Introduction
The war invasion of America in Iraq was a turning point in the history of the United States. It signaled a new era of American involvement in the world, and it had a profound impact on the way Americans viewed their place in the world. The war also changed the way Americans thought about their security, and it led to a rethinking of American foreign policy in the years to come. The war began shortly after 9/11 when the United States was still reeling from that devastating terrorist attack and struggling to recover from its immediate aftermath (Kiyani, 2022). At that time, many Americans were fearful of future attacks on their soil and wanted their government to take decisive action to prevent another such tragedy.
The war in Iraq was seen as a way to accomplish that goal. The United States and its allies invaded Iraq in March of 2003, and the war lasted for over a decade. During that time, there were many ups and downs. Still, ultimately, the United States and its partners successfully removed Saddam Hussein from power and established a new government in Iraq. However, the war was not without its cost, as over four thousand American soldiers were killed in the conflict.
Discussion
In 2003, the United States invaded Iraq in arguably one of the most controversial military operations in recent history. The stated goal of the invasion was to overthrow the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein and eliminate Iraq’s alleged stockpile of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). However, no WMDs were ever found in Iraq, which has raised serious questions about the real motives behind the war. There are several possible reasons for the invasion, including economic gain, political power, and a desire to create a safer world for Americans.
The 2003 war invasion of America in Iraq was a devastating event for the Iraqi people. Many innocent civilians were killed, injured, or affected by the conflict. Over two million Iraqis were ousted as their homes and livelihoods were destroyed. The economic cost of the war was estimated at $1.7 trillion. In addition, the war brought with it grave human rights violations and crimes against humanity. Despite these tragic consequences, many American leaders supported the war on false premises and continue to do so today.
According to Murray & Scales (2020), the 2003 invasion of Iraq was sold to the public as a necessary step in fighting terrorism. President George W. Bush argued that Iraq posed an imminent threat to the United States, citing alleged connections between Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaeda. However, these claims have since been debunked by several independent investigations. The 9/11 Commission found no evidence that Iraq and Al-Qaeda were cooperating in any way. At the same time, a Senate Intelligence Committee report concluded that the intelligence reporting was not sufficient to distinguish Iraq as an imminent threat.
Although the United Nations did not authorize the 2003 invasion of Iraq, it did have legal backing from the US Congress, which passed a joint resolution known as the authorization for the use of Military Force against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Yoo, 2003). This resolution stated that military action against Iraq was necessary to defend American national security interests in the region. However, many legal experts have questioned the legality of the invasion on the grounds that it violated international law.
According to Hinnebusch (2007), the Bush administration justified the war by citing past UN Security Council resolutions, such as Resolution 678, which authorized member states to use “all necessary means” to oust Saddam Hussein’s regime. However, this resolution did not explicitly authorize the use of military force. Furthermore, UN Security Council resolutions are not legally binding unless they have been adopted under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, which specifies that action may be taken for the purposes of maintaining international peace and security.
One of the most unjust aspects of the Iraq war was its devastating impact on civilians. The U.S.-led coalition resorted to heavy-handed tactics such as airstrikes, shelling, and ground invasion in order to achieve military victory. As a result, thousands of innocent people were injured or killed by American forces. In one particularly notorious incident, a US airstrike in a Baghdad neighborhood killed over 300 civilians (Crawford, 2013). The Pentagon later admitted that the airstrike was a mistake.
The invasion was characterized by a number of disturbing and horrendous acts, including security breaches, looting, and extensive damage to infrastructure. Security at checkpoints was lax and often non-existent, enabling looters to freely enter and pillage shops, private homes, museums, government buildings, and businesses (Crawford, 2013). The Iraq Museum, which holds countless valuable artifacts from ancient Mesopotamian civilizations, was one of the primary targets of looting in the early days following the Iraq invasion. Vast numbers of priceless artifacts were stolen, with some estimates stating that as many as 50,000 pieces were taken from the museum alone during this time. The looting led to widespread fear and panic among the Iraqi population, as many people feared for their safety and property.
In addition to the physical damage caused by the war, Iraq’s economy was also severely impacted. The country’s infrastructure was destroyed, and its oil production was disrupted. This led to widespread unemployment and inflation and a decline in living standards. As of 2016, Iraq’s GDP was still below its pre-war level.
The human rights situation in Iraq also deteriorated sharply during the war. American soldiers were implicated in several high-profile cases of abuse, including the torture of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison. In addition, the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” such as waterboarding was widespread. These practices violated international law and contributed to a further deterioration of America’s reputation worldwide.
Many American politicians continue to defend the Iraq war despite these tragic consequences. Indeed, a number of prominent political leaders in both parties have called for military action against Iran and Syria, citing similar rationales as they did with Iraq 15 years ago. Yet history has shown that such aggressive actions are not only morally reprehensible but also counterproductive in fighting terrorism. The Iraq war was a tragic mistake that should never be repeated. These statements ignore the reality of the conflict, which was a tragedy for both Iraqis and Americans.
While there is no definitive answer as to why the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, it is clear that one of the primary objectives was to gain control of Iraq’s vast oil reserves (Hinnebusch, 2007). At the time of the invasion, Iraq was estimated to have the second-largest proven oil reserves. The United States has long been a major consumer of oil, and controlling Iraq’s oil would provide a significant strategic advantage is a vital resource for modern economies, and controlling the flow of oil can be a major source of power.
In addition to economic gain, the invasion of Iraq was motivated by a desire for political power (Record, 2010). The United States is the most powerful country in the world, and its military operations in Iraq would have given it a considerable amount of influence over the region. Furthermore, an American-led coalition could have effectively put an end to any possible challenges to its political dominance in the Middle East.
