Iraq, a country that for mind-boggling reasons the U.S. invaded in 2003, is in a state of disarray. In recent weeks, a terrorist group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has taken control over large swaths of the country, including Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city.
Here at home, politicians and foreign policy experts are trying to find a way to solve the growing crisis — ISIS now has a foothold in both Iraq and its neighbor Syria — and in the process, continue to toss political barbs.
After all, someone must be blamed for the disaster in Iraq, and it most certainly can’t be former President George W. Bush, who was decider-in-chief when we invaded in 2003.
Let’s be very clear: The entire destabilization of the Middle East started with Bush’s inane 2003 invasion of a sovereign country without any provocation. This testament to macho behavior cost the lives of nearly 4,500 American men and women in service and tens of thousands of Iraqis at a cost of $1.7 trillion.
In 2008, Bush finally decided that it was time to end his adventuring in Iraq and signed an agreement that would pull all remaining U.S. forces from the country by 2011. President Barack Obama followed through on that agreement, leaving Iraqis in charge of their own future.
As demonstrated by recent events, control was a word used rather loosely by Iraqi officials. The rest of this column could focus on the sectarian warfare between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, but instead, let’s talk about history.
If you’re an undergrad at UF, chances are you were in elementary school when we invaded Iraq, so here’s some background information: After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Bush administration made it clear without compelling evidence that Iraq was responsible for the attacks, and we were going to rid the world of Saddam Hussein, Iraq’s despotic leader. Americans were told that Saddam was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction, and the clock had run out on his reign.
It was time for some shock and awe, American style.
Most of Congress — and sadly, the American people — agreed with Bush. In March of 2003, the U.S. launched a full-scale invasion of a sovereign country that had nothing to do with 9/11 and, turned out, had no WMDs.
Oops!
Bush declared mission accomplished just six weeks later, but in reality, our mission was just beginning. Iraq devolved into chaos following the eradication of Saddam’s government and Saddam himself, and we spent nearly a decade caught in the middle of a civil war between Sunnis and Shiites.
Now, after Bush’s eight-year excursion spreading democracy in Iraq, the Sunnis forced out of power by the U.S.-led invasion of 2003 imperil the country’s democratic government and could ignite a larger, regional war based on sectarian lines.
According to some, this is Obama’s fault because he followed through with Bush’s 2008 agreement. In fact, cable news is putting many former Bush administration officials on the airwaves so the American people can hear the views of those that nonsensically invaded a country 11 years ago.
The American people should be outraged.
You were led into war under false pretenses by a group of people who now blame the mess in Iraq squarely on the shoulders of the man who currently occupies the White House.
How convenient?
The U.S. is in a no-win scenario with Iraq, and with that in mind, it’s finally time for all of us to stand up and say that invading Iraq was one of the greatest foreign policy and military blunders in American history.
The costs to our country and those who served were too great, and the results were painfully predictable. Instead of playing the blame game, let’s remember our history, and for once, learn from it.
Who knows? It may save the lives of future men and women in the U.S. Military.
[Joel Mendelson is a UF grad student in political campaigning. His columns appear on Thursdays. A version of this column ran on page 6 on 6/19/2014 under the headline "Time to reflect on history of Iraq War"]
