Table of contents:
1. Introduction
2. Particularities of Iraq war
3. Geopolitical and economical aspects of war in Iraq
4. Conclusion
Introduction
Three years ago President Bush starting the war in Iraq had a direct and ambitious
task to stabilize the situation in the Near East and in Arabian world in general.
The invasion and further occupation of Iraq were considered to be of a main
importance, as they would liberate the country and change life of Iraqis nation.
By the estimates of the president’s administration the war expenses had
not to be great and the military campaign had to be relatively short. In addition,
another important purpose of the invasion was stabilization of the oil prices
and control over the oil one of the richest countries in hydrocarbon minerals.
The primary ambitions of overthrowing the regime of Suddam Hussein and establishing
democracy in the after war country of Iraq were ruined by the harsh realities
of the civil war and resistance of different military groups supported by terrorist
organizations and religious extremists against coalition. The losses of the
American army and allies exceed the number of 2000 long before the year of 2006.
Today, after three years of prolonged conflict in Iraq the military campaign
seems to be pointless for a number of reasons: neither the oil crisis nor Middle
east major problems are solved. The oil prices skyrocketed in these three years
hitting $75 per barrel last week, the weapon of mass destruction (bacteriological,
chemical or nuclear) are not found in Iraq, Iraqis nation is not ready to accept
democratic changes and democratic government proposed by Americans.
Particularities of Iraq war
The development of the events and the situation in Iraq nowadays shows that
American administration had undervalued the possible development of the events.
It’s generally accepted that life of the Iraqis people had changed for
better because of the constant financing of the country’s economy by the
USA and different types of foreign investments in country’s infrastructure
and oil industry. As a result the Iraqis campaign appeared to be much more expensive
than it was planned before the invasion. Allies relied that scenario of Afghanistan
will not repeat, as Iraq is not a mountainous country with relief, which is
the most favorable for guerilla war tactics, as it’s a plane desert, but
nevertheless it did not help much.
If at the begging of the campaign in Iraq the sum for the reconstruction of
the country was planned to be about 1.7 billion dollars than just six month
later the administration requested 20 billions more and it confessed that during
the year of 2004 the total expenses would exceed 75 billion dollars. By the
end of the 2005 the total costs of war exceeded 200 billion dollars and continue
to grow as 4.8 billion dollars are spent monthly on this war.
Besides the expenses on the reconstruction of the country the military campaign
appeared to be not so simple as it looked in spring of 2003. The resistance
of military groups of Iraqis appeared to be a serious problem. From the very
beginning Washington did not take into consideration the possibility of resistance
from the side of Iraqis military as well as from the side of armored groups
of religious and terrorist extremists who use terror and guerilla practices.
The tragic results of such under evaluation of enemy forces are obvious in daily
news report which witness dozens of deaths nearly every day in different parts
of the country: collisions with Iraqis guerillas and terrorist acts against
peaceful civilians. The scenario of Iraq in many respects turned into a well
known scenario of Vietnam and scenario of Soviet occupation of Afghanistan,
where invaders didn’t face any strong resistance at the beginning of military
campaign, but as a result they were involved in severe guerilla war against
hidden enemy- local population, which every second could strike back. The most
terrible thing in the war in Iraq is that local population remained disintegrated
and different local leading clans, religious groups (Shiites and Sunnites) are
not able or simply don’t want to find a consensus which will promote stability
and ability of Iraqis to manage their country in a democratic way. Continuing
confrontations of Shiite and Sunnite population as well as discrimination of
Kurds during Suddam Hussein’s regime lead to the creation of political
vacuum in the country, which was united only by the power of weapon and violence.
Today, every clan understanding the opportunities of economical potential of
this oil rich country will protect only his own interests and will try to satisfy
only his own ambitions rather than to look for compromise.
The expectations from the military campaign that included overthrowing of Hussein
and establishment of pro-American democratic government, which will crate relative
stability and will prevent the spread of anti-American moods in the Near east
on the hand with terrorism had not come true. War in Iraq only promoted the
spread of terrorism of the territory of this country, which in the past differed
by stability and order, even though it was based on despotism of Hussein’s
regime. Nevertheless, some specialists mark that success in the establishing
control over the Arabian world is visual as Libya stopped its nuclear program,
but the expectations about solving the conflict between Israel and Palestine
didn’t come true.
