Was the Iraq War Worth the Price?

(USA Today) President Barack Obama has announced that the last of the U.S. combat troops will be leaving Iraq.  President Obama will be addressing before the nation Tuesday that Operatin Iraqi Freedom will be ended after combat operations began in Iraq in March 2003.  In a USA TODAY Poll, 60% of Americans say "no" when asked, "Do you think the situation in Iraq was worth going to war over?"  Similar majorities either felt the war didn't make the USA safer from terrorism or made no difference.  The same was said of whether the political situation in the Middle East is more stable.  At the same time, 52% of Americans say Iraqis are better off as a result of the war; 20% say they are not.  The results of the August 21-22 poll comes as the United States prepares to officially end combat operations in Iraq on Tuesday.  President Obama will travel Tuesday to Fort Bliss, TX to meet with the troops and will deliver an address that evening from the Oval Office.  By the end of the month, troop levels will go from a high of more than 160,000 servicemembers in 2007 to fewer than 50,000.  Most of those who remain will focus on training Iraqi police and soldiers to take over the nation's security. 

The seven years of fighting cost the lives of more than 4400 Americans.  The financial cost of the war for the United States has been more than $748 billion, making it the most expensive U.S. war apart from World War II in current dollars.  Scholars, former government officials, military experts and politicians agree its too early to tell whether the cost in lives and treasure will be worth an outcome that won't be fully known for years, even decades.  Even so, many people have they don't have to wait any longer to make up their minds on what they feel about the war.  Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), an opponent of the Iraq War from the beginning said, "It couldn't possibly be worth it."  Senator Joe Lieberman, a former Connecticut Democrat who won re-election as an independent on a pro-Iraq war platform, disagrees.  "We are significantly safer as a result of what I consider to be a victory in Iraq," he says.  "It costs too much; it went on too long; mistakes were made along the way, but ultimately, if we had withdrawn, it would have had a devastating impact on the entire Middle East had a devastating impact on the entire Middle East and our credibility in the world.  I think it was worth  it." 

Operation Iraqi Freedom is a culmination of events dating back to the Gulf War of 1991.  The event that caused the Bush administration to decide to oust Sadamm was the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.  President Bush and his cabinet charged that given the climate in the Middle East, Saddam was too much of a threat to remain in power.  In October 2002, the House and Senate voted overwhelmingly to authorize force against Iraq.  In November, the United Nations Security Council adopted a unanimous resolution offering Saddam "a final opportunity" to comply with disarmament.  Three months later, Secretary of State Colin Powell said the U.S. and European intelligence agencies believed Iraq was hiding its weaponry and seeking to build weapons of mass destruction (WMD).  This was the argument that President Bush used in presenting the case before the U.N. and Congress that the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq needed to be toppled.  Prior to the invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003, the final U.N. inspect report stated that Iraq failed to account for chemical and biological stockpiles.  U.N. inspector Hans Blix said he had "no confidence" that the weaponry had been destroyed.  Once the war began, the Sunni government of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was toppled around April 9, 2003.  However, the U.S. forces didn't seize the town of Baghdad.  There was all kinds of looting taking place at the armory.  Saddam's forces fled the government and merged with the population.  As a result, there were all kinds of violent insurgent attacks in Iraq.  The terrorist insurgents used IED's to blow up buildings and sections of Iraq.  The toll count of U.S. troops was starting to climb and many Americans were becoming frustrated with the war in Iraq because the situation in that country was very unstable.  There were certain places in Iraq such as Basra which were hotbeds of terrorism.  Finally in 2006 a non-partisan group was formed which was called the "Iraq Study Group" which studied the situation in Iraq.  They made recommendations on changes that needed to be made.  Following the mid-term elections in November 2006 when Democrats regained control of both the House and Senate, Bush fired his Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld.  Bush tapped Robert Gates in his place.  At the end of the year and in early January, the recommendation was made for a troop surge to take place in Iraq.  David Petreaus was chosen to head the military forces in Iraq.  Then the troop size was increased to 160,000 troops.

