The Iraq War was a conflict fought between a United States led coalition and Iraq. While the exact causes and motives are somewhat unclear, it is certain that the war was motivated by past events, such as 9/11 and the 1991 Gulf War, threats of weapons of mass destruction, and contrasts between the dictatorship of Iraq and the republic of America (Hanson). With the initial conflict over, debates have spread across the world, questioning whether the United States was justified in starting the war. The United States should not have gone to war with Iraq because of the insufficient and poorly supported reasons it had to start the conflict, the interventionalist precedent it set in both the United States and the United Nations, and the damage
…show more content…
Bush had insufficient and poorly-evidenced reasons to start war with Iraq. One major reason America went to war with Iraq was because of the believed association of Al-Qaeda, a Middle-East terrorist group, and Saddam Hussein, the dictator of Iraq (Heinrich). On September 1, 2001, Al-Qaeda terrorists crashed two planes into the World Trade Center, causing fear to spread throughout America’s public (911memorial.org). It was from this fear that investigations of Hussein’s supposed support of Al-Qaeda occurred, uncovering overwhelming evidence that no such association existed. Even if Bush had sufficient evidence to link Hussein with Al-Qaeda, proposing war would not have been the proper protocol. Warring with Hussein’s regime not only harmed Iraq’s infrastructure, but also its people, many of whom were innocent. Another large justification for the war was the supposition that Iraq held weapons of mass destruction. Iraq had been associated with terrorism and the use of the biological weapons in the past, so such a belief was not necessarily insane. However, after searches indicated Iraq held no such weapons of destruction or facilities to produce them, Bush maintained his position, further arguing that Hussein had hidden the weapons. The conclusion of the war found no weapons of mass destruction (Heinrich). Bush’s reasoning for the war can ultimately be seen as removing a threat rather than a problem. Supporters of Bush would likely argue
Bush had insufficient and poorly-evidenced reasons to start war with Iraq. One major reason America went to war with Iraq was because of the believed association of Al-Qaeda, a Middle-East terrorist group, and Saddam Hussein, the dictator of Iraq (Heinrich). On September 1, 2001, Al-Qaeda terrorists crashed two planes into the World Trade Center, causing fear to spread throughout America’s public (911memorial.org). It was from this fear that investigations of Hussein’s supposed support of Al-Qaeda occurred, uncovering overwhelming evidence that no such association existed. Even if Bush had sufficient evidence to link Hussein with Al-Qaeda, proposing war would not have been the proper protocol. Warring with Hussein’s regime not only harmed Iraq’s infrastructure, but also its people, many of whom were innocent. Another large justification for the war was the supposition that Iraq held weapons of mass destruction. Iraq had been associated with terrorism and the use of the biological weapons in the past, so such a belief was not necessarily insane. However, after searches indicated Iraq held no such weapons of destruction or facilities to produce them, Bush maintained his position, further arguing that Hussein had hidden the weapons. The conclusion of the war found no weapons of mass destruction (Heinrich). Bush’s reasoning for the war can ultimately be seen as removing a threat rather than a problem. Supporters of Bush would likely argue