq,” the Baghdad woman said.

While it is true that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction, Manal Hussein said, “Saddam had to be removed in one way or another.”.

“Even if Powell used false facts and lies, Saddam had to be removed,” she said.

“He was part of an American war machine that went abroad to fight wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians and the trauma of countless more,” Mansour said.