One of the consequences of the Iraq War was the fact that no weapons of mass destruction were found.  I've inquired about that situation.  I've read that Hussein might have made the world think that he had weapons of mass destruction to keep Iran at bay.  Now, I'm going to ask the question:  Was the Iraq War worth fighting for?  Was it worth the blood and the treasure.  My answer is simply no.  First of all, there was no agenda to win the war.  I believe when Bush sent troops into the war I believe it was intended for American troops to stay in Iraq for the long haul, regardless of the reason.  I've heard speculation for years the reason why we are engaging in wars in the Middle East is because of oil.  I simply believe that's true.  It's about money.  It's about protecting business interests of the American oil industry.  The oil industry has always been a monopoly in America.  There has also been war profiteering by American defense contractors in Iraq.  They've made a killing over this war.  Another problem with the U.S. entering Iraq was simply there was no declaration of war as the Constitution calls for.  Anytime we're going to send troops to war, there should be a Congressional declaration of war.  It places the U.S. on alert that we're in a war and we must band together to win this war.  Another reason why I believe this war wasn't worth the price is because of the silly rules of engagement.  If you're going to fight a war, then the military should give them all the weapons they need and the go-ahead to shoot when necessary.  Overwhelming force should be used when we're fighting the enemy. 

Another problem with this war was the U.S. was involved in rebuilding the nation of Iraq.  They were hoping democracy would take root in Iraq.  I will say on the positive that Iraqi citizens were able to vote in the elections on December 15, 2005.  As much as I'm in favor of citizens being alowed to vote, if the citizenry doesn't know what kind of leaders to vote for, then how beneficial is voting.  Also, if the system is fixed where the only kind of candidates up for elections are corrupt, then voting is not going to ensure anything.  Elections can be manipulated.  Democracy will never take hold in Iraq.  Iraq consists of three different ethnic groups: Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds.  I agree with then Senator Joseph Biden that Iraq should've been partitioned in three sections.  There's always been civil unrest between the Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds.  The political situation is still unstable for Iraq.  They are a totally different country from America.  Not all countries can have a republican form of government.  A republican form of government is incompatible with many of the nations around the world.  A democracy or a republican form of government won't work unless you have a group of citizens that are hard working, looking out for the common good, and are bound by a set of strong principles, like the U.S. was when we were formed as a nation. 

Saddam Hussein could've been removed from Iraq in other ways.  It wasn't worth the blood and the treausure.  The Iraq War has added a trillion dollars to our total debt.  Bush was wrong when he said this war would pay for itself.  He went to Congress every year to ask for funding for the Iraq War.  We should've sold war bonds like we did during World War I and II.  How much safer are the Iraqis since the toppling of Saddam Hussein is debatable.  Even though they may supposedly have more freedom now then when they did under Saddam, there wasn't the level of violence in Iraq like there is now.  Iraq wasn't overrun with violence with Saddam in power like it was when he was toppled.  Saddam was a Sunni so he was able to control the Shiites and Kurds.  Since Saddam's ouster, Iran has grown in power and are now a potential threat in the world with nuclear weapons.  Also, the Shiite population is unrestrained as well.  There's no way that the Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis, will be able to live together in harmony.  There's too much division in Iraq.  The governments of the Middle East which are dominated by Muslims don't believe in freedom and democracy.  It's a huge responsibility for the average citizen to be involved in regular elections.  A republican form of government requires responsibility and a strong set of moral values from its citizenry, which Iraq doesn't have.  America hasn't profited from fighting in the Iraq War.  Nothing significant was accomplished in this war other than the ouster of Saddam.  I'm afraid Afghan will follow in the same footsteps.  These two wars have been fought for nothing.  Those who were in charge didn't send us there to fight the terrorists.  There were other reasons involved in our going to Iraq that didn't involve terrorism.  As I've heard the old adage, "Follow the money trail."