Consequences of the Iraq War Research Proposal

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Under Saddam Hussein, Iraq experienced years of turmoil, resulting in a war with Iran, economic mismanagement, and U.N.-imposed sanctions. Now, after 4 years of occupation by the U.S., Iraq experiences extreme poverty, unemployment and has millions of homeless. The country's infrastructure is in ruins and U.S. plans for reconstruction of its schools, infrastructure and civic buildings have been mired in fraud, mismanagement and incompetence. Commentators expect the country to suffer from the effects the war for years to come.

On November 15, 2007, the House of Representatives passed a bill that provides $50 billion to fund the war in Iraq and attached a timetable for the withdrawal of troops by the end of 2008. The bill prevented the White House from using funds to construct permanent bases in Iraq or assert U.S. control over Iraq's oil. President Bush vetoed the bill, while Republicans supported this move. Congressional Democrats countered that the bill responded to the concerns of U.S. citizens about the length and the costs of the war. "The president has threatened to veto all spending bills that exceed his budget request, a move aimed at boosting his standing with fiscal conservatives. Democrats say his position is hypocritical, given the cost of the war, which has far exceeded Bush's initial estimates" (Williamson 1).

An article in Reuters by Bull assessed the consequences of the U.S.-led war on Iraq's domestic economy up to August of 2006: In spite of being the world's third-largest oil reserves, possessing an abundance of valuable resources including water and offering a well- educated workforce, Iraq's economy declined.

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Security conditions, corruption and inefficiency reduced employment and brought poverty to the nation. Inflation was still "sapping the living standards of Iraqis as they cope with bombs and sectarian killings which kill 100 [civilians] every day" (Bull 1).

The financial cost of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan this year may total about $3.5 trillion, explains the Joint Economic Committee of the House and Senate. This is contributing to a financial downturn in the U.S. economy. In his New York Times article, Bob Herbert argues that President Bush's $600 billion in formal requests for Iraq does not include the untold long-term "hidden costs" of treating the wounded and the disabled, interest on what the U.S. has borrowed for the war, repair and replacement of military equipment and the increased cost of military recruitment. The costs of the war up to 2007 exceeded the administration's original estimate by ten times the amount estimated and unless there is an immediate withdrawal, the cost of the Iraq war will probably continue for decades to come (Herbert).

The U.S. still holds $50 billion of Iraq's money, as the administration tries to pressure the Iraqi government into accepting U.S.-Iraqi economic agreements, having been put there in the 1990s, when international sanctions were imposed against Saddam Hussein. The Iraqis struggle with constant war, disruptions to their lives, destruction of their country and widespread unemployment and poverty. Meanwhile, Iraq's financial reserves remain in the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank (Cockburn, 1)......

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https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/consequences-iraq-war-26549