30 November 2006
Picking the Fight
No question. The Bush Administration picked the fight in Iraq. Its objective, despite claims of international terrorism, nuclear proliferation, democracy in the Broader Middle East, or humanitarianism, was really only to get rid of Saddam. The September 11 attack on the U.S. offered the perfect occasion for seeking that revenge. And elimination of Saddam offered the most efficacious use for America’s military might.
Decision-makers in the Administration didn’t bother to study the history or culture of Iraq before invading it. Intellectual laziness may be part of the explanation; arrogance of neo-conservative idealistic true-believers may be a larger part. In any case, once the original objective of the invasion was quickly achieved, lack of preparation for the aftermath embroiled the U.S. in a never-ending unraveling of the artificial Iraqi “nation.” Moreover, the U.S. created a specific history of humiliation and Quisling-like collaboration that will have to be mollified in the formation of a new political order.
Can the U.S. just pull out of Iraq now that it is generally recognized that its continued occupation of the territory does not contribute to the long-term peaceful well-being of its residents? That will probably be determined as much by political forces in the U.S. as by realities on the ground in Iraq. That is the privilege of the superpower, and the sad lot of occupants of a world under hegemonic domination.
No question. The Bush Administration picked the fight in Iraq. Its objective, despite claims of international terrorism, nuclear proliferation, democracy in the Broader Middle East, or humanitarianism, was really only to get rid of Saddam. The September 11 attack on the U.S. offered the perfect occasion for seeking that revenge. And elimination of Saddam offered the most efficacious use for America’s military might.
Decision-makers in the Administration didn’t bother to study the history or culture of Iraq before invading it. Intellectual laziness may be part of the explanation; arrogance of neo-conservative idealistic true-believers may be a larger part. In any case, once the original objective of the invasion was quickly achieved, lack of preparation for the aftermath embroiled the U.S. in a never-ending unraveling of the artificial Iraqi “nation.” Moreover, the U.S. created a specific history of humiliation and Quisling-like collaboration that will have to be mollified in the formation of a new political order.
Can the U.S. just pull out of Iraq now that it is generally recognized that its continued occupation of the territory does not contribute to the long-term peaceful well-being of its residents? That will probably be determined as much by political forces in the U.S. as by realities on the ground in Iraq. That is the privilege of the superpower, and the sad lot of occupants of a world under hegemonic domination.
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