Operation Iraqi Freedom - Article Example

Operation Iraqi Freedom The U.S entered the Iraq war in order to achieve a number of objectives that dealt with both national security and the freedom of the Iraq people. Though casualties were suffered during this war, it is safe to say that they were able to achieve these objectives in the end. The relationship between the western and Middle Eastern countries can hardly be termed as a good one considering the tension that has always surrounded the interactions between the two powers. A number of factors have been blamed for this lack of cohesion, but the main one can be said to be the religious differences and modes of government that when combined have elicited a level of dissatisfaction from both sides on various issues regarding both national as well as global concerns. Though countries such as the U.S and U.K have a tolerance of all religions and do not let various beliefs affect the way their countries are governed, the Middle Eastern countries are largely Islam states and have taken some of the Sheria law as part and parcel of their governance with a strict adherence to various laws set by the Koran and its religious teachings. These countries have also looked upon the Western countries as sources that are intent on destroying the religious base upon which they are built upon with their loose morality standards and have in many turned their back on what they consider to be westernized practices but are actually part of a democratic governance. Though at a cost because the lives of many people were lost and property destroyed, the United States accomplished its mission of able ensuring that there was no threat to their national security through the presence of weapons of mass destruction and achieved democracy for the Afghan and Iraq people With this tense relationship in mind, it did not help matters that rumors emerged that Iraq were planning on acquiring/making weapons of mass destruction (WMD), which was not a comfortable thought for many western countries particularly the U.S and U.K who feared that the Iraq government may be determine to use these weapons against them to settle old scores at the smallest provocation and thus took it upon themselves to ensure that this did not happen (Lambeth 14). The United Nations Security Council acting on these concerns called for the Iraq government to corporate with weapons inspectors that they sent to the country to determine whether the allegations of WMD were true and though there was no solid proof from these inspections there was no certainty in the results and thus the U.S and U.K mounted an invasion on the country that led to the Iraq war (Aymenn 64). The war can be said to have occurred in two phases, with the first being when the U.S and U.K forces invaded Iraq March 2003, and the second phase occurring as a result of this initial action as insurgents rose to fight this invasion and the coalition forces that had been established as a result of the newly formed Iraq government. An armed conflict took place as both sides fought to gain control over the country leading to an all out war between the insurgents and the U.S and U.K forces. This war was officially ended 7 years later on December 18, 2011 but not before both sides had suffered large amounts of devastation as a result. The basis of the war was said to be for the safety of the western nations as well as the freedom of the Iraq people as it was said that the current ruler Saddam Hussein was in cahoots with Al-Qaida, a terrorist cell that was responsible for many attacks all over the world. Saddam was accused of assisting them in various ways including providing them with protection and weapons, and for this reason, it was decided that he was not fit to lead his nation thus the formation of the new Iraq government (Lambeth 20). The main reasons for The U.S entering the war was due to the war it had declared on terrorism after the attacks on the twin towers forever remembered in everyone’s memory as 9/11 (Rubin & Wong). The attack that took down what was at that time the world’s tallest buildings led to a swift reaction by the American government with the then president George Bush declaring that the country will not wait for an attack, but will instead bring the fight to their enemies. Though one particular man (Osama Bin laden) took responsibility for the attack, countries in the Middle East such as Iraq and Afghanistan were viewed as potential threats to the U.S especially due to the many topics that the countries could not see eye to eye on with these governments publicly criticizing the United States government and suspected of hiding terrorists such as Bin laden in their countries in effect offering them sanctuary (Cutler). So when the rumors of a plan to develop Weapons of Mass Destruction surfaced, the initial response that was taken by the United Nations did not seem sufficient enough to the U.S to fully neutralize this potential threat and thus the government made a decision to mount a more active initiative for the sake of the safety of the country and her people (Rubin & Wong). The threat of WMD could not just be ignored, and the U.S government was not willing to agree with the word of the current Iraq government at its word that no WMD existed and had to make sure of it. Saddam’s government would have never readily agreed to allow the entry of U.S troops into their country and thus there was no other option but to mount an invasion and deal with the resistance that would undoubtedly meet them upon their entry. The autocratic rule that surrounded the government of Saddam Hussein was also a reason for the U.S to enter the war. With it being a highly democratic government, it was unacceptable that an individual should rule over his people with such an iron and unfair hand (Rubin & Wong). The U.S