The U.S. War in Iraq - Research Paper Example

The U.S. War in Iraq Introduction “Some wars begin badly. Some end badly. The Iraq war of 2003 was exceptional in both beginning well for the Anglo-American force that waged it and ending victoriously” (Keegan, p.1). The 2003 Iraq war between Iraq and America has raised many controversies in the political circle regarding the sovereignty of a state. Many people believe that America did a serious mistake by attacking a sovereign state citing silly reasons. The major reason cited by America was about the possession of serious weapons capable of mass destruction by Saddam. But even after 6 years from the beginning of the war, the allied forces still unable to find out any chemical or nuclear weapons in Iraq and moreover they were not succeeded in completely withdrawing from Iraq due to threats from different communities towards the toy government established in Iraq by America. Another reasons cited by America was the massacres committed by Saddam against the Kurds. Even now many people are dying in Iraq due to the clashes between different ethnic groups. “Iraq has been a classroom for activists and all Americans to learn concretely, the lessons of war, the possibilities of opposition and the ultimate limit of the system” (Hayden, p.117) Even though many reasons has been cited by the critics against America for their intrusion in Iraq, I strongly believe that Iraq war was justifiable considering the massacres committed by Saddam and his Baath party against the Kurds and other neighboring countries. Saddam has attacked Kuwait and Iran and he was a dictator like Hitler or Mussolini. Iraqi people can attain peace and can lead a life without any threat if their different ethnic groups arrive at a compromise or settlement. This paper briefly analyses various aspects of Iraq war, its pros and cons. Arguments against Iraq war Iraq war is being perceived as the naked intrusion by a country in the internal matters of another country by many political analysts. “According to an article by Stephen Gowans, the US command knowingly violated Article 54 of the Geneva Convention which prohibits any country from undermining objects indispensable to the survival of (another countrys) civilian population" (Abuelo)America and its allies failed to establish or prove any of the allegations made against the Saddam led Iraq. No chemical or nuclear weapons have been discovered yet form the Iraqi soil. American government thought that the Iraqi public so hated the dominant Baath Party and regime of Saddam Hussein, were just waiting for American "liberators" to arrive so that the Iraqis could overthrow the regime themselves or aid the Americans in doing so (Moore). But the response of Iraqis against the American intrusion was quite unexpected for the American troops and many of the political observers. Critics of Iraq war suspect many reasons behind the war. The declared aim of war on terror is indigestible to them. They argue that George Bush was taking revenge on Saddam for harassing his father Bush Sr. in an early encounter between America and Iraq. Some others argue that the drinking water shortage in America has forced Bush to attack Iraq which is immensely rich with fresh water sources. But the most important and genuine reason for Iraq war was believed to be America’s energy crisis. The number of Automobiles is increasing rapidly in America which needs petroleum resources. Iraq is blessed with immense sources of crude oil. Many people believe that in order to loot the oil resources of Iraq, America with the help of its allies attacked Iraq. Many economists believe that the current deeper economic crisis in America was partly due to their immense spending for Iraqi war. America failed to achieve anything from Iraq, except a bad image form external world. Moreover, many critics accused America for dividing the world communally. Iraq war resulted in large scale looting and criminal disorder, especially in Baghdad and Basra. Coalition forces were quite unable to maintain public order and the Iraqi police forces largely withdrew from the major centers of population (Rogers, p.13). In other words, the coalition forces failed to keep their word they given to the external world; a peaceful Iraq without Saddam. “Intimidated by the American government policy of “either with us or with the terrorists” some countries felt under pressure to support the war in one way or another” (Qasserras). Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia were some countries which helped America in their attack against Iraq. These countries were one way or other, experienced the cruelties of Saddam earlier which forced them to support America with a dual mind. “All the American government has achieved in Iraq now has been a paralyzed country devastated by sectarian conflicts. We had never heard of Sunni and Shiite conflict in Iraq till the American soldiers took control of Baghdad” (Qasserras) Arguments in favor of Iraq war Iraq war has been witnessed as a strong reply to terrorism and dictatorship by many people. Saddam was trying to spread his dictatorship to even neighboring states like Kuwait and Saudi. Many political analysts believe that Saddam was trying to become another Hitler and by removing Saddam from power America actually saved the whole world from a possible third World War. “The Saudis wanted relief from the military—political pressure that Saddams conquest of Kuwait had generated. The Syrians wanted their Baathist rivals wings clipped. The Egyptians and other Arab governments, worried that their peoples might find Saddam attractive, also wanted him taken down a peg” (Codevilla). In other words, most