America’s Success in Iraq

On March 19, 2003 President Bush declared war on the country Iraq. The government deployed American troops in to Iraq to complete three tasks: find and remove weapons of mass destruction, remove Saddam Hussein from power, and to establish a democracy in Iraq. Two and half years later, with the death toll rising, America still occupies Iraq and has only completed one task.

One of the pretenses for America to invade Iraq was the belief, by the American Government, that Iraq was stockpiling Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) with the intent to attack other countries. In January 2005, it was announced that American had ended its search for WMD. This was not because America had found a large amount of WMD but because after almost tow years of searching America had not found any WMD. In October 2004, Charles A. Duelfer, the head of the Iraq Survey Group’s search for WMD admitted that in March this was no proof that Saddam Hussein or anyone else in Iraq was creating, had possession or even had the intent of creating WMD. Ultimately America did not complete their first task of finding and removing WMD from Iraq.

On April 9, 2003 less then one month of declaring war on Iraq, America gains control of Iraq’s capital Baghdad. Still America faces opposition from many Iraqis and the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein is unknown. On May 1, 2003 the Pentagon declares an end to the official combat in Iraq and Saddam Hussein’s whereabouts are still unknown. On August 9, 2003; 100 days after the official end of combat in Iraq, America’s death toll reaches 255 and America still is continuing to search for Saddam Hussein. Finally almost nine months after the fall of Baghdad, American troops find Saddam Hussein, one of the world’s most tyrant leaders, hiding in a hole outside of his home town Tikrit. Although America completed the task of removing Saddam Hussein from power, they were very unsuccessful in the process. After gaining control of Baghdad, America still had to face many attacks from angry Iraqis, who did not agree with America having control of their country. Also, even after declaring an end to official combat in Iraq, America was still fighting and suffering from causalities almost everyday.

America believes that the only successful government for Iraq is a democracy. On April 15, 2004; almost a month after the fall of Baghdad, President Bush and his administration agrees with the U.N to place a caretaker government in Iraq when power is return to the Iraqi government on June 3rd. Yet, not until June 8, 2004 does the U. N pass the endorsement for a caretaker government to have control of Iraq and it also allows American forces to leave Iraq by January 1, 2006. By June 17, 2004 over 100 Iraqi citizens have been killed, including an Iraqi diplomat and a senior Iraqi government official. On December 19, 2004 car bombers attack election workers in an act of protest against the new government. Today Iraq is no closer to having a stable government any more then it was a year ago and America is still facing attacks the death toll recently reaching 2,000. Yet America believes it can withdrawal from Iraq in two months but American forces cannot leave Iraq until it is restored.

There are many reasons why America failed in completing two of the three tasks they had before entering Iraq. First, the government did not research properly and sent the American forces on a wild goose chase through Iraq for WMD that did not exist. The Bush administration rushed into Iraq under false pretense. If the government would have spent a few more months looking into the claim that Iraq was stockpiling WMD, they may have realized it was false and the American forces would not have had to waste their time searching for WMD. The American government also had high hopes for creating a democracy in Iraq after removing Saddam Hussein from power. Obviously the government did not expect so much resists from the Iraqi citizens or else the government would not have ended the combat in May 2003. Instead they would have continued in combat until they believed the country was secure. Also soon after the caretaker government is installed in Iraq two members of it are killed and then in December members of the election committee are attacked by car bombers. America already behind in setting up the democracy will not be able to complete this task my January 1, 2006 like they had planned.

The American government was able to remove Saddam Hussein from power but it was not successful. After the fall of Baghdad Saddam Hussein went into hiding but there were still people fighting for him. American casualties continued to rise even after the Pentagon declared a legal end to combat in Iraq. Nine months after the fall of Iraq’s capital city, American troops find Saddam Hussein hiding in a hole outside of his hometown, a city that the American armed forces had searched a few times. It took much too long for America to find Saddam Hussein.

Two and a half years after invading Iraq, America is still at war. This war has taken its toll on America through money and lives. Entering a country unprepared and under false pretense and then taking almost two years to establish a government is not common among the normally powerful American government. The American government has failed in more ways then one while fighting this war in Iraq.