It has been five years since that dreadful day on Iraq at 20th March 2003. At that time, the United States of America send a massive invasion force in order to overthrow the reign of Saddam Hussein from Baath party. The President of the USA, George W. Bush, suspected that Saddam Hussein has a storage of mass destruction weapon and has a connection with a terrorist group known as Al Qaeda thus he thought it was important for him to launch a pre-emptive strike. Somewhat it is also done in order to retaliate the Al Qaeda attack on the USA which raze the WTC building to ground because Bush was certain that the Iraqi government was funding the Al Qaeda. Now, if you look at the situation on Iraq, it is clear that a total victory was never achieved or even will never be achieved. Based on the right point of view, cost point of view, and effect point of view, I heavily disagree with the invasion of Iraq by the USA and it has gone too far to be tolerated.
First, from the right point of view, the USA has violated so many rights and laws by invading Iraq. Since the day they first launched the invasion, they have already violated the boundary of Iraqi territory and their sovereignty as a nation. It is actually the very basic right that every nation have which is to have control of their region and to not to be intervened by other nation. Koffi Annan, ex-general secretary of the United Nations stated boldly that the invasion of Iraq done by the USA and their allies was illegal. The using of UN Security Council Resolution number 1441 was also a flaw done by the USA government and that justification was without a basis. But unfortunately, the UN seemed to be nothing but a toothless guard dog when facing the USA bold action to invade Iraq because the violation of international laws and rights done by the USA did not really taken care totally. The case of violation got worse when the American forces were trying to capture important Iraqi figures including Saddam Hussein himself. After he was captured, with inappropriate treatment and unfair trial he was sentenced to death in a rope. The analogy was just like you broke into your neighbor’s house because of reasons that you cannot proven yet, then you destroy a lot of his properties then kill the him, the owner of the house. It is almost the same as the case of the Iraq invasion and worst the blame and suspicion were proven wrong because there were no weapon of mass destruction and the Al Qaeda network was not revealed fully. By having a false blame, conducting an incursion, and overthrowing the incumbent leader on a nation, it was strictly breach the fundamental right of that nation.
Second, from the cost point of view, the invasion of Iraq has cost so many things. When a decision to commit an action is made and the amount of the cost is to be considered, the consideration must include the efficiency and ethicality scope, and these two were missed in the invasion of Iraq. As the invasion enter its 5th year, people around the world, especially in the USA itself, still relentlessly demonstrating, hoping for an end to the war that has cost approximately 4,000 lives of US Army and fund as much as 3 trillion US$ in total. Both the number of victims and the cost of war far exceed the number of victims and cost of Vietnam War. To sacrifice your own people and to spend so many budgets to obtain a goal which still unclear and far from achievable is really a fatal choice. The people, especially military forces, that were sent were not all commit to do the war and not all were ready. The consequence is that the invasion proved to be a gruesome slaughtering field of the USA people themselves, and this is why they are still protesting until now. And to expend such a cost was a total waste because it should be directed to another problem or maybe another nation that really needs it. According to US Center for Defense Information, USA has spend 396 billion US$ at 2003 for their military budget. That number is only about half of the world’s military budget at 2002 according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and is equal to 33 times of total military expenses spent by 7 raging countries. By looking at these numbers it is clear how expensive is this invasion.
Third, from the effect point of view, the invasion of Iraq brought a disastrous effect to its people. The aftermath of the invasion was not fully predicted by the US forces and their allies, and it proved to be fatal. Instead of getting better, the situation in Iraq is now becoming more violent and unstable. Unprecedented bomb explosions, street shootouts, riots, various terror actions, uprisings, and even an anytime imminent civil war ravage the cities of Iraq. The casualties were not only the troops of US, their allies or Iraqi, but also countless number of innocent souls. According to a report by ‘Just Foreign Policy’, around 1,001,000 Iraqi civilians were killed since the beginning of the invasion, this number is even greater than the number of Rwanda massacre at 1994. These victims were innocent people who know nothing of the politic intrigues and so on, some 60% are just children and 15-44 years old. Millions of other people were forced to refuge and the existing community now live in an agonizing fear. The condition in Iraq was far from safe, and the threat of violent actions that leads to death haunts everyone at any corner, about 100 people died each day because of the revolt. Even Koffi Annan admitted that the situation in Iraq is worse than at the Saddam’s reign. Although the plan for extra garrisoning of additional troopers is being considered, many predict that it will worsen the situation. Because now the situation is really in turmoil where everything is extremely difficult to be controlled and threats could emerge from anywhere or anyone. The invasion which was supposedly meant to be a liberation for the Iraqi people was turned out into a massive and gruesome slaughtering field.
