The Gulf War America?s intervention in Iraq

 The Gulf War America?s intervention in Iraq
It is widely accepted that the war and peace are considered to be vitally interrelated and interdependent notions that cannot be avoided in the view of history. Thus, war being one of the most terrible phenomena in the modern world, occupies a strong position in the history of world formation and partition of territories and powers. In addition, alongside peacemaking, sometimes it produces horrible destructive impact on the states and their residents. However, very often economical, political, social decline come along with moral perversion of both: the warriors and the innocents in front of the face of war. America’s involvement in the Gulf War as well as its foreign policy at the time of the war with Iraq is not an exception.

The Gulf War is considered to be perhaps the most efficient of the wars in the whole American History, at least if considering the costs in numerous American lives. The war proved that the USA technology and also the US doctrine in the sphere of military development is rather a potent power when being applied to the world stage. However, during the years after the war was ended there still are negotiations, blames and disagreements concerning the important issue whether the USA was appropriately justified in waging the war against Moslemin Iraq and also whether the war was prosecuted fairly warrant and far enough. Let us consider the case in particular.

Thus, The Iraqi army crossed the border of Kuwait in 1991, on August the second and managed to occupy this small rich in oil state’s capital city on the southern side of the Persian Gulf. However, the occupation turned out to last a couple of months. It was ended on February the 28, 1991 after the offensive launch committed by the conglomeration of various, mostly Western forces sent to the country and interfered with the local conflict according to the general resolutions of the United Nations.[1]

The Middle East has always been a specific region in different complicated relationships. It is a blend of complex politics involving religious strife, family ties between rulers, and differences in socio-economic and also human personality. In spite of the Middle East’s often unstable nature, however, most of the world countries were shocked by the Iraqi invasion and capture of Kuwait. Meanwhile Iraq justified its military move primarily basing on the grounds that the independent small oil rich state called Kuwait once was a part of Iraq and thus it should be again. Of course, it was also a power played by Iraq aimed at seizing the richest oil fields and resist the world’s giants. It was the key of the conflict for both Iraq and the USA-oil, black gold that cost he millions of war victims for both.

Hence, years later, the USA-led war against Iraq was not started in March 2003, as a lot of Americans still think. In fact, Britain and the USA had been working out the undeclared war against Iraq for about twelve years, since the ending of the Gulf Slaughter in 1991.[2] The actual target has been the total destruction of the Iraqi society enabling in such a way Britain and the USA to get total control of Iraq’s huge oil reserves and the world’s supremacy. However, as a result of applied economic sanctions against Iraq, “the prevention of the delivery of much-needed medical and other supplies because of US vetoes in the U.N. Security Council, and the carcinogenic effects of depleted uranium left over from the 1991 Gulf Slaughter, over a million people (two-thirds of them children) have died (this figure is over and above the death rate which would have been expected without sanctions).”[3] It was obvious that the policies offered by Britain and the US were truly tyrannical genocidal, and none of the hypocritical moral posturing on the part of Tony Blair and George W. Bush can disguise this fact.

Moreover, it is still a controversial issue about the terract on the 11th of September. Some sources point out the ideas that within hours of the attacks that happened in September the 11th, 2001,to the World Trade Center and also the Pentagon that killed over 3000 people, the Bush administration was blaming Osama bin Laden and his alleged Al-Qaeda network, and “declaring a so-called war on terrorism immediately the Pentagon put into effect its already-prepared plans for massive bombing raids against Afghanistan (with the purpose of furthering American plans for an oil pipeline from Turkmenistan to Pakistan).”[4]

At that very time no true suggestion was made that Iraq was indeed connected to the September 11th attacks in different, but a way. Sure thing, the American government could not reveal the real reason for starting the war to the American people. They considered it to be unwarranted, as well as the politics of the president was blamed and supported by minority of residents from the very beginning. Everything pointed to the fact that it was ridiculous and posturing to start the war only because America had its ambitions in the face of the world and had its finger in everything. That is why in September 2002 USA media and also a US government disinformation campaign was launched to persuade the ordinary American people that it was really Iraq that was behind these attacks and first started the war against America. It is interesting to know that the newest versions of the events insist on the following rendition:  It was the USA that framed up the terract in 2001 to be able to justify its own intervention attempts and Iraq destruction. It was organized and set by the government, but millions of people still believe that their fellow citizens were killed by Moslemin.

