Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

US Toiled much and Achieved Less

After years of engagement and expenditure of a trillion dollars, American combatant force left Iraq happily while around five thousand of their fellows lost lives and multiple of the number injured. Americans are happy seeing their sons and daughters returning from a foreign territory where people increasingly started turning against and viewing them as occupiers. In 2003, when US former President Mr. Bush commanded assault on Iraq, large portion of public welcomed the attack and were thankful to Washington for ending the incumbency of Baath Party led by Saddam Hussein.

After nine years of engagement, their presence was increasingly started tasting sour and bitter to Iraqis. Recently there were reports publicized talking about the secret negotiation between Washington and Baghdad about the extension of US military presence in the country, but the withdrawal showed that officials failed to reach into an agreement.

However President Obama during his presidential campaign promised to end the war in Iraq and bring back US military, but the serious concern caused by countries like Iran, possibly exploited from American sacrifice weakened the previous enthusiasm for complete military withdrawal. But finally the administration preferred to get out of the country and control the situation from far away.

So, the failure of negotiation between officials of both countries about the extension of military presence in the country raised the question, "Could US achieve its objectives?

Apparently two factors played critical role in dragging US to war: Saddam Hussein's linkage with al-Qaeda and other terror networks and second mass destruction weapons, which both proved phony and false.

After the war, there was found no signs of existence of mass destruction weapons or even a secret project. The same thing occurred in the case of training and equipment of terror networks. So, the inaccuracy of pre-war assumptions proved that how circles within the administration pushed for the attack. Iraq was named as evil-axis and President Bush commanded for the attack without the United Nations' mandate.

What he and his supporters cared much was the outcome of the war, which proved too costly for the country in economic, military and diplomatic spheres. Now after years of engagement, there is no guarantee that democracy works out smoothly and US political and economic interests protected against its regional foes.

Iran-tilting group of Moqdat al-Sadr has a lot to say within the administration of Noor- al-Maliki. Though Iraqi government tries to find way to a functioning democracy, but analysts believe that Islamic Republic would play visible role in its foreign as well as domestic affairs. Thus, US war has benefited Tehran much.