The Background of the Iraq War - Case Study Example

The background of the Iraq war Middle East has been influenced and dominated several times by different nations including U.S. The main goal behind dominating Middle East has always been the same that is its vast oil reserves. During the Cold War, Soviet issues have been used several times in order to justify involvement in the region; however, in the modern time the main reason has always been for oil. Even during Palestine-Israel conflict that has been the most sensitive issue all around the history, the reason of the war is to support Jewish community of Palestine and Israel and to ensure an ally in the region due to the interest in oil in a particular region. Moreover, it is often said that this issue raised due to the suffering of Jews who suffered during the World War II. A concept that has been built in the minds of the people is that whenever Israel policies criticize the activities of Palestine, or any other Arabs is due to anti-Semetic concerns. Similarly, for Afghan Jihad that occurred during 1980, Soviet started a brutal war against Afghanistan. Apparently, the cause behind the war that Soviet highlighted was due to corruption and terrorism. But, in reality the reason behind the war was in order to get access to the Indian Ocean for military trainings and to get control over natural resources of the region. All through the history, it is apparent that Iraq has its own significance. It has been the center of attraction all around the world because of its geography and resourcefulness. It has its certain importance in the history because It have been the main hub for providing the most essential resource all across the world such as oil and petroleum. It has been invaded several times by different nations of the world but one of the most atrocious wars that occurred in the history of Iraq was when America led invasion on Iraq in 2003. This war began after the telecast of the speech addressed by President Bush, where he gave a 48- hour ultimatum to the president of Iraq named Saddam Hussein to either leave the country or face the military conflict. On March 19, America started the actual war by striking the location where President Saddam and the top lieutenants of the country were expected to meet. One of the main reasons behind the war were the terrorist attacks on America on September 11, 2001, because of that Bush Administration suspected Iraq for having access to massive destructive weapons that could have caused mass destruction. On August 2, 2002, the Vice President address the speech in which he accused Iraq’s President Saddam Hussein for seeking the mass destructive weapons in order to dominate Middle East and to threaten America regarding oil supplies. Afterwards on November 8, 2002, Security Council took action and adopted Resolution 1441 because of U.S urging, and gave Iraq the Final Opportunity either to obey the disarmament obligations that were imposed under the previous resolution, or moreover, face Serious Consequence (Rid 7) According to the U.S, this war was against terrorism and for supporting democracy in the region. However, it cannot be denied that the cause behind the war was the oil interest and other natural resources of the region. Iraq war and its Causes After the vast study and research it comes to knowledge that, Iraq was facing the brutal dictatorship leading by Saddam Hussein from 1979 to 2003. He invaded the nation of Kuwait for more than six months and showed various contempt against the international terms agreed after Second Word War such as No-fly-zone. As a result to this, U.S put forward the number of rationales including violence committed by Saddam against his own nation, manufacturing of mass destructive weapons and disobedience of Security Council resolution. U.S asked U.N Security Council to approve an attack against Afghanistan. Primarily, the war went accurately in a way it was planned, and Saddam’s government became threw away. Afterwards, U.N held elections in support to the constitution and government respectively but due to the rebellion that got raised after the war led the country toward Civil War. It destabilized the newly formed government and gave rise to the terrorism. However, it was clear and apparent that there were no WMD (Mass Destructive Weapons) were found in Iraq that could damage the integrity of U.S.A. It undoubtedly depicts that, the war occurred in order to get control on the Natural resources of Iraq particularly the oil reserves. Cost of the Iraq war The cost that United State spent at Iraq war is estimated more than $600 billion or may be trillion or more dollars. There are many hidden costs that were not being represented in official parameters. According to the report the direct cost of the war was more than 1.1 trillion. Although the cost spent on the Department of Defense totaled as minimum $757.8 billion. Apart from this there were several different costs that were spent including the interest paid on the fund that was borrowed during the war. Military Operation and Life loss during the War Iraq War is also known as Second Persian War. Military operation that took place in Iraq consists of two major phases, in the first phase the combined force of United Stated, Britain and other smaller groups from various countries invaded Iraq and defeated Iraq’s military a paramilitary forces. It was followed by another longer phase in which insurgent began to fight against U.S military and gave rise to Civil War. In 2007, when the rebellion turned down, U.S reduced its military from Iraq that resulted in the withdrawal in December 2011. It is estimated that more than 3600 American troops that were killed in the war and just about 26000 were wounded. Approximately 300 troops of various allied forces were also killed during the war. According to the report, It has claimed that more than 50,000 Iraqi insurgents have been killed, and about 50,000 to 60,000 Iraqi civilian were killed in the war. Reasons of U.S Invasion on Iraq The main reasons of invasion on Iraq by the United States of America can be described through the six suppositions, 9/11 and the 1991 Gulf war, Afghanistan, Oil Revenues, Saddam Hussein. The United States invasion of Iraq in 2003 was a legacy of 1991’s Gulf War. Following 9/11 immediately Afghanistan War took place and caused rapid victory to America. This is the second reason of the Iraq invasion. If Afghanistan had proved as difficult to invade at the beginning of war as it did in the end, the United States would not have invaded Iraq. Oil was an issue but the war was not the matter of ‘blood for oil’, which was later proven by the postwar developments of the oil and gas fields of Iraq. The oil revenues in Iraq meant that Saddam Hussein would have the resources and create trouble. Initially, rhe American government thought it would be difficult to remove Saddam from the authority through internal opposition. The threat was of the higher oil prices and distorting solidarity of Western countries. Other than that, there was an overwhelming support in Congress, media and the public. Most of the policy makers of Bush believed that their first choice was not democracy but it’s their last. Another reason for the invasion was that to reformulate Iraq. The fact that there were grudges held by President Bush earlier for Saddam and after the 9/11 attacks Bush had clear reasons to attack Iraq. It is now understood that the American soldiers along with their families have paid higher prices for Iraq invasion and same is the case with the Iraqi people. Later it turned out that quintessentially all the reasons given by Bush for invading Iraq, were false. \Iraq War and Arab Springs The Arab uprisings swept northern Africa and Middle East in 2011. Arab uprisings had the indirect connections to the Iraq war. Young men and women who were behind the Arab spring have admitted to some chances of the link between this revolution and end of Saddam Hussein’s supremacy. One country’s events impact other countries. Many people have agreed on the fact that the Arab spring has been generated as the result of Iraq wars’ influence. “The removal of Saddam Hussein and the toppling of a whole succession of other Arab dictators in 2011 were closely connected.” Makiya Stated in New York Times. It is strongly believed that the Iraq war act paved the way for the Arabs youth to consider their freedom. Furthermore, Makiya said while joining former Vice-President Cheney, “I think that what happened in Iraq, the fact that we brought democracy, if you will, and freedom to Iraq, has had a ripple effect on some of those other countries.”  By considering all facts, it can be concluded that the claims that the U.S made before the war were biased. Primarily U.S argued that Iraq had access to the mass destructive weapons that could be a threat to the integrity of America. But afterwards, there were no such weapons found in Iraq that discloses the conspiracy of the U.S that its main interests were oil and other natural resources of the region. However, it cannot be denied that the efforts that the U.S made in support to promote democracy in the region were considerable that gave rise to the integrity and sovereignty of Iraq. Works Cited Rid, Thomas. War and Media Operations: The US Military and the Press from Vietnam to Iraq. U.S.A: Routledge, 2007. Print. Read More