The Iraq Foreign Policy
Dates of Conflict: March 20, 2003- December 15, 2011*
**The Iraq war can still be considered active because many troops still reside in Afghanistan.
Presidents: George W. Bush (2001-2009) and Barack Hussein Obama II (2009-Present Day)
Opposing Leaders: President Saddam Hussein, Iraq Army (includes Fedayeen Saddam paramilitaries and the Ba'ath Party), Al Qaeda, Islam Extremists
Summary of US goals in the conflict: "Our National Strategy for Victory” in November 2005 outlined the basic goals that President Bush wished to accomplish. President Bush wanted to help the Iraqi people defeat the terrorists and build an inclusive democratic state. The United States needed to defeat the terrorists in order to protect the international terrorism that may occur. The U.S. needed to gather intelligence, destroy all terrorist networks, maintain stability and security, and destroy bad economic reforms to lay the foundation for a sound economy in the US.
Foreign Policy: In theory, the US foreign policy that the government took in the Iraq War was internationalism. After the 9/11 attacks, President Bush spoke out saying that the U.S. would step individually into Iraq for the international safety from nuclear threats. Soon after Bush's announcement, US forces campaigned with strikes on the Iraq military targets one of them being an attempt to kill Saddam Hussein. US troops took control over Baghdad and Saddam Hussein’s rule collapsed. The government system in Iraq became distraught and created turmoil. America's search for Al Qaeda leaders and allies and their nuclear weapons, numerous innocent Iraqi citizens were killed in combat. The Iraq government threatened citizens to not participate in the first free election in 50 years. Iraq military turned on their citizens and multiple roadside bombs killed citizens and caused US troops to step in. After assassinating Saddam Hussein and controlling opposing powers, President Obama declared the end to the war. Although initially the US foreign policy was internationalism, the reality became an imperialistic policy when troops went to Iraq. America went into the war to protect the US and others from nuclear powers and Saddam Hussein. However, after Saddam Hussein was assassinated, Iraq government dissipated and troops overtook the country to serve national interest of oil. Troops would kill innocent citizens and stayed in Baghdad and Afghanistan to police the country. In fact, many Iraqi citizens reported that the American troops were bullying the country and when the troops left Baghdad, citizens celebrated showing that the internationalist policy that America took had quickly turned into Imperialism. The US foreign policy can be summarized under the Bush Doctrine that consisted of 1. There is no distinction between terrorists and the nations that have them; they are both at fault 2. Fight against the enemy on their home grounds before they reach America 3. Confront threats before they happen 4. Spread liberty and hope rather than repression and fear.
Compare and Contrast Iraq War with World War II:
During the Iraq War, many politicians claimed that there were extreme similarities with the Iraq War and the Second World War, while some agree with them others tend to oppose this concept. In fact, in 2004 President Bush compared the current Iraq War to the Second World War by comparing the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to the Japanese on Pearl Harbor which made the U.S. get involved in the war. Bush continued saying, "Like the Second World War, our present conflict began with a ruthless surprise attack on the United States... We will not forget that treachery, and we will accept nothing less than victory over the enemy." However there was no evidence that the 9/11 attacks were connected to the Iraq war at the time so Bush was criticized for this speech. The Iraq foreign policy and the World War II foreign policy consist of multiple differences from each other. First of all, in WWII, the United States played an "Isolationist" role in the war because many countries were fighting against each other but the US had no interest. Suddenly, the Japan attacked the United States directly in the Pearl Harbor attacks. Japan made it abundantly clear that the country was declaring a war against the Americans. The United States had an Internationalist and Imperialist role in the Iraq war because after the surprise 9/11 attacks believed to be carried out by Islamist Extremist Terrorists. President Bush immediately declared that the US would send to troops to Baghdad because the country needed to be defeated even though the terrorists are the ones who committed the attacks. Another difference is that in WWII is that America did not give Chile U-boats then attack Chile because they possessed the U-boats. However, in the Iraq War, the U.S. government supplied Iraq with troops and nuclear weapons- funded by US tax dollars- then terrorists used it against the U.S. in the 9/11 attacks. The Iraq foreign policy took a preemptive aspect to the war where the troops were sent because of potential threats that might occur. Whereas, in WWII, America stayed out of the war as long as possible until the countries' safety was in grave danger after the direct attacks from Japan in Pearl Harbor.
