Washington’s lethal legacy in Iraq

Editor’s word: Wang Jin is a analysis fellow at Charhar Institute and the Northwest College of China. The article displays the creator’s opinion and never essentially the views of CGTN.

On March 20, 2003, the U.S. launched a struggle in opposition to Iraq and overthrew the Saddam Hussein regime with the excuse that it was eliminating weapons of mass destruction and terrorism. The U.S. invasion not solely led to numerous civilian deaths but additionally destroyed the political basis and obliterated the facility steadiness inside Iraq.

The U.S. invasion in opposition to Iraq got here after the 9/11 assaults and Washington’s “Warfare on Terror.” Essentially the most extensively accepted story stays that the U.S. invasion in opposition to Iraq was motivated by the idea that Saddam Hussein had secret weapons of mass destruction program and had ties with terrorism networks. U.S. politician Condoleezza Rice’s made remarks equivalent to, “We do not need the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud,” and the U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell introduced a tiny vial of white powder to the UN Safety Council because the proof of Iraq weapons of mass destruction.

Though Powell’s speech didn’t result in the UN’s approval of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and neither Powell nor Rice made the ultimate resolution of navy motion in opposition to Saddam Hussein, the U.S. struggle on Iraq marked an vital turning level for each the U.S. and Iraq.

The struggle in Iraq marked a decisive second in undermining the U.S.’ worldwide credibility. Not like the struggle in opposition to Iraq in 1991, the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 began with out the assist of the UN Safety Council, even with out the assist from its regional allies, equivalent to Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

In 1991, with the assist of a coalition of a number of international locations, the U.S. launched the struggle in opposition to Iraq, and Washington’s navy victory was became political credit score within the worldwide area. Nevertheless, in 2003, though Washington’s struggle in opposition to Iraq efficiently overthrew the Saddam Hussein regime with a fast victory, the struggle began with out UN authorization and advised the decline of U.S. worldwide credit score.

For the Iraqi folks, the U.S. struggle in 2003 began waves of turbulence that stay in the present day. The U.S. went to Iraq with the ambition of not solely overthrowing Saddam Hussein’s regime and the Ba’ath get together community in Iraq but additionally establishing a “democratic” system and turning Iraq right into a political instance within the Center East. Practically twenty years later, the U.S. has withdrawn its navy presence in Iraq and left a lethal legacy for the Iraqi folks. The U.S. invasion destroyed the political basis and left countless turmoil and unrest within the state.

It additionally destroyed the political steadiness in Iraq. As a state with competing for spiritual sects between Islamic Sunni and Shia, and ethnic divisions between Arab and Kurdish, Iraq now must discover a approach to bridge the hole between totally different religions and ethnic teams. Saddam Hussein’s regime utilized Ba’athism and the slogan of pan-Arabism to unite Iraq. The U.S. struggle in 2003 expelled Ba’athism with out establishing a brand new political construction. The division between Sunni and Shia grew to become so rife that the extremist group, ISIS, was in a position to stand up from the Sunni-dominated western Iraq in 2014.

The ethnic ties between the Arab and Kurdish folks have additionally worsened. The Kurdish Democratic Celebration from Kurdish Autonomous Area in Iraq known as for nationwide independence in 2017. Sectarian and ethnic politics dominate Iraq, whereas the nation’s unity turns into weaker and bleaker.

The U.S. struggle additionally turned Iraq right into a secondary state within the Center East. Though severely weakened by the U.S.-led worldwide forces assault in 1991, Iraq was nonetheless probably the most highly effective states within the Center East earlier than 2003, particularly within the Arab world.

Within the Saddam Hussein period, Iraq performed an vital function within the Israel-Palestine peace course of and influenced the Arab world with Ba’athism. After 2003, Iraq’s energy grew to become weaker within the Center East.

Nationwide elections grew to become a chance for exterior powers to affect Iraq’s inside affairs, and main Iraqi political teams sought assist from the U.S., Iran, Saudi Arabia and different exterior powers to compete for political energy. The weak central authorities can’t meet the calls for of its folks, and social actions and protests additional shake Iraq’s nationwide unity and functionality.

The U.S. invasion and occupation additionally led to the loss of life and struggling of many Iraqis. In comparison with the 4,500 American deaths in Iraq after 2003, Iraqi folks have suffered way more. Hundreds of Iraqi civilians have been killed yearly since 2003. Some Iraqi folks died due to U.S. navy strikes in opposition to civilian targets in numerous navy missions. Others died within the unrest and turmoil that resulted from the U.S. struggle in 2003.

Mass protests have been ongoing in Iraq since autumn 2019. The Iraqi persons are annoyed with the shortage of electrical energy and clear water, poor infrastructure, excessive unemployment price, political weak spot and corruption and widespread poverty. The dismal prospects of Iraq’s younger persons are additionally of nice concern.

The U.S. struggle on Iraq in 2003, led by George W. Bush, drained each the U.S. and Iraq’s nationwide sources. The U.S. withdrawal from Iraq shouldn’t imply the tip of the U.S.’ duty in Iraq. Washington ought to do extra to atone for the wrongs it dedicated since 2003.

(If you wish to contribute and have particular experience, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. Observe @thouse_opinions on Twitter to find the newest commentaries on CGTN Opinion Part.)