Involvement in Iraq - Essay Example

US Involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan US Involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan The current US involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan is causing great anxiety across the globe. Such short term concerns have been set against the backdrop of the war on terror, as well as US unilateralism which pushed it ever since the occurrence of 9/11. Prior to the 9/11 attacks, a neoconservative euphoria had already engulfed Washington. This was evident through the US attitude towards its international agreements.

The Bush administration was adamant of its disapproval towards ratification of the test-ban treaty. The Bush administration thus opposed the strengthening of toxic and biological weapons. After US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan on the premise that the two latter nations were involved in the generation and manufacture of biological weaponry, the US was able to quell international concerns of terrorism brought by the two Middle East countries (Tucker, 2010). However, even after quelling Iraq and Afghanistan’s terrorism threats, the US is still very much mixed up in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This paper will question whether or not the US involvement in the two nations is necessary. It is irrefutable that the US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan has ensured global peace and security.For almost a decade now, American foreign policy has been pegged on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. At the beginning of 2011, there were 50,000 US soldiers in Iraq and 100,000 in Afghanistan. The involvement of the US in both countries is still robust despite the decline of American soldiers compared to previous years (Rashid, 2008).

This involvement is entirely uncalled for, and is rather improper. The US should no longer be involved in the affairs of Iraq and Afghanistan, especially because of the cost implication associated with such involvement. In American history, Iraq has been the second most expensive choice of war, after Vietnam in the 1960s (Tucker, 2010). In order to deter the further use of military and economic resources in the two nations, it is pertinent that the US seizes its involvement in the countries.While US troops were expected to leave Iraq by December 2011, several thousand soldiers remained.

The main role of the troops has been to advise and train Iraqi police and military forces, as well as conducting antiterrorism missions. After the loss of 4,300 American lives and more than one trillion dollars, it is evidently time for America to cut its losses and accept the positive effects of the war and simply withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan (Woodward, 2010). War is a costly affair with regard to financial losses and the loss of lives. The latter loss is perhaps the most disheartening; therefore, because of the high probability of losing more lives, it would be better to discontinue America’s involvement.

In addition, the US has already attained significant strides in the war against terrorism. Iraq and Afghanistan are currently enjoying relative peace, which further shows the futility in US involvement. However, Iraq is still marred by constant political, ethnic and religious strife as the nation has been unable to arrive at a consensus on how to share the nation’s wealth from its energy resources. This is further evidence of the futility of US involvement in the nation. Despite US assistance, Iraqis still have to make individual substantive shifts with regard their political, religious and ethnic viewpoints.

This means that while the sum of US efforts is substantial, it is rather difficult to ensure peace if Iraqis do not play their integral role. In conclusion, from the aforementioned reasons, it is evident that the US involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan should seize and the US should withdraw its troops. This move is bound to save on economic resources, as well as deter the loss of American lives. ReferencesRashid, A. (2008). Descent into chaos: The United States and the failure of nation building in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.

New York: Viking Adult Publishing.Tucker, S. C. (2010). The encyclopedia of Middle East wars: The United States in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Conflicts (5th ed.). Connecticut: ABC-CLIO. Woodward, B. (2010). Obamas Wars. New York: Simon & Schuster Publishing.