The U.S. Leaves a Legacy in Iraq: Torture, Corruption and Civil War

Going to war and invading another country is certainly a serious and very complicated task done only with the best and brilliant minds. On March 20, 2003, the U.S. armed forces initiated a military campaign against Iraq with the aim of disrupting the terror network and seizing weapons of terror and mass destruction. It was a well-coordinated and well-planned attack that saw the use of modern high precision military hardware and effective military tactics. With the world watching in awe, the world’s only remaining superpower showed the very reason for its dominance.

And now after 8 grueling months of intense battle and dramatic scenes, the last batch of U.S. troops that faithfully served the war is finally leaving the country. Many questions still remain especially with regards to the reasonability of the war and the success it has done. With over 4000 U.S. personnel deaths, 31, 827 wounded in action and an ever growing insurgency, many are still convinced that the U.S. fought an unwinnable and irrational war. Facts show us that the insurgency today is more willing and more determined to kill compared to the insurgency faced by the invasion forces.

But perhaps the most destructive stain the U.S. has brought to Iraq is the plague of Al Qaeda. The invasion caused a massive civil war which explains the existence of mercenaries and insurgent groups threatening to create havoc and bloodshed all across the country. Almost every day, there is at least an Iraqi or an allied soldier who gets killed by attacks from insurgency. It also resulted in widespread corruption with government funds going unaccounted. And worst of all, the number of human rights violation soared so high that torture became a norm for punishment.

It is also good to take note that America is leaving 50,000 troops to teach and train the Iraqi army. These troops will definitely be attacked and be forced to also defend themselves. Just recently, a suicide bomber blew himself just outside an army recruiting center killing over 60 Iraqi recruits. It clearly shows the danger faced by those troops and the degree of civil unrest that U.S. forces left in Iraq. It is also quite disheartening that there are now over 1 million Iraqi’s who lost their life since the conflict started.

The U.S. fully believed that they have achieved victory in this war. What they don’t know is that millions more are suffering because of their wrongdoings. The legacy left by U.S. forces in Iraq is not really honor but torture, corruption and civil war instead.

U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq: The End of Their Combatant Role

After almost 8 years in combat against the Islamic forces of Iraq, Al-Qaeda based in Iraq, Baath Party loyalists and other insurgents, the U.S. armed forces are now ready to give up their combatant role in Iraq. U.S. Commander Ray Odierno stated that Iraq is now ready and capable to run its own government and take internal and external affairs into its own hand. Iraqi people have also taken the challenge in pursuing a stronger government to rule the oil-rich nation.

It was in March 30, 2003 when the first military operations began in Iraq. The world witnessed one of the most systematic, most sophisticated and most advanced aerial bombardments ever done. One of the main highlights of the war was the fall of Baghdad the capital city and the capture of Saddam Hussein. Hussein would eventually be executed because of massive list of crimes he committed against the Iraqi people. But just as the U.S. thought that the war will end, insurgents resulted to unconventional tactics such as roadside and suicide bombing.

It is horrifying to note that at least 1 allied serviceman died in Iraq each week. It is estimated that over 4 thousand U.S. forces have lost their lives in Iraq. There were also international debates with regards to the validity and reasonability of the invasion. According to various surveys, about 82-87% of the Iraqi population opposed the U.S. occupation and with 53% saying that the Iraqi government is better strengthened without the presence of U.S. forces.

It is no doubt that the U.S. has spent a more money in this war compared to the GDP’s of other nations. It has been reported that the U.S. alone has spent $845 billion including foreign aid to Iraq. The total cost of the war will most likely reach $3 trillion. Considering the internal problems such as economic recession and unemployment that the American nation is facing, it is very welcoming to hear that the U.S. has finally decided to end the war and leave the responsibilities to the Iraqi people.

The insurgency will only grow stronger as long as the U.S. forces stayed in Iraq. With the departure of the U.S. forces, Iraqi’s now take full responsibility on taking care of their nation. General Odierno emphasized that it is very important to establish a stable government as fears of civil war might arise. But he further mentioned that he believes the Iraqis are now willing and capable of running their own country. With this, the U.S. will now only function as an adviser role and give full authority to Iraqi politicians. This will not only save a huge amount of American taxpayer’s money but also save the life every American military serviceman.