It is obvious that America’s subsequent involvement in war was pivotal, and the model of policy implemented by the President George W. Bush was reasonably negatively estimated. America was dragged in war as the result of president’s intervention foreign politics an autoregressive function that tracks a decline in approval, measures of economic performance, measures of important “rally events,” and a measure of the costs of war - in this case, the U.S. death toll in the Iraq War.[5]

“There is evidence; whether Americans were greeted as liberators or not, that they are now viewed as occupiers. Stability has not been established. The benefits of the War, clearly, have been markedly different from those claimed.”[6] Indeed, the costs of war in economical, social, political, etc. relations were just deplorable. The experience of the war once again revealed the violence and hostility of the American government, prior happened in Vietnam. Hence, appealing to the war crime issues, the American troops were recorded to commit the most ruthless, the most violent, and the most inhuman war in Iraq, as well as in Vietnam.

Speaking about the ethical issues that were triggered by the war and particularly the president’s policy, it is widely accepted that the war in Iraq was not necessary for the American people, as well as the Iraq residents and raised the waves of protest quite reasonably.

Thus, some researcher claim the war was senseless. It was Iraqui internal war conflict, their case, their business, their culture. Though, was the intervention warranted in this case - that is doubtful, as far as the American troops had to make an example of civilized and highly developed state? I believe the war in Iraq was another example of American desire to win over at any cost. Thus, it is evident that American troops did not quite know what they were fighting against and why in Iraq. Were they roughly having fun while killing and torturing the Iraqi people? It was demanded from the state. The warriors thought they were on peace making operation, but they were wrong. They were dragged in the unfair game of the upper strata of political forces. It was the chasing of the success and world recognition at all costs. However, was it worth raping, killing, sacking, and exposing innocent people? So, what were outcomes of war? Certainly the violence, terror, deaths of innocent, victimization of peoples, economical collapse, etc, were the outcome. However, all wars are caused by people’s greediness. Hence, these devastating processes were the causation of the human military activities.

From the point of view of the international relationships, the USA has always been blamed for bloodshed and ruthlessness in relation to other world states reasonably. Its dominant position imposed or dictated its political, financial, social ideas on quite different and independent states. Thus, military expansions in Iraq have proved the disgraceful examples of “unequal fight.”[7]

In addition, it is essential to mention the economical costs spent on the military operations during the war that greatly damaged the national economy. Thus, according to the official data; “Congress has already appropriated approximately $357 billion for military operations, reconstruction, embassy costs, enhanced security at US bases and foreign aid programs in Iraq and Afghanistan. This total, which covers costs through the end of November 2005, includes $251bn for military operations in Iraq, $82 bn for Afghanistan and $24bn for related foreign operations, such as reconstruction, embassy safety and base security.”[8]

 More than that, these very costs have been vastly rising throughout the war: “since FY 2003, the monthly average cost of operations has risen from $4.4 bn to $7.1 bn – the costs of operations in Iraq have grown by nearly 20% since last year (whereas Afghanistan was 8% lower than last year).”[9] The Congressional Budget Office estimated that in their mid-range central scenario the Iraq war will probably cost over $266 bn more in the next decade, thus putting the immediate costs of the war in the range of $500 billion.[10]

Appealing to the data provided, it is evident that war was not only unwilling from the social point of view, it was quite unprofitable from the economical view for the country and its citizens. War brought huge devastating processes within the state and caused stir within the publicity and mass media.