From the argumentations above, it is clear that the invasion of Iraq has no basis of right to be committed, it also has a very high cost to be paid, and it has brought no development. Instead, it’s execution violates many laws and rights, wastes much fund, creates heavy casualties and disorders. I believe that we should put an end to this commotion by withdrawing all foreign military forces and start a new kind of approach. I always prefer negotiation and diplomacy to open conflict because such ways are not destructive and detrimental. If those can be carried out well, a win-win solution can be attained.
Demi Tristan Djajadi - 16107081
First, from the right point of view, the USA has violated so many rights and laws by invading Iraq. Since the day they first launched the invasion, they have already violated the boundary of Iraqi territory and their sovereignty as a nation. It is actually the very basic right that every nation have which is to have control of their region and to not to be intervened by other nation. Koffi Annan, ex-general secretary of the United Nations stated boldly that the invasion of Iraq done by the USA and their allies was illegal. The using of UN Security Council Resolution number 1441 was also a flaw done by the USA government and that justification was without a basis. But unfortunately, the UN seemed to be nothing but a toothless guard dog when facing the USA bold action to invade Iraq because the violation of international laws and rights done by the USA did not really taken care totally. The case of violation got worse when the American forces were trying to capture important Iraqi figures including Saddam Hussein himself. After he was captured, with inappropriate treatment and unfair trial he was sentenced to death in a rope. The analogy was just like you broke into your neighbor’s house because of reasons that you cannot proven yet, then you destroy a lot of his properties then kill the him, the owner of the house. It is almost the same as the case of the Iraq invasion and worst the blame and suspicion were proven wrong because there were no weapon of mass destruction and the Al Qaeda network was not revealed fully. By having a false blame, conducting an incursion, and overthrowing the incumbent leader on a nation, it was strictly breach the fundamental right of that nation.
Second, from the cost point of view, the invasion of Iraq has cost so many things. When a decision to commit an action is made and the amount of the cost is to be considered, the consideration must include the efficiency and ethicality scope, and these two were missed in the invasion of Iraq. As the invasion enter its 5th year, people around the world, especially in the USA itself, still relentlessly demonstrating, hoping for an end to the war that has cost approximately 4,000 lives of US Army and fund as much as 3 trillion US$ in total. Both the number of victims and the cost of war far exceed the number of victims and cost of Vietnam War. To sacrifice your own people and to spend so many budgets to obtain a goal which still unclear and far from achievable is really a fatal choice. The people, especially military forces, that were sent were not all commit to do the war and not all were ready. The consequence is that the invasion proved to be a gruesome slaughtering field of the USA people themselves, and this is why they are still protesting until now. And to expend such a cost was a total waste because it should be directed to another problem or maybe another nation that really needs it. According to US Center for Defense Information, USA has spend 396 billion US$ at 2003 for their military budget. That number is only about half of the world’s military budget at 2002 according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and is equal to 33 times of total military expenses spent by 7 raging countries. By looking at these numbers it is clear how expensive is this invasion.
Third, from the effect point of view, the invasion of Iraq brought a disastrous effect to its people. The aftermath of the invasion was not fully predicted by the US forces and their allies, and it proved to be fatal. Instead of getting better, the situation in Iraq is now becoming more violent and unstable. Unprecedented bomb explosions, street shootouts, riots, various terror actions, uprisings, and even an anytime imminent civil war ravage the cities of Iraq. The casualties were not only the troops of US, their allies or Iraqi, but also countless number of innocent souls. According to a report by ‘Just Foreign Policy’, around 1,001,000 Iraqi civilians were killed since the beginning of the invasion, this number is even greater than the number of Rwanda massacre at 1994. These victims were innocent people who know nothing of the politic intrigues and so on, some 60% are just children and 15-44 years old. Millions of other people were forced to refuge and the existing community now live in an agonizing fear. The condition in Iraq was far from safe, and the threat of violent actions that leads to death haunts everyone at any corner, about 100 people died each day because of the revolt. Even Koffi Annan admitted that the situation in Iraq is worse than at the Saddam’s reign. Although the plan for extra garrisoning of additional troopers is being considered, many predict that it will worsen the situation. Because now the situation is really in turmoil where everything is extremely difficult to be controlled and threats could emerge from anywhere or anyone. The invasion which was supposedly meant to be a liberation for the Iraqi people was turned out into a massive and gruesome slaughtering field.
From the argumentations above, it is clear that the invasion of Iraq has no basis of right to be committed, it also has a very high cost to be paid, and it has brought no development. Instead, it’s execution violates many laws and rights, wastes much fund, creates heavy casualties and disorders. I believe that we should put an end to this commotion by withdrawing all foreign military forces and start a new kind of approach. I always prefer negotiation and diplomacy to open conflict because such ways are not destructive and detrimental. If those can be carried out well, a win-win solution can be attained.
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