On December 14th, 2011 President Obama proclaimed the Iraq War over. Speaking from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, he told people all over the world "everything that American troops have done in Iraq - all the fighting and all the dying, bleeding and building, training and partnering - all of it had led us to this moment of success." While in downtown Baghdad on Sunday, January 1st, 2012 a Shiite group held a victory parade celebrating its role in "defeating the U.S." Who is right? How successful was the U.S.'s nearly nine year Iraq War?
Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi men, women and children were killed, a far great number of Iraqis maimed, tens of thousands of children orphaned, 2 1/2 million Iraqis have fled their nation, a nation in which death and destruction continues at a horrific pace. The Iraq economy is in shambles and in Baghdad, they have electricity just 3 -4 hours a day, meaning little or no air conditioning in a climate that hits 120 degrees in summer. It also means limited computer, television and night lighting. Fear of violence or kidnapping keeps Iraqis living on edge. Meanwhile, medical care is limited, their water is contaminated, sewage treatment is largely non existent and trash pickup is sketchy.
The two story blast walls and barbed wired check points remain throughout Baghdad and with the rampant government corruption, police protection is an iffy proposition. Of course the exception to this is the Green Zone, a city within a city and one inaccessible to most Iraqis. It is heavily protected by U.S. "contractors."
What price has America paid for this "success?" 4,487 soldiers dead, 32,200 severely injured and many thousands more suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, with thousands of them now living homeless on the streets. Thousands of U.S. military families are devastated by this starting with the families that buried their sons or daughters. Measured in money, the war cost about a trillion dollars, but we are just getting started for in the decades to come, our Iraq veterans are going to need extensive care.
In a parting ceremony in a heavily secured U.S. military base near Baghdad, in which no Iraqi officials participated, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who arrived "unannounced" (sneaked in and then out) praised the U.S. troops for being a“driving force for remarkable progress.” and he said they were leaving “secure in knowing that your sacrifice has helped the Iraqi people begin a new chapter in history, free from tyranny and full of hope for prosperity and peace.”
So did the U.S. "win" its Iraq War? Or did the Shiite militias win? The answer is obvious. No-one wins a war, as blood is spilled en mass and civilization is devastated not only by its losses but by all the resources that could have been used to make the world a better place for all of humanity. Did the U.S. learn a lesson from all of this bloodshed it set-off? No, it continues its wars in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
Dick
To learn more, please see "As Iraq Ignites, Cleric Seeks Gains: Amid Conflict, ex-Militant Sadr, Shiite Leader and Ally of Iran, Aims to Climb to Top of Fray as Peacemaker," The Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204331304577140633371615966.html
Thank you to Jessica Barnes and her dad, Jon Barnes for sharing "It's time to admit defeat" by Tom Engelhardt on http://www.salon.com/2012/01/03/its_time_to_admit_defeat/ which was very helpful in writing this piece.
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