The year 2006 ends today, and new year is coming soon. As if it were a landmark toward the next year, Saddam Hussein was executed. Today, I would like to question whether it is right to criticize US decision to fight against Iraq.
Certainly, there are some unexpected troubles after toppling Saddam. However, can anyone guarantee that terrorists will not attack US forces and local police, if the coalition continues to stay in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in order to bomb suspected sites occasionally?
Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein may not have direct ties each other. But think of terrorists’ objectives. Their target is anything associated with American power and Western superiority against their value of Islamic radicalism. There is no doubt that Al Qaeda and its affiliates attacked allied bases around Iraq. Moreover, they could have agitated riots in Arab moderates, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, and Gulf states.
Saddam Hussein would have continued to ridicule allied forces and international inspectors. Things could have been worse than it is today. He was megalomania, and always posing threat to his neighbors. Don’t forget that he used chemical weapons against the Iranian army and Kurdish citizens in Iraq. There is every reason that US-UK led allies had been concerned with his possible use of other weapons of mass destructions, including biological and nuclear weapons. In addition, Iraqi citizens, regardless of religion and ethnic backgrounds, would be still under tyrant rule, had the coalition hesitated to fight against Iraq.
The cost of endless containment could have been tremendous.
It is not appropriate to blame the initial decision to overthrow a dangerous dictator, simply because of predicaments. In any case, Iraq is Iraq, and Vietnam is Vietnam. It is important to talk with influential neighbors, but never appease!
According to oriental zodiac, 2007 is a year of wild boar. I hope the war on terror and Middle East democratization will make rapid progress like a dash of energetic boar.
Happy New Year!
2 comments:
Wise words, Shah:
It is not appropriate to blame the initial decision to overthrow a dangerous dictator, simply because of predicaments.
The unknown predicaments, if Iraq had never been invaded, can be debated. We can never know for sure.
2007 is the year of the wild boar? I like what you said about that as well! Those of us who love freedom do indeed need to be energetic.
Best wishes for a Happy New Year, Shah!
It is not the decision of attacking Iraq, but postwar plans lead to some failure. I agree that something needs to be reconsidered. But this does not mean that the initial decision was wrong.
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