U.S. Foreign Policy of Failure

U.S. Foreign Policy of Failure

I believe that the U.S. invaded & occupied Iraq under false pretenses. I believe that the war in Iraq is an unwinnable war because there is no tangible enemy, and consequently no tangible objective. I believe that the Iraq War began much earlier than March 20, 2003.

I abhorred George W. Bush as President. His administration was responsible for so many injustices in this country. However, I think it is foolish to place responsibility for the Iraq War solely on his shoulders. Iraq has been in the United State's cross-hairs for quite some time. Much people do not realize, due to lack of media coverage and the Monica Lewinsky diversion, that Bill Clinton bombed Iraq and imposed trade sanctions that killed hundreds of thousands of people. Following the bombing Clinton explained the Iraq Strike on December 16, 1998. The opening remarks should sound awfully familiar... it foreshadows the same rhetoric that Dubya would later spew:

Earlier today, I ordered America's armed forces to strike military and security targets in Iraq. They are joined by British forces. Their mission is to attack Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors.

Their purpose is to protect the national interest of the United States, and indeed the interests of people throughout the Middle East and around the world.

Saddam Hussein must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons.

On March 20, 2003, Bush announced that the U.S. invaded Iraq:

My fellow citizens, at this hour American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger.

On my orders, coalition forces have begun striking selected targets of military importance to undermine Saddam Hussein's ability to wage war. These are opening stages of what will be a broad and concerted campaign.

More than 35 countries are giving crucial support, from the use of naval and air bases, to help with intelligence and logistics, to the deployment of combat units. Every nation in this coalition has chosen to bear the duty and share the honor of serving in our common defense.

Sound familiar?

Our current president ran on a campaign of quickly withdrawing all military personnel from Iraq. There has yet to be a total pullout of troops. Since his inauguration, he has stated that he expects 75% of troops to be pulled out of Iraq by the end of 2010, and the remaining troops to be pulled out by the end of 2011. A timetable convenient for his re-election bid. Obama's opposition to the Iraq war is based on his belief that the U.S. should be in Afghanistan instead. It is the same policy of his 2008 opponent McCain, Bush, Clinton, Bush Sr., etc etc etc. It's the same foreign policy simply directed on another country-- a policy that will drive the United States into further debt and keep us in the cross-hairs of extremists that are not too happy that we are on their land (a tactic taught and exploited by teh Carter/Reagan administrations during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan).

Welcome to another 4 years of the same failed foreign policy.