Bush Right in Invading Iraq?

¶ … Bush Right in Invading Iraq?

The controversial U.S. invasion of Iraq which began on March 20, 2003, was roundly slammed by the left-liberal critics who dubbed it a "monumental blunder" that the U.S. would soon come to regret. Two years later, even some former opponents of the Iraq War are beginning to admit that Bush may have been right about invading Iraq after all. Consider:

The tyrannical Saddam regime was toppled in three weeks with minimum casualties and with most of the country's infrastructure intact, including its oil fields. Saddam himself was captured a few months later, as were most of his closest associates. Several countries, including some hard-core supporters of terrorism, began to realize that the U.S. was no "paper tiger" and swiftly changed their spots. For example Colonel Gaddafi of Libya abandoned his nuclear weapons program and withdrew its support for terrorists; Pakistan, the erstwhile mentor of the Talibans became the most valued ally of the U.S. In its war on terror; even the Mullahs in Iran who had previously dubbed the U.S. As "the Great Satan" toned down their anti-U.S. rhetoric and began to co-operate with international weapons inspectors. Democratic elections were successfully held earlier this year in Iraq -- the first time ever in its history. More remarkably, President Bush's bold declaration before the war that "a liberated Iraq can show the power of freedom to transform that vital region" (quoted by Schorr) is beginning to take effect. The deeply Conservative monarchy in Saudi Arabia has been nudged into holding Municipal elections for the first time; demonstrations for democracy in Egypt have prompted Hosni Mubarak to announce free contested presidential elections; and in Lebanon a 'Cedar Revolution' has brought down the puppet government installed by Syria, and forced the withdrawal of Syrian troops from the country. All this would not have been possible if the Bush administration had not been audacious enough to stick his neck out and venture into Iraq. As Charles Krauthammer, writing in the Time magazine recently, quite rightly notes: "It was not people power that set this in motion. It was American power." (Krauthammer, "Three Cheers...")

Let us examine now examine some of the major arguments against the U.S. invasion of Iraq. One argument that has been flogged to death is that the U.S. administration had cited the possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) by Iraq as a reason for invading Iraq, but such weapons have not been found by the U.S. forces. Another is that a preemptive strike in Iraq was illegal as per international law. The financial cost of the war, the American casualties, and the terrorist violence in the post-Saddam are also quoted as evidence that the U.S. War in Iraq was a mistake. (Scheer)