George W. Bush’s decision to bring democracy in Iraq by shock and awe has been twenty years ago. This disastrous war resulted in the deaths of thousands of Americans and disfigurement of tens of thousands more. Trillions of dollars were lost. What? All for the sake of destruction and death in Iraq.
Even the architects of war can’t say what U.S. gained. We would have liked to learn from our mistakes and not make them again. The war’s cheerleaders learned that this grotesque failure did not deter future interventions.
The regime in Iraq learned that lying and deceit have no negative consequences. Multiple myths were the basis of the war. Saddam Hussein didn’t possess weapons mass destruction. He had no connection with Al Qaeda or 9/11. These assertions were made by the Bush administration, who knew they were based on insufficient evidence. The myths were dispelled once America invaded and occupied Iraq.
Despite the fact that these lies were exposed, no one was charged with any of them. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz and Donald Rumsfeld were not charged with lying to the American people. They have retired in comfortable. Bush and Cheney were able to restore their public image by criticizing Donald Trump’s decision not to follow their bloody steps in the Middle East.
They learned that their failures would be rewarded by ever-increasing power and budgets. The Patriot Act was revived without any significant backlash. It was interesting to see the complete failure by Ahmed Chalabi’s candidacy in the Iraqi presidential elections. This was after Chalabi was a longtime CIA asset.
According to the corporate press, ratings rise during war propaganda and its early stages. Ratings fall as a result of phony achievements. The press then moves onto another shiny object.
The regime learned from these lessons and moved on to other disasters. They lied in order to get us into Libya. They lied to get our entry into Syria. They also lied to keep Afghanistan safe. Many years of lies were used to support war in Ukraine. As the “Ukraine is winning” narrative collapses, some war supporters have begun to shift their propaganda and attention to China and Taiwan.
The regime in Iraq learned that it is possible to destroy the environment and heritage sites of the world without being held accountable. Liberal elites regularly preach about the importance to preserve the environment and historic sites all over the world. Their credibility is eroded by the Iraq War. The American military created hazards throughout the country by using depleted-uranium ammunition in the countryside , burning tons of toxic waste in open pits and shooting .
These effects, particularly those from the burn pits have not only caused severe illness in Iraqi citizens but have also been linked to the high incidence of cancer among veterans. Half a century later, millions of are still suffering from the effects of the toxic chemicals we dumped on their country. Many veterans also suffer from these effects. The regime doesn’t care about cannon fodder. Our soldiers are mainly from rural areas, whose culture is not respected by our elites. This scam has yet to be discovered by many patriotic Americans. Cratering military Enlistments shows that some people have.
The deep wound left by the Occupying Forces also affected Iraq’s centuries-old cultural sites. Coalition forces used Babylon’s ancient city as a military base, permanently destroying irreplaceable treasures. Fallujah was one of many cities that were destroyed by American military forces . At least 60% of Fallujah’s buildings were severely damaged during the fighting. Other cities like Mosul still suffer the scars from war caused by fighting to “save it” from ISIS–a terrorist group funded by the U.S. they wage war on the Syrian government. These cultural and environmental catastrophes are not being reported by the corporate press.
The regime in Iraq learned that it could murder and assassinate people without fear. Many civilians lost their lives in the conflict. The U.S. bombed villages and towns with a brutality. This lesson has influenced American foreign policies ever since.
U.S. drone attacks have claimed the lives of over 2,000 civilians in Pakistan. Numerous civilian wedding parties were attacked and killed, including innocent children and women. The false excuse of “collateral harm” has been used by the U.S. leadership. Several civilian wedding parties were attacked, killing innocent children and women.
Our leadership was also taught by Iraq that they can assassinate foreign leader whom they don’t like. This was evident with the 2020 strike against Qasem SOLEIMANI , a high-ranking Iranian general during a peaceful mission . Lindsey Graham calls for the assassination Russian President, who is the possessor of the largest nuclear weapons arsenal in the world. President Biden has called to Russia’s regime change. How will this turn out?
The regime in Iraq learned that it could practice torture if it kept it out of sight. Alarm was raised when Seymour Hersh revealed U.S. torture of Iraqis at Abu Ghraib Prison. It was mostly partisan sniping about George W. Bush. It was quickly apparent that the regime had to export to countries like Egypt and Poland. While pretending they aren’t involved in torture, our leaders keep the grisly acts secret.
The U.S. showed its disdain for the Geneva Convention by allowing suspected terrorists to be interrogated in an “enhanced” manner. International law states that no form of physical or mental torture nor coercion may be used against prisoners of war in order to obtain any information.
Numerous people were brutalized and abducted without being charged with any crime or connected to terrorism. Only the Abu Ghraib soldiers of low rank paid the price. The policy’s creators were not punished. Gina Haspel , a CIA operative, tried to hide her complicity in the Thai torture operation. She destroyed the video evidence before being promoted to director of CIA.
The U.S. leadership learned that they could indefinitely hold people without due procedure. This practice is now common in America. Many Americans have spent more than two decades in jail for offenses such as parading at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Our local police force has been militarized over the years due to overseas military interventions. Why does the United States require armored vehicles, and other combat equipment for sheriff departments?
American leaders, especially Republicans, love to promote America as a nation that is guided by Christian principles. The U.S. didn’t seem to care about the many Christians that suffered from the Iraq War.
The war brought about a tsunami of violence and persecution in their ancient community. Without Saddam Hussein’s support, Islamic radicals could terrorize Christians and drive them from their homes. These minorities were not protected by America, which did very little. After ISIS took over large swathes of Iraq in 2010, violence was rekindled. media outlets reported that the Christian community in Iraq was on the verge of extinction.
Although the Iraq War was initiated by a self-proclaimed Christian president and ended in defeat, none of those initiators showed any regret for their part in the eradication of this faith community that had existed for over 2,000 years. They don’t see it as important.
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Under the pretense of attacking an ally of terrorists, the U.S. invaded Iraq. The war did not stop terrorism from getting worse. Al Qaeda was a nonexistent entity in Iraq before the invasion. The war strengthened Al Qaeda as well as ISIS in the region, and brought thousands of new supporters to the U.S. occupation.
The war not only fomented Sunni terrorists, but also drove Shiite extremism. Insurgency erupted in Iraq, making it a hell on Earth. Terrorism continued after the U.S. officially left Iraq. This U.S.-funded and instigated reign of terror that haunts the globe today has caused the deaths of tens of thousands.
These are the dark lessons from Iraq. The war has taught our leaders nothing. However, there are many patriots who have paid blood to find the truth. We hope they can help us avoid future Iraqs.
