It’s been 15 years since President George W. Bush made the controversial decision to invade Iraq to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Alas, while Iraq has taken great strides forward, many of the pundits and policymakers not only continue to treat Iraq and Iraqis as a partisan football, but perpetuate false myths about its run-up and aftermath. Here are 12:

1. Sanctions killed 1 million Iraqis (and 500,000 children). False. Where did this claim come from? Saddam Hussein’s government.