13 Years After the Invasion of Iraq: The Winners and the Losers

The question which now haunts those affected by the American enterprise in Iraq (including its allies which supported the campaign of incitement) is … why did we go to Iraq and what’s the price of that enterprise? Did Washington win Iraqi hearts, as hawks claimed, by invading their country and doing away with the dictatorial regime? Did Washington place them on the road to freedom and democracy and economic prosperity, to reconstruction and development and social peace?

The disinformation and incitement campaigns led by the U.S., Britain and the media were part of America’s invasion and occupation of Iraq. The media, for their part, placed Iraq at the head of the list of countries which threatened global security and fostered international terrorism.

Based on this, Iraq found itself in a stranglehold and could only get out of it through a military operation to change the regime. This meant building a new regime in accordance with the American vision: a democratic system where the people enjoyed freedom and justice, while also serving as a model for democracy and peaceful existence in the region more generally.

This Saturday will mark 13 years since the occupation and if we look at the case of Iraq at present, we can say that the enterprise in which George W. Bush got involved has been a total failure and a disaster… It put Iraq, the region, and the world in a situation of total chaos and instability. There are ongoing consequences on multiple levels now.

The most dangerous outcome from what happened then and from what’s happening now is that the invasion, the occupation and the general failure of the American enterprise in Iraq helped give rise to the appearance of unfettered extremism. This has thrust the world into the midst of endless conflicts. It has also accelerated the fallout from the appearance of al-Qaida, and from there, the dangerous presence of the Islamic State group. It’s as if what happened in Iraq ushered in the appearance of what’s been dubbed global terrorism: This global terrorism is now knocking at the doors of world capitals and poses a plain threat to their security.

What would an investigator have to say about the occupation of Iraq? Who were the winners and the losers in this disastrous enterprise? To begin with, the biggest winner of all was Israel. Iraq and Israel had long held conflicting positions toward one another (though they never went to war), but with the invasion, Iraq was out of the equation. This was a gift which fell from the sky for Israel and which it couldn’t have anticipated. Likewise, there were more winners, particularly among regional powers which responded opportunistically by investing in the outcome of the Iraq invasion. Those powers repositioned themselves in light of the new regime, which developed more extensive relationships and foundations with several of those regional powers. This meant redrawing the maps of alliances to balance the regional conflict.

In terms of the Arab world, the end of Iraq’s role as a force in conflicts reflected negatively on Arabic national security since Iraq had been its cornerstone. This left the region exposed to the greed and interests of the occupying forces, leading to the fragmentation of joint Arab action and the loss of previously shared positions and perspectives; after the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the situation led to breakdown and chaos in the region. The question which now haunts those affected by the American enterprise (including its allies who supported the campaign of incitement) in Iraq is… why did we go to Iraq and what’s the price of that enterprise? Did Washington win Iraqi hearts, as hawks claimed, by invading their country and doing away with the dictatorial regime? Did Washington place them on the road to freedom and democracy and economic prosperity, to reconstruction and development and social peace?

Several of the members of George W. Bush’s administration, who set the invasion of Iraq in motion, have provided answers to these questions and others. The first testimony came from former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who expressed his regret and his apologies for the war in Iraq. He shared in the campaign that incited the invasion by alleging that Iraq possessed banned and dangerous weapons. There is also the testimony of then CIA Director George Tenet. This comprises the other testimony revealing the campaign of deception conducted against Iraq and which reveals George W. Bush’s designs for invasion. Tenet confirmed that the agency denied that Iraq possessed banned weapons. This testimony and that of many others have placed the moral and legal responsibility at the feet of the Bush administration and those who supported the plan and instigated action in Iraq. Bush handled the circumstances contrary to international law and national sovereignty and in leading a unilateral invasion, he broke the United Nations Charter. The invasion sought to destroy a country and not to rid it of a dangerous regime possessing weapons which posed a threat to America and the world, as it was alleged.

To conclude… the biggest loser in the invasion and occupation is clearly Iraq and all Iraqis of all sects. The occupation produced an artificial regime with no relationship to Iraqis’ needs or their aspirations for a nation where freedom, democracy and social justice reign … for a nation free from the constant fears of revenge and exclusion, and self-interested actors clinging to power at any cost.

These disasters have transformed Iraq into an unstable and unsustainable nation. Its wealth has been looted following the expansion of massive corruption. Iraq now faces potential fragmentation as a result of profound sectarian conflict. In addition, the current predicaments have triumphed over Iraq’s unity and the eternal destiny of the nation. Iraq is suffocating.