The Iraq Crisis Essay, Research Paper

The Iraq Crisis

The recent military action against Iraq by the USA and Britain has plunged the world closer to large-scale war than we have been since 1945. The question is, why have the USA instigated such actions?

In my opinion, and in the opinion of any rational person, these attacks have been unnecessary and have constituted an attempt by a ludicrously weak president to divert attention from his domestic struggles. In the last twelve months, Clinton has repeatedly used military action to smokescreen the public. His repeated threats against Iraq and eventual attack have all happened at times of domestic problems. He launched cruise missile attacks on struggling African countries during his video testimony debacle. This flagrant violation of International law against the wishes of the rest of the world must stop if we are to avoid war. America has become arrogant and reckless, prepared to bomb defenceless countries in order to serve it’s own domestic needs.

America often claims justification for attack’s by claiming it is trying to stop international terrorists or a rogue dictator. These claims have no basis in fact and serve only to incite the Muslim world, which usually bear the brunt of attacks.

Iraq has been inspected in detail for six years and no firm evidence has arisen of any weapons of mass destruction (regardless of what the American and British media dream up). Even if Iraq was developing weapons, why shouldn’t it? Most countries in the world have chemical weapons and some countries that pose a far greater threat to world peace have much more advanced weapons programs (including nuclear capability). These countries include recognised terrorist nations such as Libya and last bastions of the old Soviet era like North Korea. We do not even dream of launching pre-emptive strikes against these countries.

Iraq is chosen by the US as its target because of the Gulf war. This was far from the brutal invasion of a neighbouring country that the US portrays it to be. Iraq has had a constitutional claim to Kuwait since Kuwait was part of Iraq. That Iraq should wish to take Kuwait back is understandable. It is far less easy to sympathise with the American supported invasion of Nicaragua in the 1980’s or the plain desire of the US to take over the world by economic and military superiority.