Institute for Policy Studies and the War in Iraq

Iraq The war in Iraq has become one of the most contentious political issues in recent years. Although many citizens of the United States originally supported sending in troops to Iraq based on the possible presence of weapons of mass destruction, currently more and more people are crying out for the return of American troops. According to the Institute for Policy Studies and Foreign Policy (IPS) report entitled "Paying the Price," over 1500 troops have been killed since the onset of the war, and over 11,300 have been wounded.

Equally if not more startling are the casualties on the other side: approximately 24,000 Iraqi troops have been killed in battle but an astounding 16,000 to 100,000 innocent civilians have also had their lives taken by the war. These horrific numbers belie the potential futility of the war. Continued presence of American troops in Iraq is needless, costly to both life and to taxpayer money.

Even before reading through the IPS documents, including Phyllis Bennis' "Understanding the U.S.-Iraq Crisis," I held strong opinions against the war for practical, strategic, political, and humanitarian reasons. The IPS documents fuel my existing opinions further, and I certainly believe that American troops should be withdrawn from Iraq as soon as possible. One of the main reasons to withdraw troops is the obvious strength of the Iraqi insurgency and the consequential loss of American lives. According to "Paying the Price," the insurgency soared in popularity between 2003 and 2004.

In just one year, estimates rose from 5,000 fighters to 40,000 on the side of the insurgency. Essentially, the war has created hardened anti-American sentiments throughout Iraq and the rest of the Middle East. The war, rather than bolster the American cause for freedom and democracy, has instead spawned further acts of terror and inspired increasing numbers of people to take up arms against the United States. Far from being viewed as "liberators," as the Bush administration would like us to believe, Americans are often viewed as terrorists.

Bennis' report, which was written in 2003 near the beginning of the war, supports the view that the invasion was unnecessary and would lead to catastrophic consequences. For instance, Bennis notes that the Bush administration had planned early on to occupy the sovereign nation in an overt take-over. Bennis cites the obvious economic benefits to the United States of such a take-over, such as access to or control over oil reserves and their related profits throughout "Understanding the U.S.-Iraq Crisis." Most critics of the U.S.

war in Iraq suggest that at least part of the motives for the invasion was to secure financial gain. The Bush administration cleverly clouded its intentions by claiming to deliver a message of freedom and liberty, to purport protecting the Iraqi people from terrorist regimes, and to promote peace. Such assertions seem laughable today in light of the current conditions in Iraq, and few can comfortably say "it was all worth it" based on the hard evidence contained in such reports as those published by the IPS.

Among the enlightening evidence supplied in "Paying the Price" and in "Understanding the U.S.-Iraq Crisis," the most astounding are the numbers of troops and civilians killed, detailed in.