Effects of War Against Iraq Term Paper

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War against Iraq

War has had a tremendous effect on me and my family as a result of the war which occurred with Iraq. The taxes imposed by the government by way of increased taxation were creating difficulties for my family. My father being the only full-time employed member of the family, the increased taxation was creating financial difficulties for us to bear the costs of running the family. There were Muslim friends of mine who were looked upon with suspicion by the administration and the Police authorities. They had expressed their inability to overcome the problem of the suspicious eyes on their day-to-day activities. As a result war does not give me good memories, being attacked by difficulties in running the family and of having to witness the sufferings of my friends who have to bear the cost. So I felt that I should take up this project of expressing my opinion on the effects of the Iraq war, which has affected me. Through this paper I would explain the effects of the Iraq war from a political angle.

War is a common English word and quite familiar to most speakers of the language. (Brodie, 2) It could also probably be defined by most of them. But the problem is that most people who define it will be giving different meanings to their definition. It is very complex and has many faces, and is totally understood only by very few people. Wars have been conducted from time immemorial and the reasons for war have been diverse. (Blainey, 14) But, there is always a given reason for every war that has been fought. Also, in any war there has to be two parties fighting a war - the protagonist and the antagonist. (Berle, 1) These labels are however different in interpretation to different people. It is always a clash between the interests of two parties which is finally resolved through the shedding of human blood. And, this shedding of human blood is the only difference that it has with other conflict resolution processes. (Barringer, 4) In essence wars are meant to be fought, and the presence of fighting qualifies a conflict resolution as war. It is thus an act of force to make the opponent do what we desire. (Carroll, 295)

The scope of the paper is wide in the sense, that there are several people in America and Iraq who have been greatly affected by the war on Iraq. In this paper, I have tried to discuss about the aftermath of war. I would explain whether it was necessary to go to war, and what really happened afterwards. In this paper, I have tried to explain about the arguments placed by the U.S. In going to war against Iraq, and an understanding as to whether these arguments stand the test of truth. I have made attempts to analyze seven articles written on aspects relevant to my field of study. On the basis of the arguments presented in these various articles, I would put forth my views of agreement or disagreement with these authors of these articles. I would henceforth provide an explanation as to the effects of the war on Iraq and the American relationship with other countries after the Iraq war.

The important question as to whether a war with Iraq would have any compromising effect on the American war against terrorism has been asked by Reuel Marc Gerechet in "Unless Saddam Hussein is removed, the war on terror will fail." I have disagreements with the author that to show the strength of America, the nation had to engage in war. War would lead to loss of life on both sides and to prove the strength of the nation by means of a full-scale war cannot be acceptable. This is the belief of many in the foreign policy establishment. Senators Chuck Hagel, who is a Republican from Nebraska and Dick Durbin, who is a Democrat from Illinois both fear a ripple effect from the strike against Saddam Hussein in their book. They have only reflected the warning given by Brent Scowcroft, former national security advisor. They all feel that a war on Iraq would harm if not totally destroy the global campaign against terrorism that America had started. James Baker had been the secretary of state to the senior President Bush. He has been a little more circumspect. He has insisted on the present administration to tackle Iraq with a multilateral approach or risk the country's relationship with the Arab and European states.

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He has also felt that otherwise the war on terrorism, the foreign policy priority of the country may be affected. It is felt that the Iraq war will destroy the liaison efforts that U.S. has undertaken against al Qaeda by a CIA officer who is serving in the Directorate of Operation's near east division. Senator Hagel had also opined that the only way to beat the holy warriors of Osama bin Laden was to build a coalition of common interest and intelligence against them. (Marc Gerecht, 12) Somehow, the author has suggested that the fears of a loss of focus on war on terrorism are without any basis. He has felt that "the war against Saddam will only strengthen the collective spirit that has been developed among intelligence and security agencies for working against radical Islamists and not weaken it." (Marc Gerecht, 14) It was felt that counterterrorist efforts of the "allied" intelligence and security services may have even ended, and certainly diminished without this war to remove Saddam. The glue for any long lasting international effort against terrorism will be provided by the fear of U.S. power and self-interest and not any feelings of fraternity and common purpose. The author has stressed that America was in a position of timidity prior to 9/11 which was effectively emphasized by Osama bin Laden in his writings and speeches, and "the absence of a war against Saddam would have returned U.S. To that position." (Marc Gerecht, 15) There are many young men who live with the purpose and promises given with the hopes of martyrdom. To those people, America would no longer have been the strongest nation without the Iraq war, and thus proved Osama to be right. At one stage, these young men would have shown America that if it attempted to conduct a global campaign against terrorism without a corresponding fright of American power, the campaign was destined to fail. This suggestion was also made by the author. (Marc Gerecht, 16)

It has been opined by Tariq Ali in the article "Occupied Iraq will never know peace" that the process of re-colonization in Iraq has not been smooth. I agree with the author that the situation has become more dangerous after the war leading to the rise of resistance against America in the form of attacks on Americans. I would finally agree with the author that the future generation would come to know the truth that the Iraq war resulted as a result of the mean politicians who had lied. The authors suggest that the Israeli and western propaganda machine would ascribe it to a case of Islam gone mad with a resultant resistance in the country and Palestine. The truth is that "it is a result of the occupation the situation in the entire country is now a mess, and this has shown that the western and Israeli analysis should thus be of no reason to celebrate." (Ali, 7)The total country is in a worse situation than it was before the war. The western news disseminators argue that the resistance is only from the dissatisfied remaining members of the old regime. There are some 40 different groups belonging to the resistance organizations in Iraq. The policy makers in Washington have now gone against their own propaganda and recruited the remaining members of the old state apparatus to track them down, according to the author. "There have been demonstrations in Basra and other former strongholds of anti-Saddam forces, and this has resulted in the death of British soldiers." (Ali, 8)Thus everybody is now joining in the struggle. The UN is being viewed there as one of the most ruthless enforcers on behalf of U.S.. The UN has supervised the sanctions that have led directly to the deaths of half a million Iraqi children according to UNICEF figures. These sanctions had also led to horrible rise in the mortality. Two senior UN officials, Dennis Halliday and Hans von Sponeck had resigned in protest against these policies according to the author. They had mentioned that the UN had not done its duty to the people of Iraq. The question is now asked by the author as to whether the existing UN is anything more than a cleaning up boy for the American Empire. There is an effect of the Iraqi resistance today being felt in both the occupying countries them on the question of Iraq. Even the senior figures in the establishment share this view.….....

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