Was the US invasion of Iraq a mistake?

The Iraq war has become a source of intense criticism due to the human, economic and political toll it took on the country and the entire Middle East. Ahmed Abdul-Rahman reports.

The US invasion of Iraq began on March 20, 2003, so March 20, 2023, marked 20 years since the invasion. Its goal seemed to have been the overthrow of the Iraqi regime which was not only in power but was also in control of the alleged nuclear weapons that the West and the US claimed that the Iraqi regime owned.

However, after the invasion, it became clear that these nuclear weapons did not exist. The war enjoyed wide support in the beginning, but it became a source of intense criticism later due to the human, economic and political losses it took on the entire Middle East as well as Iraq..

Hence, it can be said that there were politicians in America and Europe who considered that the invasion was a mistake and had no international or moral justification. However, there were others who believed that the invasion was necessary to bring down the dictatorship in Iraq and remove the alleged threat to international security.

The decision to invade Iraq in 2003 was justified for several reasons, including:

- The claim by the US and its allies that the Iraqi regime possessed weapons of mass destruction. For this reason, the invasion was justified as necessary to prevent the spread of these weapons and protect international security.

- The US' support for the Iraqi opposition and the overthrow of the former regime to bring democracy to Iraq.

- The repercussions of the terrorist attacks that took place on September 11, 2001 in the US, which led to a shift in the US national security strategy towards combating terrorism and eliminating countries suspected of supporting terrorism.

-Reducing the influence of the Iraqi regime in the region and strengthening American influence in the Middle East.

There were no weapons of mass destruction.

It later became clear that the US claims that the Iraqi regime possessed weapons of mass destruction were wrong. No evidence was found proving the existence of these weapons. This sparked a lot of criticism and controversy over the decision to invade.

As for Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi president, he was accused of pursuing brutal policies against the Iraqi people, especially against religious and ethnic minorities. He was accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during his rule. Among the crimes committed during Saddam Hussein's rule were the suppression of religious and political freedoms, torture and mass executions of dissidents and suspects, and chemical attacks on Iraq's ethnic minorities.

Although many of the accusations against Saddam Hussein are true and proven, some aspects of his life and his rule are still controversial. Removing Saddam Hussein personally from power was one of the main goals of the war in Iraq in 2003. The main purpose of this was to overthrow the previous regime and liberate Iraq from the rule of Saddam Hussein.

The US announced the matter of Iraq's invasion explicitly and publicly, and military weapons were used to eliminate Saddam Hussein's rule and remove him from power. Hence, ways were sought to rebuild Iraq and achieve democracy and stability in the country.

However, the US forces and their allies had great difficulties in facing the various challenges they had after the war in Iraq. This led to more unrest and tensions in the region.

Hence, the Americans did not succeed in creating stability in Iraq after the invasion in 2003. Although the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's rule resulted in a change in regime, the country was subjected to a long period of political conflict, violence and security unrest.

Iraq has also been subjected to repeated terrorist attacks and attacks from extremist movements, in addition to the outbreak of sectarian and ethnic conflicts between Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish groups. These conflicts and internal unrest led to the exacerbation of the security situation in Iraq, and the deterioration of social and economic conditions.. The American occupation of Iraq, the exacerbation of political sectarianism, and the multiplicity of internal conflicts have resulted in disrupting opportunities for economic and social development and the implementation of reconstruction plans.

Since the US withdrawal from Iraq in 2011, the country has faced new and growing challenges, and has been subjected to bloody attacks and constant security unrest. Iraq still suffers from political and security conflicts and tensions to this day, despite the continuous efforts of successive governments to achieve stability in the country.

Among the challenges facing Iraq are sectarian and ethnic divisions, terrorist threats, economic turmoil, and political conflicts. In addition, the Iraq war has caused the destruction of the country's infrastructure and cultural heritage, and has caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens.