Iraqi men who volunteered to join the fight against a major offensive by
jihadists in northern Iraq stand on army trucks as they leave a
recruiting center in the capital Baghdad on June 13, 2014. US President
Barack Obama told reporters at the White House on Friday that putting
troops on the ground was not on the table. PHOTO/AFP
As the US aircraft carrier, named George
HW Bush, heads to Iraq, there is more irony than can be imagined in the
collapse of a country where nearly 5,000 Americans lost their lives to
supposedly restore democracy.
The war was started in
2003 because President George W Bush, the son of President George HW
Bush, convinced Congress that Saddam Hussein was hiding weapons of mass
destruction.
The allegation was false and the American
invasion set off an intense civil war between Islam’s two largest sects
that continues to date.
Here is the tip of the
ironies: President Barack Obama who opposed the invasion more than a
decade ago is using the same laws as his predecessor to launch drones
over Iraq.
Those drones, ironically, were requested by the Baghdad government which was a US enemy 12 years ago.
Another
turnabout: Iranians, who have been at odds with America since the 1970s
will likely use military force to save the day for the Shiite
government. The US defeated Saddam, which Iran could not do, and now
Iran has a regional ally.
Soon, Iran will have an
atomic weapon: Might Baghdad inherit that technology as well? How will
Saudi Arabia which is run by a Sunni royal family react? How will Israel
which is deeply worried about Iran’s nuclear capability respond?
COUNTRIES RUN LIKE COLONIES
The
US misunderstood the problems in 2003 and continues to misunderstand
them today. Iraq is a country constructed by British colonisers. In
reality, like much of the Middle East and Africa, the nation has many
factions. Religion plays a big role – Kurds in the north, Sunnis in the
middle and Shiites everywhere.
Countries put together
by colonisers are difficult to manage. Different populations are forced
to live together, and they often dislike each other. The countries were
set up to benefit the colonisers – not the citizens.
They
are held together by military/religious dictatorships and families like
the Assads of Syria. They are run much like colonies by those in
charge.
So an invasion is like a poison pill. No matter
what side you’re on, you can’t win. The US made an incorrect assumption
that Iraqis would rejoice over the overthrow of Saddam. Once the
dictator was captured, many believed, the war would be over.
The
election of a Shiite government was a testament to democracy, according
to American thought. But it was simply a reflection of the reality that
there were more Shiites than Sunnis or Kurds in Iraq.
There
can be no unity without serious reconciliation. Nelson Mandela knew
this. So did George Washington. In Baghdad, there was retribution. That
is why the radical Sunni movement which is linked to al-Qaeda is
sweeping easily from city to city.
Perhaps the greatest
irony is this: President Obama understands these issues but has been
placed into a corner. To save his legacy, he must embrace and defend the
mistakes of his predecessor.
rsmith4825@gmail.com
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