Iraq War: Hawk or Dove - Essay Example

Iraq was supposedly occupied by the Americans with the initial purpose of ensuring peace, progress, and modernity there and rescuing the public of Iraq from the heavy influence exercised by the rigid and exacting government.

It is my argument that though America presented many justifiable reasons for invading Iraq, the deteriorating condition of Iraq and the helpless condition of the American troops patrolling there have collectively imposed such a heavy burden on the economy of America that millions of families are getting badly affected owing to this purposeless war while not meeting the criteria given by the hawks.

Proponents of the invasion of Iraq had a few primary justifications. There were fears that Saddam Hussein was developing WMDs. There was concern that he had been connected to al Qaeda cells (Rumsfeld, 2009). And, of course, he was a brutal dictator. One problem was that they kept offering different justifications, saying that one was central one day and the other the next, but the case did look compelling initially. They also claimed UN Security Council support. Some had messianic justifications: Falwell also argues that the Iraq war is justifiable and was indeed initiated by God’s will and authority (2004).

Meanwhile, opponents said that the war was illegal. The UN Charter makes it illegal for countries to unilaterally invade other countries, no matter what other Resolutions are on the table. The Security Council had not acted, so it was illegal. They argued that the war would lead to more terrorism, a claim that seemed to become compelling in the aftermath of the invasion as suicide bombings began in a country that did not have them prior. They also argued that Saddam Hussein had no WMDs, which was hard to tell at the time but became prescient when it was discovered that he didn't. They argued that the invasion could lead to the looting of WMDs and that the invasion was mostly about securing oil and resources for Western corporations. They claimed that the invasion could undermine the NPT and the UN and thus lead to the danger of war.

            The unjustifiable and untimely decision of America to invade Iraq has led the American public especially to put up with the “worse than imagined” consequences (Chelala, 2010). This war has initiated destructive humanitarian consequences that have become a major worrisome issue for America at the present and that is also strengthening with every passing day. Millions have died according to excess death indices. White phosphorus has been used as an explosive chemical repeatedly during the war, which has created a deplorable and bloodcurdling unhygienic condition in many areas of Iraq. Doctors have been overwhelmed and exasperated due to the soaring number of infants born with congenital mental and physical impairments. Depleted Uranium munitions have also come under fire. Some native doctors even suggest that every kind of imaginable toxic pollutant has been used in some particular areas of Iraq after the ruthless American invasion.

            The deeper reason for the US invasion of Iraq is quite different from the reasons presented before the war for the satisfaction of the rest of the world (Ratner et al, 2003). The major actual reason for invading Iraq was consolidating America’s power by controlling the vast oil reserves that are the pride of Iraq’s nation.  Allegations like the presence of WMDs were debunked both before and after by independent reports. It is identified by Holt that “Iraq has 115 billion barrels of known oil reserves that are more than five times the total in the United States”, establishing a solid financial motive (2007).

              Considering the present restless condition of Iraq and myriad accidents happening there every single day, many people around the globe are forced to believe that this American invasion has done little to bring the Iraqi public into the mainstream. Rather, this forceful occupation has resulted in vicious poverty and uncontrollable angry riots. Saddam Hussein truly was a threat. But he has not been replaced by Iraqi independence, but by foreign Iraqi domination; he has not been replaced by less WMD risk, but by more thanks to the undermining of the NPT and looting; and he has not been replaced by less terror but by more, with suicide bombing and sectarian warfare. The verdict is clear: The war, no matter the motives, was a failure.