Opinion | Columnists
No end in sight for unjust war
Six years have passed since the US occupied Iraq and there is no coherent exit strategy.
- By Abdullah Alshayji, Special to Gulf News
- Published: 00:08 April 14, 2008
- Image Credit: Illustration: Nino Jose Heredia/Gulf News
The painful results of the bloody war in Iraq is taking its punishing toll on Iraqis, Americans and the entire region.
Especially in light of the bitter harvest of the war which has taken its toll on the "liberators" or the "occupiers" and the occupied people and their country, and has failed to achieve any of its strategic declared or undeclared objectives.
The ground realities in Iraq should convince the decision-makers in Washington to reassess in a sobering manner the staggering blunder that was committed by the US and to engage in a more candid declaration of responsibility, feel remorse and sound apologetic.
Instead, all that the US administration did was to accept the diagnosis of General David Petreaus, Commander of the US forces in Iraq.
General Petreaus pointed out to the fragile security improvement which could be reversible and sounded a warning against removing too many troops too quickly because such an action could jeopardise the gains made in recent months.
While acknowledging the recommendations of General Petreaus, the US President George W. Bush admitted in a stark fashion that "Iraq is the convergence point for two of the greatest threats to America in this century - Al Qaida and Iran".
The mounting suffering of millions of Iraqis dead, injured and exiled, in addition to the rising cost to the Americans and the unintended consequences of the war that have driven Iraq and the region into a state of upheaval, is a testament to a war went wrong.
Faulty premises
The architects of the war never imagined in their worst case scenarios the present outcome. The declared objectives of the war were based on faulty premises - the existence of Weapons of Mass Destructions, which were never found.
An exhaustive investigation by the US Congress also showed that a relationship between Saddam Hussain's regime and Al Qaida did not exist. Then there was talk of spreading democracy and ridding Iraq of the dictatorship represented by Saddam Hussain's regime.
Later on, the US administration advanced the issue of containing Iran. And, finally, the excuse that was given to prolong the US presence in Iraq was protecting the world economy.
On the other hand, the undeclared objectives of the war were numerous. It ranged from advancing and safeguarding the US national interests to protecting the oil fields and oil supplies and US's allies, and shoring up Israel.
Other undeclared objectives were to intimidate the rogue states and non-state actors, to co-opt US allies to fall in line and to spread democracy.
As Bush put it, to bring freedom to Iraqis and to spread democracy in the region from "Tehran to Beirut". And, finally, to stem terrorism so they do not "threat and fight us in the streets of New York and other major cities in the US".
Many of us were naïve enough to believe an assessment was forthcoming from the architects of the war. But it was not to be. The truth is Bush and the cabal of his neoconservative team, with the exception of Vice-President Dick Cheney, have fallen like leaves in autumn.
However, on the eve of the sixth anniversary of the Iraq war, Bush went out of his way to argue unconvincingly that "removing Saddam Hussain from power was the right decision and this is a fight Americans must win. Because we acted, the world is better and the United States of America is safer".
Then he concluded: "The battle in Iraq is noble, it is necessary, and it is just. And with your courage, the battle in Iraq will end in victory".
Let us take issues with Bush's statements. Firstly, this whole war was not a war of necessity, but rather a war of choice. Some American analysts argue that the war was "the greatest self-inflicted blunder in the history of US foreign policy".
Yes, it was a great accomplishment toppling Saddam Hussain's brutal regime but it was done illegally and without the UN sanctioning it.
Strategic vacuum
Secondly, the consequences of the war are colossal in terms of human and financial loss. It also created a strategic vacuum, instability in the region and the enormous damage done to US interests around the world.
As Professor Stephen Walt of Harvard University asserted by diverting attention and resources from Afghanistan, the war has resulted in a major setback to the campaign against terrorism.
All these facts not only contradict Bush's rosy assessments but negate any strategic gain the war has achieved. Then, the circle was completed with Iran seizing the moment to achieve its objectives and undermining the US and its allies' objectives.
Thirdly, the creation of the policy of axis of moderation and radicalism in a tense region between US and its allies on one hand and Iran and its surrogates on the other.
Iran shrewdly embarked on its nuclear programme in order to tighten its strategic grip on the region and to lay in ruins the American broader Middle East and North Africa project.
The US agenda for these regions was supposed to be launched from Baghdad. The Iraq model was to be emulated in other parts of the region to enhance US national interests in this region and beyond.
The unnecessary war is now in its sixth year with no end in sight. It lacks a coherent exit strategy. It is clear that President Bush will bequeath this unpopular war to his successor, be it John McCain, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.
Only history will tell what a lasting mark the Iraqi war leaves on Bush's blemished legacy.
Dr Abdullah Alshayji is a Professor of Political Science and Head of the American Studies Unit at Kuwait University.
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