In addition, speaking about the Iranian involvement in the war, it is essential to mention that though some analysts in the realm of military intelligence have concluded that there was no warrant concrete evidences about the involvement of Iran in Gulf War, however, it has been admitted that Iran managed to provide the special training, supported financially giving money and weapons, and also the intelligence to Shiite rebellions in Iraq.

 Some sources also claim that approximately up to 150 warriors from Iran? as well as Iranian intelligence agents, including the members of well known Iranian Revolutionary Guard were believed to participate being active in war in Iraq at any time given. [11] In such a way the members of the Iranian Quds Force, alongside the organization called Iranian Revolutionary Guard were hired and thought to train the members of the terror network famous as Qazali, especially in explosives technologies. They also served to provide the network with munitions, arms, and various military advisors. It was found out that the majority of the explosive devices, also including the so called “improvised explosives” (IEDs) as well as armor-piercing penetrators (EFPs), that were used by Iraqi rebels were claimed to be provided from Iran, as well as made or Iranian-designed.[12]

It is obvious that the neighboring country could possibly assist in the course of war. The most significant is that no matter whether it is true that Iran was dragged and participated as an ally in the Iraq war or not, it was inadequate on the part of the USA to drag its citizens to the strange war. It was the war of the strange religion, culture and language. I believe the Western forces were sure to play with fire. The USA policy in course of war was insufficient and unnecessary for those who were at home watching their sons, husbands, and brothers dying in the hell of Moslemin conflicts. The military conflict between Iraq and Kuwait was their own business and should not have been interfered by the Western civilization states. The war had nothing to do with them, and still they interfered. Instead, to emphasize its worlds domination and supremacy, the USA being a highly developed democratic and liberal country, resorted to bloodshed in sake of its own ambitions, in fact the ambitions of the leaders in the lead of the state.

Thus, according to Thomas Juul Dyhr: “the argument in support of the war was vanished from modern legal framework in international law of armed conflict, it could b argued that some countries, with the US as the pioneer, is trying to reclaim this legal figure to justify a unilateral intervention in Iraq 2003 in accordance with the new Bush doctrine.”[13]

Indeed, a lot has changed since the war ending. Now all the aspects of the war are reviewed and interpreted differently, however, it was possible to look at the problem soberer from the very beginning, before the national tragedy. People were acknowledged of the president’s politics regarding the war; still it was inevitable, it was irrevocably necessary for this very president, who sent the American soldiers to fight not for the freedom, fairness and peace, but for the oil fields of the strange country to insist on the intervention and interventional doctrine.

I believe the state’s actions in 2003 are not justified and warrant. They will never be, and never were. Every abiding citizens should be politically conscious, especially concerning the issue so f war and peace. It is the human who is always responsible for the actions he evolves in fight fro or against.

 

Bibliography
Dyhr, Thomas. Just War in Iraq 2003. Legal dissertation. University of Copenhagen.2003.

Eichenberg, R. C., Stoll, R. J., Lebo, M. War President: The Approval Ratings of George W. Bush. The Journal of  Conflict Resolution. Vol. 50, No. 6 (Dec., 2006), pp. 783-808.

Farhang Rajaee. The Iran-Iraq war: the politics of aggression. University Press of Florida, pp. 245. Ibid. 

MG Peter W. Chiarelli and MAJ Patrick R. Michaelis, “Winning the Peace: The Requirement for Full-Spectrum Operations,” Military Review (July-August 2005): 5.

Pilgers, John. The Secret War on Iraq. 2002.CBO, 2005. 

Congressional Research Service Report for Congress, “The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan and Enhanced Base Security Since 9/11”, Amy Belasco, Defense Specialist, October 7, 2005. This covers funding in P.L.107-117, 107-206, 1207-115,108-7,108-11,108-106,108-199,108-287,109-13,108-447, and the recent FY 2006 Continuing Resolution (109-77) which provides $45bn for the 6-week period starting 9/30/05.
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