**The Iraq war can still be considered active because many troops still reside in Afghanistan.
Presidents: George W. Bush (2001-2009) and Barack Hussein Obama II (2009-Present Day)
Opposing Leaders: President Saddam Hussein, Iraq Army (includes Fedayeen Saddam paramilitaries and the Ba'ath Party), Al Qaeda, Islam Extremists
Summary of US goals in the conflict: "Our National Strategy for Victory” in November 2005 outlined the basic goals that President Bush wished to accomplish. President Bush wanted to help the Iraqi people defeat the terrorists and build an inclusive democratic state. The United States needed to defeat the terrorists in order to protect the international terrorism that may occur. The U.S. needed to gather intelligence, destroy all terrorist networks, maintain stability and security, and destroy bad economic reforms to lay the foundation for a sound economy in the US.
Foreign Policy: In theory, the US foreign policy that the government took in the Iraq War was internationalism. After the 9/11 attacks, President Bush spoke out saying that the U.S. would step individually into Iraq for the international safety from nuclear threats. Soon after Bush's announcement, US forces campaigned with strikes on the Iraq military targets one of them being an attempt to kill Saddam Hussein. US troops took control over Baghdad and Saddam Hussein’s rule collapsed. The government system in Iraq became distraught and created turmoil. America's search for Al Qaeda leaders and allies and their nuclear weapons, numerous innocent Iraqi citizens were killed in combat. The Iraq government threatened citizens to not participate in the first free election in 50 years. Iraq military turned on their citizens and multiple roadside bombs killed citizens and caused US troops to step in. After assassinating Saddam Hussein and controlling opposing powers, President Obama declared the end to the war. Although initially the US foreign policy was internationalism, the reality became an imperialistic policy when troops went to Iraq. America went into the war to protect the US and others from nuclear powers and Saddam Hussein. However, after Saddam Hussein was assassinated, Iraq government dissipated and troops overtook the country to serve national interest of oil. Troops would kill innocent citizens and stayed in Baghdad and Afghanistan to police the country. In fact, many Iraqi citizens reported that the American troops were bullying the country and when the troops left Baghdad, citizens celebrated showing that the internationalist policy that America took had quickly turned into Imperialism. The US foreign policy can be summarized under the Bush Doctrine that consisted of 1. There is no distinction between terrorists and the nations that have them; they are both at fault 2. Fight against the enemy on their home grounds before they reach America 3. Confront threats before they happen 4. Spread liberty and hope rather than repression and fear.
Compare and Contrast Iraq War with World War II:
During the Iraq War, many politicians claimed that there were extreme similarities with the Iraq War and the Second World War, while some agree with them others tend to oppose this concept. In fact, in 2004 President Bush compared the current Iraq War to the Second World War by comparing the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to the Japanese on Pearl Harbor which made the U.S. get involved in the war. Bush continued saying, "Like the Second World War, our present conflict began with a ruthless surprise attack on the United States... We will not forget that treachery, and we will accept nothing less than victory over the enemy." However there was no evidence that the 9/11 attacks were connected to the Iraq war at the time so Bush was criticized for this speech. The Iraq foreign policy and the World War II foreign policy consist of multiple differences from each other. First of all, in WWII, the United States played an "Isolationist" role in the war because many countries were fighting against each other but the US had no interest. Suddenly, the Japan attacked the United States directly in the Pearl Harbor attacks. Japan made it abundantly clear that the country was declaring a war against the Americans. The United States had an Internationalist and Imperialist role in the Iraq war because after the surprise 9/11 attacks believed to be carried out by Islamist Extremist Terrorists. President Bush immediately declared that the US would send to troops to Baghdad because the country needed to be defeated even though the terrorists are the ones who committed the attacks. Another difference is that in WWII is that America did not give Chile U-boats then attack Chile because they possessed the U-boats. However, in the Iraq War, the U.S. government supplied Iraq with troops and nuclear weapons- funded by US tax dollars- then terrorists used it against the U.S. in the 9/11 attacks. The Iraq foreign policy took a preemptive aspect to the war where the troops were sent because of potential threats that might occur. Whereas, in WWII, America stayed out of the war as long as possible until the countries' safety was in grave danger after the direct attacks from Japan in Pearl Harbor.