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The subject of this article is the 2003 invasion of Iraq. For events after May 1, 2003: The 2003 invasion of Iraq by the Multi-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I), comprising forces from the United States, Britain, Australia, Denmark, and Poland, began on March 20, 2003. The invasion launched the Iraq War, which is still ongoing. U.S. President George W. Bush stated that the objective of the invasion was "to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein's support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people."[1] In preparation, 100,000 U.S. troops were assembled in Kuwait by February 18.[2] The United States supplied the vast majority of the invading forces, but also received support from Kurdish troops in northern Iraq. The invasion of Iraq was highly unpopular with many traditional U.S. allies, particularly France and Germany whose leadership has since been replaced by more US friendly leadersip. The policy also encountered some worldwide popular opposition. Between January 3 and April 12, 2003, 36 million people took part in almost 3,000 protests against the Iraq War.[3] The majority of Americans supported the invasion at the outset. However, by October 2005, 55 percent of Americans believed the U.S. should not have invaded Iraq, with that number reaching 61 percent in March 2007. [4][5]