Guest Commentary: America’s war with Iraq leaves clouded legacy
Dr. Samuel B. Hoff is a George Washington Distinguished Professor Emeritus of history and political science at Delaware State University. He served as the school’s ROTC director from 1993-99 and has been a recipient of a military history fellowship from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Two decades ago, United States military forces invaded Iraq to displace Saddam Hussein. Already a regional menace and national tyrant, he was being linked with Iran and North Korea as the “axis of evil,” from which both terrorism and weapons of mass destruction emanated. While America had quick success in ridding the world of Saddam, the long-term effort to rebuild Iraq proved difficult and deadly.
The contemporary history between America and Iraq certainly had something to do with the 2003 military action. First, American and coalition forces defeated Iraq in the 1991 Gulf War following Iraq’s takeover of Kuwait and actively monitored Iraq’s military moves thereafter. Second, in 1998, Congress and the Clinton White House agreed on the Iraq Liberation Act, which specifically supported regime change in Iraq. Third, Iraq was front and center in America’s post-Sept. 11 global strategy to combat terrorism and its “1%” doctrine regarding weapons of mass destruction.
Given the ease of getting in, U.S. forces did not count on ensuing events, including an extended civil war between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, the Islamic State’s intention to establish a caliphate and the fact that American presence in Iraq would continue through four presidential administrations.
The costs of our Iraq occupation and effort to rebuild the nation have been steep, starting with the deaths of nearly 4,500 U.S. service personnel and an equal number of independent contractors, along with 300,000 Iraqi citizens. Total U.S. spending in Iraq since 2003 is estimated anywhere from $800 billion to $2 trillion. Of the 1.5 million Americans who served in Iraq over the last two decades, more than 32,000 have been injured, and thousands have reported illnesses associated with toxic exposure to burn pits. Tragically, of the 17 veteran suicides America suffers daily, many have served in Iraq.
As bad as the aforementioned losses are, American prestige and respect were significantly diminished by the miscalculations over weapons of mass destruction never found, by the military’s treatment of detainees in Iraq and elsewhere, and by the perception of the United States as a global bully. America’s intelligence community unfairly bore much of the blame for the post-invasion problems and was needlessly overhauled. Finally, the credibility of U.S. institutions was questioned by Americans themselves, resulting in a diminution of support, which has never fully recovered.
There are some positive outcomes of America’s long Iraqi mission, as seen from the Iraqi perspective. For instance, that country’s gross national product increased tenfold over the last 20 years. Further, the literacy rate among Iraqi citizens grew to 90% over that period. For those saved from the violence, life span actually went up five years. Finally, though experiencing the normal travails of a parliamentary government system, Iraq’s leaders have been able to maintain relative domestic peace
Having rotated between surge and withdrawal for most of the post-2003 invasion of Iraq, current U.S. policy there has been thankfully stable. A total of 2,500 U.S. personnel are on bases in the country in a noncombat role, offering training and equipment for Iraqi troops. Moreover, American presence there is helpful to our military effort in neighboring Syria, where U.S. forces are actively assisting Kurdish troops and trying to prevent more bloodshed.
Following an attack on a U.S. base in Syria a week ago, injured troops were flown to Iraq for medical treatment. For many, America’s military residency in Iraq is a buffer against aggression by external forces, particularly Iran.
That there is no clear legacy of the 2003 American invasion of Iraq is understandable, given the tumultuous events of the last two decades. In certain circles of academia, one would recommend waiting another 20 years before appraising the milestone. But perhaps late President Richard Nixon said it best: The interpretation of history depends on who writes it.
Editor’s note: The U.S. Senate voted 66-30 Wednesday to rescind the previous authorization for use of military force for the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 Iraq War.
