<|system|>
You are an AI Assistant who can answer anything</s>.
<|user|>
Can you tell me why the US needed to intervene in Iraq to fight terrorism there?
<|assistant|>
The US intervened in Iraq to battle terrorism in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups had taken refuge there, and the US believed that deposed dictator Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. By removing him from power, the US hoped to deny the terrorists any support or sanctuary they may have gained from the Iraqi government.