Finally, the United States may have invaded Iraq with the goal of creating a safer world for Americans. At the time, there was growing concern about terrorism and other security threats, and many believed that Saddam Hussein’s regime was involved in supporting terrorist groups. Eliminating Saddam Hussein and his government could have been seen as a way to make the world a safer place for Americans.
Despite its devastating impact on the Iraqi people, the 2003 war invasion of America in Iraq received widespread media coverage in the United States. Due to intense public interest and debate surrounding the conflict, it was covered extensively by print and broadcast news outlets. Some critics argued that this coverage was biased or one-sided, as it focused disproportionately on American casualties while downplaying the civilian death toll.
War crimes
Fedayeen Saddam’s militia, Baathist loyalists, and Iraqi Army forces committed numerous war crimes during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and its aftermath. These include indiscriminate firing at civilian targets, killing of surrendering soldiers and civilians, systematic looting, wanton destruction of property, extrajudicial executions, torture, hostage-taking, and the use of human shields (Wald, 2009).
The United States and the United Kingdom have also been accused of war crimes by various observers for their conduct during the invasion and its aftermath, including the use of illegal weapons such as white phosphorus and depleted uranium munitions, indiscriminate bombing, denial of medical assistance to wounded civilians and soldiers, mistreatment of detainees at prisons such as Abu Ghraib, and the killing of journalists.
According to Rather (2003), on 23 March 2003, a maintenance company from the US 507th Maintenance Regiment made a wrong turn into an ambush and was assaulted by Fedayeen Saddam and Iraqi Army soldiers. Eleven American soldiers were killed, and six were captured; two of the captured soldiers later died in captivity. One of the four women in the unit, Specialist Jessica Lynch, was seriously injured but rescued by US special forces troops nine days later.
The ambush of the 507th Maintenance Company was one of several attacks on American forces during the early days of the Iraq War that resulted in significant numbers of US casualties. Other notable engagements include the Battle of Nasiriyah, in which 11 Marines from Task Force Tarawa were killed, and the Battle of Karbala, in which four US troops were killed after being taken hostage by Iraqi irregulars.
On 29 March, Sapper Luke Allsopp and Sapper David Jones of the 33 Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) were killed by a booby trap while trying to disarm an Iraqi tank in Basra (Petley, 2003). Allsopp’s death was the first British combat fatality of the war. Iraqi irregulars killed four American troops who had been taken hostage in the Battle of Karbala on 31 March. Lt. Colonel Dominic Rowe, commander of the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, was killed by a small arms fire while attempting to rescue the hostages. The other three victims—Spc. John Hartley Robertson, Sgt. Michael Edward Curtin and Cpl. Troy Thomas Gilbert—were killed by their captors while in captivity. All four bodies were recovered by US forces on 4 April.
Despite the many war crimes committed during the invasion of Iraq, there were also many acts of resistance and heroism displayed by both American and Iraqi soldiers. One notable example is the rescue of Jessica Lynch (Wall, 2003), who was captured by Iraqi forces but later rescued by a team of elite US special forces in an operation that became a symbol of American courage and tenacity in the face of adversity.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Iraq War was not justified because it was based on flawed intelligence, which led to unnecessary loss of life and destruction. There was no credible evidence that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. Even before the invasion, UN inspectors had been tasked with searching for these weapons and were unable to find any. In addition, intelligence reports from US and British officials provided little to no evidence that Iraq possessed any weapons of mass destruction. In light of this, it is clear that the American invasion was based on pretenses. Another key reason the invasion was unjustified is that it violated international law. The UN Charter explicitly states that the Member States shall refrain from the use of force against another State without the authorization of the Security Council. By launching an invasion of Iraq, the US and its allies violated this principle.
Furthermore, there was no legal basis for the war under international humanitarian law – namely, that the Iraqi government had not committed any crimes against humanity or genocide that would justify an intervention. Finally, the invasion led to a devastating civil war in Iraq that resulted in massive loss of life and displacement. As a result of the invasion, numerous Iraqi civilians were killed by coalition forces or insurgents. In addition, millions of people were forced to flee their homes in order to escape the violence – creating one of the largest refugee crises in modern history. All of this demonstrates that the American invasion was unjustified, as it led to immense suffering for the Iraqi people.
References
Hinnebusch, R. (2007). The US invasion of Iraq: Explanations and implications. Critique: Critical Middle Eastern Studies, 16(3), 209-228.
Record, J. (2010). Wanting war: why the Bush administration invaded Iraq. Potomac Books, Inc.
Murray, W., & Scales, R. H. (2020). The Iraq War. In The Iraq War. Harvard University Press.
Yoo, J. (2003). International law and the war in Iraq. American Journal of International Law, 97(3), 563-576.
Crawford, N. C. (2013). Civilian death and injury in the Iraq war, 2003-2013. Cost of War.
Kiyani, G. (2022). Coup-proofing and political violence: the case of Iraq. Middle Eastern Studies, 58(1), 167-183.
Wald, B. J. (2009). The Impact of Strategic Communication on Victory and Defeat in Iraq: 1998-2006. NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIV NORFOLK VA JOINT ADVANCED WARFIGHTING SCHOOL.
Rather, D. (2003). America at War: The Battle for Iraq: A View from the Frontlines (Vol. 1). Simon and Schuster.
Petley, J. (2003). War without death: Responses to distant suffering. Journal for Crime, Conflict and the Media, 1(1), 72-85.
Wall, R. (2003). Rescue of a POW. Aviation Week & Space Technology, 158(15), 29-29.
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