then took the responsibility of freeing the Iraq people from such rule to enable them to enjoy the fruits of a democratic state upon themselves and the only way to acheive this was to start war against Saddam as the leader would never have agreed to step down willingly. The leader was also wanted for crimes against humanity making him unfit to take any position of influence let alone lead the country (Pincus). He was largely considered to be a dictator and the Iraq people suffered under his governance as nepotism and corruption ran rampant in the different levels of his government ensuring that the rich got richer while the poor remained poor as he only looked out for his family and friends. The progress of the country seemed almost impossible with him at the reigns, and the only way to improve the status of its citizens was through stripping Saddam of his power. This fete could not be achieved by the people themselves as Saddam wielded all the power through the control of the armed forces and thus needed external help, this help was supplied by the U.S and U.K forces (Londono). The U.S can be said to have the goals that they decided to achieve when they invaded Iraq as investigations discovered that though there were no weapons of mass destruction within Iraq, the government had planned to revive the ambition once the Iraq sanctions were lifted. The demolition of Saddam Hussein’s government however put a stop to those plans and America is now able to rest a little bit easier. The troops that were sent into Iraq were also able to bring down the tyrannical government that was run by Saddam and his cohorts allowing the people of Iraq to enjoy the fruits of democracy as a result (Rubin & Wong). The U.S troops were eventually able to capture Saddam and the dictator was finally tried and executed for his crimes against humanity ensuring that justice had been served to the Iraq people. Though there was initial resistance from the rebels who fought on behalf of Saddam’s Iraq government as well as the members of various terrorist cells that were present in Afghanistan such as the Taliban who opposed the invasion of the U.S troops into their home soil, most Afghans were susceptible to the idea of the U.S soldiers coming over to help them as they were the ones suffering under the various regimes and had no desire to keep the previous governments in power. The Afghan people welcomed the introduction of American troops as they offered protection from cells such as the Taliban and the hope that they would one day be able to live a better life free of fear (Moore & Oppel). This can be seen when the U.S troops were able to bring down the Saddam regime in Iraq and individuals celebrated in the streets at the news of his capture as they were now able to express themselves without fear of endangering their lives or those of their families. The citizens in Iraq even went as far as tearing down a statue of his likeness that had been erected in his honor during his rule and burning effigies of him in a representation of freedom from his tyrannical rule. The same reactions were to be seen in Afghanistan when the dictating government was brought down, and individuals were able to celebrate in the streets (Baker). Another example of the susceptibility of the Afghan people to the entry of the American troops is through their willingness to help them in fighting against the insurgent forces and terrorist cells that rose up against them. The United States were able to receive assistance from coalition forces who though may not have been properly trained, were more than willing to put their lives at risk alongside their American counterparts in the fight for freedom (Rubin & Wong). The American troops were able to work with these forces including providing them with weapons and training them for battle in the fight against terrorism and this proved to be a big help as they knew the course of the land better than their western counterparts. In conclusion, though the war against terrorism that was waged in Iraq resulted in a large number of casualties for both the U.S and U.K armed forces and cost alot, the end results were definitely worth it as not only were the United States able to ensure that there was no threat to their national security via the presence of WMD, but they were also able to achieve democracy for the Afghan and Iraq people as well which is a gift that keeps on giving.              Works Cited Akbar, Muqarrab. “Pakistan at Crossroads: War against Terrorism. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences.2011: p 155-168. Web. November 12, 2012. Al Tamimi, Aymenn. Rethinking U. S. Strategy in Afghanistan. Middle East Quarterly. Winter 2012: p57-66. Web. November 12, 2012. Cutler, David "Timeline: Invasion, surge, withdrawal; U.S. forces in Iraq". Reuters.com. Reuters, 18 Dec. 2011. Web. November 12, 2012. Kevin Baker "The Quietest War: Weve Kept Fallujah, but Have We Lost Our Souls?" American Heritage.com American Heritage. Oct. 2006. Web. November 12, 2012. Lambeth, Benjamin. Air Power Against Terrorism: America’s Conduct of Operation Enduring Freedom. Santa Monica: RAND Corporation, 2001. Londoño, Ernesto "Operation Iraqi Freedom ends as last combat soldiers leave Baghdad. Washington Post, Aug 19. 2010. Web. November 12, 2012. Moore, Solomon; Oppel Jr, Richard A. Attacks Imperil U.S.-Backed Militias in Iraq. The New York Times. Jan 24. 2008. Web. November 12, 2012. Pincus, Walter. Violence in Iraq Called Increasingly Complex. The Washington Post, Nov 17. 2006. Web. November 12, 2012. Ricks, Thomas E.; Ann Scott Tyson "Intensified Combat on Streets Likely". Washington Post, Jan 11. 2007. Web. 1 November 12, 2012. Rubin, Alissa J. & Wong, Edward. Patterns of War Shift in Iraq amid U.S. Buildup. The New York Times, April 9. 2007. Web. November 12, 2012. Read More