From Iraq to Afghanistan: Changing the War Strategy

The United States armed forces have shown the world how and what a superpower really is. Imagine participating in two major wars (Afghanistan and Iraq) and is now threatened to have another war with Iran and North Korea. They also have conflicts in the Middle East where they impose absolute security for their ally, Israel. The mindset and decisions made by Pres. Obama is not only limited to internal affairs such as the economy but also a large part of it goes to the security and defense.

We can still remember the day former President George W. Bush accused the Iraqi regime in possessing weapons of mass destruction and immediately called for an invasion. It was part of the United States Anti-terrorism policy which aims to disable terrorist networks and destroy as much as possible, their weapons of terror. After 8 grueling and bloody years, Iraqi regime has been completely overthrown though there are still several insurgencies at present.

Just recently, Pres. Obama announced a major shift in the Iraqi war strategy. He emphasized his promise of withdrawing over 200,000 troops in Iraq. He reiterated though that there will still be approximately 50,000 troops which will be left to serve as a transitional force and train the Iraqi armed forces. The target deadline for the troop withdrawals will be by the end of next year. The shift in policy will promote Iraq capability and independence. This will also empower the newly-established Iraqi government to act on its own in governing its people.

The troop withdrawals in Iraq will compliment the troop surge in Afghanistan. The US will basically put more focus and attention to Afghanistan as it is the breeding ground for most terrorist networks and organizations. Pres. Obama ordered over 30,000 fresh troops to be deployed in Afghanistan. The administration also reiterated that though the new mission will be quite hard and complicated, it is certainly winnable and achievable.

Both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have taken the lives of thousands of Americans and other NATO nationalities. Also do take note that the US government has been rapidly spending billions of dollars for these military operations and for foreign aid. Let us just hope that the US government does not get too much preoccupied with security issues and forget about internal affairs of the nation. Let us also hope that the progress that the government has been constantly reporting is factual and real. Despite numerous issues faced by the government, I still have faith that the Obama administration will be able to resolve this very long war.

War and Foreign Aid over Education and Social Welfare

If you were elected a high post in the government, what sectors would be your top priority? Would you provide more funding and more projects to the education sector? Or would you instead invest more in homeland security in order to promote peace and prosperity? Every voter puts a great deal of importance to the various agendas and priorities that a politician mentions during his/her campaign. Sadly, not all politicians have the right mind to put a reasonable weighing on various agendas.

In what could be another misguided and poorly reviewed decision, the senate has voted to reject the house bill passed by house Democrats. The bill was supposed to give $10 billion in grants to school districts in order to avoid massive layoff of teachers and other staff, $5 billion of grants to college students with low income, $1 billion for a summer job program that is supposed to benefit students who struggle to pay for their educational fees and $700 million to bolster security along the US-Mexico border.

Instead, the senate submitted a senate version of the bill that focuses more on the war in Afghanistan. Though the never-ending war in Afghanistan is thought to be unwinnable situation, it is surprising to note that the Obama administration is still persistent in pursuing the unimaginable war. In a time where the country is suffering from the devastating effects of a financial and economic meltdown, the government is spending more on a useless and expensive war. The cost of the war is expected to reach $1 trillion. That is more than the economic stimulus bill that Pres. Obama presented to help companies recover from recession.

While companies are declaring bankruptcy, citizens are without jobs, the middle class are losing their benefits and their homes; the government has been busy building bombs, producing war machines and hunting terrorists. It is a shame to note that the government who is supposed to promote the welfare and well-being of every American citizen, has instead give more priority to external affairs which are not really in need of much attention. Choosing military financing over education is such a shameful and unreasonable decision.

America, for many years, is seen as a global superpower. With high-tech and state of the art military technologies, no country can stand in its way. But what can military equipment do if the people, the taxpayers and the voters of the nation are suffering and starving. Soon, the only education that kids will get is how to fire a gun and how to kill someone. Would that be a suitable and ideal future? To the voting sector, it is time to start pressuring your politicians about their priorities as this will greatly influence your vote come the time of elections.