Who Staged the Events for the Iraq Invasion?

If we look back at the justification given by the United States of America for overthrowing Saddam Hussein’s regime, we find it was based on a clear set of issues, including: failure to implement United Nations resolutions, possession of weapons of mass destruction, and ties with al-Qaida; and the dissemination of democratic ideas in the Middle East. When talking about these issues, to what degree was Washington successful in convincing others they were justified?

In the context of America’s justification for invading Iraq, everybody knows that the U.S. administration was caught between two choices—especially during Bill Clinton’s eight-year presidency: offset the ruler or the government. America’s inaction during this time cost the Iraqi people a great deal of tragedy due to the blockade that followed war with Kuwait in 1991. Democrats, known for their lack of inclination toward war, were in direct opposition to Republicans, who are always fueling wars. The case for overthrowing the regime in Iraq was forgotten. But when 9/11 happened, the Iraqi case was immediately reopened, though it had been kept quiet for eight long years!

It was the September events that motivated Republicans to occupy Iraq and gain control over the region before al-Qaida, whose attacks in 2000* were a great insult and embarrassment for the U.S. administration, turned its focus there.

The other reasons given to justify invading Iraq were used to provoke international resolutions, thanks to which the United States was able to attract other Western countries to the occupation. These were the same resolutions that the United States used to liberate Kuwait in 1990.* But this time the United States added new reasons, including Saddam Hussein’s connections to al-Qaida, its production of biological weapons, and most importantly: overthrowing dictatorship in Iraq and building a democracy! I wonder if this last alone was sufficient justification for the United States to invade Iraq in 2003? Was it convincing for Arab countries? Were these reasons enough or not enough?! In any case, they were specific to Americans, and in the United States today there is a great clamor over their credibility as they were fed to the American public by the U.S. administration!

In fact, these reasons for justification were just a bunch of pretexts the U.S. administration wasn’t even convinced of itself—not by the issue of weapons of mass destruction, nor by the issue of the Iraqi people, nor by the issue of freedom and democracy. They were all based purely on American interests, created solely by Americans to stage the need for war. It was not the international coalition nor international resolutions. However, there are those who took advantage of the performance. It was advantageous to the Iraqi opposition and several other Iraqi fronts. It was also advantageous to several countries in the region. But still, those who staged the pretext for war were solely Americans. Conditions like successive wars, the blockade and the repressive dictatorial regime, were the factors that led Iraqis to accept change of any type coming from any hand! These factors contributed to the success of the American campaign in Iraq and to overthrowing the regime on April 9, 2003.

We have to say that despite what the Iraqi people suffered during the ferocious occupation, the destruction of the country’s infrastructure, the arrival of extremist and terrorist organizations through the newly opened borders, and the terrorists’ settling of scores with Americans on Iraqi soil, which led to the loss of hundreds of thousands of innocent souls; despite all of that, the Iraqi people were able to find time for new freedoms in many important areas, such as a free press, satellite transmissions, the Internet, cell phones, the freedom to travel, and other achievements that have allowed the Iraqi people to taste sweetness despite the bitterness of occupation and its unforgettable agony!

*Editor’s note: The 9/11 attacks occurred in 2001, but the author may have been referring to the USS Cole attack in 2000. The liberation of Kuwait occurred in 1991, but utilized resolution 678 was created in 1990.