IRAQ AND US RELATIONS

The relationship between the US and Iraq in 2003 and after the Gulf war ended

The relationship between the US and Iraq in 2003 and after the Gulf war ended

Introduction

Despite misgivings on the part of many Americans and fierce opposition on the part of others, more than 70 percent of Americans initially endorsed President Bush's decision to invade Iraq. They watched as media coverage—much of it delivered live by journalists who traveled “embedded” with specific military units—showed the rapid, almost unchecked Coalition advance. But more widespread doubts about the war began when the occupation of the country got off to a rocky start. These were increased by American service personnel who were able to e-mail disquieting information to their relatives and friends, and by service personnel, journalists, and Iraqi civilians who posted photographs online and opinions on “blogs.” A blog kept by a 24-year old Iraqi woman known only as “Riverbend” consistently ranked among the top 50 most read blogs on the Web.

By mid-2004, no weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq (Saddam Hussein had apparently implied that he did hold such weapons as a way to maintain his stature in the Arab world) and the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (commonly called the 9/11 Commission) concluded that, at best, only the most tenuous connections had existed between al Qaeda and the deposed Baathist regime. These two facts, coupled with the ongoing violence there and the damaging revelations of the abuse by U.S. soldiers of Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad, convinced about half of Americans that the war was not worth the cost. But despite intense criticism and a strong challenge in the 2004 presidential election from Democratic nominee Sen. John Kerry, Bush steadfastly maintained that the conflict was an integral and necessary component of the war on terror. His reelection, however narrow the victory margin, might have suggested that a majority of Americans still agreed with him.

Discussion

Nevertheless, debate continued over the wisdom of the invasion and whether sufficient cause existed under international law to legitimize the attack. Some wondered if the Iraq war was a distraction from, or even a hindrance to, the effective prosecution of the war on terror. Even so, the courage shown by the Iraqis who went to the polls on January 30, 2005, impressed even the most skeptical critics of the invasion, and some earlier critics began to wonder, cautiously but publicly, if perhaps the Bush administration might have been right after all. Nevertheless, much contention over the war continued well into 2005.

We must remember that the war-makers are feverishly trying to manipulate the perceptions of restive Americans. They fear the multitudes. Thead covering is why reporters were embedded at the beginning. Thead covering is why the toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue on April 9, 2003 was "stage-managed" by the U.S. Army, according to the L.A. Times (Clark, 2003, 52).

According to another Times article, the Fallujah clinic was shut down on ...