The following is what I based my opinions on the war off of. I took me a long time to type it so please take your time to read it before you reply. Feel free to check all my facts and correct me if I am wrong.
Brief History of Iraq
In 1533 to 1918 Iraq was split into three providences under the Ottoman Empire which constantly battled each other. During WWI the Ottomans took sides with Germany and the Central Powers. After the war was over, the Ottoman Empire was divided up under a League of Nations Mandate. The British imposed a monarchy without taking into account the different political and religious views of the separate regions. During the entire British occupation, Shi’ites and Kurds fought for their independence, and didn’t gain it until the Mandate officially ended in 1932. Things were still unsteady for Baghdad’s central government, and many coups and assassination attempts were made. In 1958 Iraq attempted to form a union with Kuwait to battle the rising discontent of the split cultures, but it was still under British rule leaving Iraq’s monarchy isolated. The only way to control the people was with further political oppression. July 14, 1958, the monarchy was overthrown and Iraq was declared a republic. In 1961, Kuwait gained independence from Britain and Iraq claimed sovereignty, leading to further instability. The leader of the republic was assassinated in 1963 (with support from the U.S.), and the Ba’athe Party took power. 9 months later they were overthrown by a coup. Then in 1968, the Ba’athe Party regained power and would remain for years to come. In 1979 the president resigned and General Saddam Hussein assumed power. He quickly built a strong security force to control the people and prevent another coup. Later that year, Saddam discovered that there was a secret group in the Ba’athe party and had them executed. Much to the dismay of the fundamental Muslims, he established a Secular government that gave woman more rights. Iraq was the first country in the region not to be controlled by Islamic law. He then oversaw the seizure of international oil wells, which causes the 73’ energy crisis, and their economy flourished. He used the money to modernize Iraq by offering free education, free hospitalization, and social care systems to citizens. He even received an award from the U.N. for setting an example in the middle east. All this time he also killed anyone who wasn’t loyal and suppressed the people who were opposed. During the 70’s the country experienced rapid expansion. Electricity was brought to every city, roads were built, and new industry was booming. Saddam carefully picked his staff and developed a strong group of followers while this was happening to stay in power. He made it clear that he was the leader and you would like it or die. After the Islamic Revolution in 1979 led by Shi’ite Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran, Saddam was afraid that the large population of Shi’ites in Iraq would again try to overthrow the government. Along with that Iran and Iraq were disputing over who owned land near the border, which lead to the Iran-Iraq war. Iraq was being defeated, so Saddam asked other countries for support, who were more than willing to help because they were afraid of a large radical Iranian influence in the middle east. Among those that helped were Russia, China, and the U.S. Saddam then began using chemical weapons on Iranian forces in southern Iraq, and on the Kurds (non-Arab Shi’ites) to the north, who where trying to create a porthole for Iranian troops to come in. The war was long and gruesome, and Iran refused the U.N.’s call for a ceasefire until Iraq paid war reparations. Then in March 1988 during a political campaign to regain control of their culture, a deadly mixture of mustard gas and nerve agents were dropped on a Kurdish town, killing 5000 and wounding 10000. A few months later the war was over with an estimated one million dead and no one could claim victory. Saddam’s government officials claimed that Iran had dropped the bomb, and so did U.S. analysis until a few years later. Then after the war, Saddam urged Kuwait to forgive the 30 billion dollar debt they owed them, but they refused. Then he urged other country’s to raise their oil prices so he could start paying countries back and re-stabilize the economy, but Kuwait refused. He claimed that Kuwait was part of Iraq, and they were sitting on just as large of an oil reserve, but their population was two million compared to Iraq’s 25 million. Negotiations were attempted and failed. Saddam met with a U.S. ambassador before invading and was told that the U.S. did not want force used and refused to take a side on the border dispute and did not want to become involved. In the 80’s the U.S. gave Saddam 40 billion dollars for the war, and billions more to not become allies with the Soviets, making Saddam’s Iraq the third largest U.S. aid recipient in history. Iraq invaded anyway using the money from other countries to fund the attack. Then the U.S. led a U.N. coalition into Kuwait and drove the Iraqi’s out. After the war was over, rebellions were again arising among the different cultures because of the instability. Saddam’s support group got split apart from the war, and the conservative Muslims were become more powerful. Saddam started to portray himself as a devout Muslim in an attempt to cope with a lot of the population. Repression grew worse and Saddam’s sons became more powerful and evil. And then we showed up.
Now those were facts and these are my thoughts on them.
1. Iraq erupts in civil war whenever there isn’t a strong dictative government controlling the people. Is it a good idea to invade and try to institute democracy? Saddam’s tyranny was a way to control these people.
2. We’re not fighting terrorism we’re fighting groups of people who want to be in control. They’re not fighting America, they’re fighting people that came in and took control of their government. Democracy won’t work when the majority of the population wants the minority dead.
3. We can give Saddam billions to buy wmd’s to use on Iran while we look the other way, why draw the line?
4. Everyone says we just can’t leave Iraq, but were in a 3 way civil war with a little terrorism mixed in between. Why not just let them kill themselves. History always tells the truth but the future is nothing but speculation. These groups have been fight for hundreds of years, why could we stop it?
5. I consider if they weren’t fighting over there, they would be here a bunch of BS. I bet they would be much more satisfied blowing up something here, and the “war on terrorism” in only two countries isn’t going to stop them.
6. As for Afghanistan, I bet Osama’s not there anymore. The Taliban is going to keep recruiting and training elsewhere and throwing them at our troops. It starting to sound like Vietnam.
Am I the only one on this forum that feel that way?