The start of the military campaign also created a very complicated paradox which
only destroyed shakable peace on Iraqis land: as both the supporters and the
opponents of the war in Iraq understand quite well what will happen after Allies
will withdraw troops from occupied territories. Such vacuum of power will be
quickly filled with civil war, the participants of which would get an impressive
support from the different powers of the Islamic world. A vivid example of the
following scenario is post war Afghanistan from 1989 to 2001, where the failure
of the Soviet troops and their removal from the country gave the impulse for
a new civil war and establishment of the Taliban regime and northern territories,
which are only controlled by heroin mafia. Besides, Taliban with its loyal policy
towards Muslim military fundamentalism created favorable conditions for the
spread of Islamist fighters on Balkans, Northern Caucasus and Near east and
resulting a series of terrorist acts around the world. But to fight guerillas
which are often hidden under the mask of peaceful civilians is much more difficult
task than to defeat a poorly prepared and demoralized Iraqis army. It’s
understood quite well by a new leader of Iraqis opposition Sadrah, who united
all existing groups, unsatisfied with American occupation.
Geopolitical and economical aspects of war in Iraq
The government officials admit that problems, faced by American politics in
after war Iraq, taking into consideration geopolitical situation, the threat
of ethnic conflicts and resistance as well as political problems of governing
on the occupied territory, are more serious and difficult than those faced by
them in Haiti or Balkans, when the USA intervened into local conflicts; as Iraq
is a very serious geopolitical place in the Muslim world. Being rich in oil
and standing apart from the major fundamentalist processes which took place
in last 25-30 years it saved relative political neutrality at the same time
trying to turn into a local military leader, but failed and lost its positions
for a long time. Today, in the world where constant threat of Muslim terrorism
exist and where there exists a considerable shortage of energetic resources
domination over Iraq is an issue of primary importance for world superpowers.
And it’s even more important that the driving role is played not by the
governments but by transcontinental corporations, which in many respects determine
world politics, according to their strategic economical interests.
That’s why it’s important to understand the war in Iraq not a war
against terrorism, or war against Sadam Hussein, who perhaps had weapon of mass
destruction, but it’s mainly the war for the economical domination (it’s
even better to say war for preserving economical domination) and control over
rich oil resources of Near East. Such point is clearly stated in the book “Why
are we at war”, by Norman Mailer.The thesis of the author is obvious from
the first pages of the book- American big corporations initiated imperialist
aggression, hiding their lusty plans and thirst for power by slogans of protection
of democracy and spreading ideas of western humanism. But at the same time it’s
an open intervention against national sovereignty of different countries that
do not accept the doctrine of financial dependence upon capital of superpowers.
Mailer lets us to know that in past decades the behavior of American big business
had changed both abroad and inside the USA, as its interests are demonstrated
not only on the arena of third world countries, but also in the main institutions
of White house and Congress dictating political will to the whole nation. The
main problem, which Mailer touches, is absence of strong opposition to the policy
of corporations as “an alchemy of Left and Right to confound the corporate
center” (p. 101) is not observed in any branches of power.
In “Why are we at war?” Mailer describes different modern American
tendencies which turned to be obvious today and have high importance for the
nation and its future: the war on terrorism, growing influence of big business
on world politics, penetration of capital into politics as these tendencies
are common for the majority of super-states nowadays not including the USA only.
Mailer also devotes a lot of attention to modern political and social values
of Americans, which in many aspects seem to be more than absurd and pointless
as a result of opinion manipulation and pan-American propaganda. Mailer also
shows the real, global face of the conflict of Palestinians and Israelites,
which in many respects is demonstration of resistance of Arabian world to Western
expansion on the Middle East.
As the role of the USA in these processes is leading one, Mailer is worried
about the destiny of its country and about his countrymen writing the following:
“When we think we are nearest to God, we could be assisting the Devil
(p. 72)…I must say it again: In a country where values are collapsing,
patriotism becomes the handmaiden to totalitarianism. The country becomes the
religion. We are asked to live in a state of religious fervor: Love America!
Love it because America has become a substitute for religion. But to love your
country indiscriminately means that critical distinctions begin to go. And democracy
depends on those distinctions” (p. 108).
Conclusion
Making a conclusion it’s important to understand that the military presence
of coalition troops will be kept in Iraq in close future. Inability to find
consensus among local leaders, failure to restore peaceful life in the country
quickly will only result in growing spending on this military campaign which
losses it sense and purpose after 3 years of occupation. The only affect of
war in Iraq is growing oil prices, which reached $75 for barrel, developing
nuclear program of Iran who is afraid to become the next target of coalition
and growth of fundamentalist anti-American propaganda in the countries of the
Middle East. The war in Iraq appeared to be very profitable for a number of
big American and European corporations and especially for oil corporations of
Texas. But at the same time it showed weakness of official Washington to control
state budget, prices and order in the country, especially after the terrible
hurricane season of 2005.
References:
1. Mailer, Norman Why Are We At War? New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks
2003
2. Angus Reid Global Scan: Polls & Research Iraq War Expenses Raise Questions
in U.S. September 22, 2005 available on web: http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/9067
3. Clark, William Revisited The Real Reasons for the Upcoming War With Iraq:
A Macroeconomic and Geostrategic Analysis of the Unspoken Truth available on
web: http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/RRiraqWar.phpl