of the neighboring countries of Iraq were under the threats from Saddam before the gulf war. Saddam has tried to bring all the neighboring Islamic countries under his dictatorship. Saddam tried to exploit the anti-Israeli stands of Islamic countries in order to execute his hidden agenda of dictatorship. “The heinous killing of thousands and torture to millions by Saddam Hussain and his sons is highly notorious. One has to punish them to death to retain humanity in this world. The ghastly incidents of killings showed in TVs in the early war days revealed the barbaric nature of Saddam” (ssrkraju). Whether America was right or wrong in attacking a sovereign state like Iraq is a question needs to be discussed thoroughly. At the same time, nobody can deny the charges of brutal killing of innocent people, especially the Kurds, labeled against Saddam and his elder son Uday. The gulf war was a strong reply to terrorism and terrorists. In the absence of any response, terrorists and the dictators would try to extend their wings. Nobody wants to see a repetition of 9/11. It is quite possible that in the absence of strong responses, antisocial elements may try to rule the world. America’s war against Saddam was a symbolic representation. The current Afghan war which is the continuation of the Iraq war has strengthened the belief in the world that the terrorism would be countered strictly. Many countries like Pakistan, Libya, and Afghanistan have been witnessed or alleged as the fertile soil for terrorism. The gulf war and the subsequent Afghan wars have succeeded in countering terrorism up to certain extent. My views on Iraq war “As in sports, the outcome of a battle or a war cannot be determined on paper.”That is why they play the games" is the old saying on why sports are determined on the field or court instead of in the press” (Moore). The Iraq war can be considered as a political game or gamble taken by America. The result of this political game is yet to be decided. The question of who is the winner or the loser can be identified only after some time. If America would succeeded in establishing a democratic government in Iraq which is capable of acquiring the confidence of the Iraqi people, we can safely say, America would be the winner. On the other hand, if the present gun fights and clashes between ethnic groups prolong, we cannot justify the gulf war. Juan Cole (2004) has argued that the biggest US failure in Iraq to date lay in American inability to understand the workings of Iraqi society. He believes that many US administrators and military commanders appeared to believe that once the Baathist state of Saddam Hussein was overthrown, they would be dealing with an Iraqi society that was docile, grateful and virtually a blank slate on which US goals could be imprinted (Cole) It is a fact that America has failed to achieve the objectives of Iraq war completely. At the same time, it is also a fact that the Iraqi people has escaped from the iron fist of Saddam. In my opinion, when we considering the pros and cons discussed above, it is a fact that the pros of the war overruled the cons. I know many people may not have my views and will refute with me. It is difficult for justifying a war whatever the objective it may have. Just for taking revenge upon one person (Saddam) putting all the people in a nation into the massacres of a war is definitely unacceptable in the current world. Sovereignty of all the states should be honored by all. At the same time we should remember that the war was caused by the massacres of Saddam also. He himself responsible for killing many people and many people are now relieved because of the execution of Saddam. Conclusions Any forms of war are not advisable to the best interests of the people. At the same time, sometimes wars are necessary to eliminate common enemies and Iraq war was one such war which succeeded in eliminating Saddam from power and to save at least some of the ethnic community in Iraq (Kurds) from total destruction. On the other hand, Iraq war affected the innocent people in Iraq many ways. It affected the American public as well. But considering the pros and cons of the Iraq war, pros seem to have slight edge over the cons. Implications Iraq war has not over yet. President Bush thought he could get a walkover, once Saddam is captured and executed. But even after Saddam’s execution, American troops are facing stiff challenges in Iraq. Nobody knows what is going to be the future of Iraq. America is in a dilemma at present; whether to withdraw the troops from Iraq or not. The objectives of the war have not been achieved yet. Moreover, lot of American soldiers forced to sacrifice their life in Iraq. Many economists believe that the huge expenditure made for the Iraq war is the main cause of American financial crisis at present. Works Cited 1. Abuelo, Matthew. 2006. “Iraq War in Focus”. 29 November 2009. 2. Cole, Juan. 2004. “US Mistakes in Iraq”. Testimony before Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, April 20, 2004. 3. Codevilla, Angelo M. 2007.“American Statecraft and the Iraq War”. 29 November 2009. 4. Hayden, Tom. 2007. “Ending the War in Iraq”. Publisher: New York: Akashic Books. 2007. 5. Keegan, John. 2005. “The Iraq War”. Publisher: Vintage (May 24, 2005) 6. Moore, Stan. “Some Strategic Disadvantages for America in the War on Iraq”. 29 November 2009. 7. Qasserras Lahcen.2007. “The Truth Of the American War against Iraq”. 29 November 2009. 8. Rogers, Paul. 2006. “Iraq and the War on Terror: Twelve Months of Insurgency 2004/2005”. Publisher: I. B. Tauris (March 3, 2006) 9. ssrkraju. 2006. “US war on Iraq-justified or not”. 29 November 2009. Read More