Five Years Later and Counting
By Joe E. Trull, Editor
“The decision to invade Iraq was the right decision in regards to my Presidency. It is the right decision now, and will forever be the right decision.” President George W. Bush, March 18, 2008.
On March 19, 2003, the bombs started falling in Iraq. Now, five years later, Iraqis’ lives are still dictated by fear and violence. Almost from day one the war has been the focus of worldwide controversy. At the outset, what seemed to be a real hope that Iraq would finally be free of a ruthless dictator and a democratic state would emerge has become a nightmare with no end in sight and no assurance of a real democracy.
That promise of peace was soon buried under the rubble of mistakes, missteps, and miscalculations. Add to that looting, bribery and fraud, and the dissolution of the Iraqi army, the early proclamation of “Mission Accomplished” was followed by years of insurgency, Abu Ghraib, and continued fighting between Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds.
Multiple investigations, including one from the Pentagon in early March, have debunked all notions about weapons of mass destruction and any link between al-Queda and Saddam Hussein’s regime—in fact, Saddam was at war with al-Queda in 2003. Yet politicians and ignorant citizens continue to use these two falsehoods to justify this war.
But rehashing the past will not solve the problem. What matters are the facts on the ground today. Yet those facts are muddled, suggesting neither victory nor defeat. Yes, one dictator is dead, but the daily lives of Iraqi citizens are now dictated by new fears—terrorist bombs, kidnappings, sectarian violence, poverty, and an uncertain future.
On Monday of this anniversary week the International Committee of the Red Cross in a 15 page report warned that “Iraq faces a humanitarian crisis, with millions lacking adequate clean water, sanitation, and health care. . . . the humanitarian situation in most of the country remains among the most critical in the world.”
One can argue that the surge of U.S. troops has brought levels of violence and casualties down. However, life in Baghdad and other major cities continues to explode with more violence, as it did during the anniversary week visit of Vice President Dick Cheney.
So, how do we assess the progress of the war after five years? In Iraq on March 17, Mr. Cheney described it “a difficult, challenging, but nonetheless successful endeavor” and “well worth the effort.” Mark Davis, a well-known Dallas radio commentator applauded the war, noting the “amazingly low human cost of our attempt to bring democracy to Iraq.”
The cost is certainly borne by more than the 4000 dead and their families! But that is not the only cost. Due to advances in body armor, soldiers are surviving what in the past would have been fatal injuries, resulting in devastating extremity injuries and a shockingly high number of soldiers returning home with their arms and legs amputated. Thus far nearly 30,000 U.S. troops have been wounded, many with serious brain or spinal injuries requiring a lifetime of care. In addition, 30% of U.S. troops develop serious mental health problems within months of returning stateside, and more than 58,000 troops are on disability for hearing or vision loss.
So when we honor the sacrifice of our military, let’s be accurate—let us not forget the 150,000 (and counting) brave soldiers and their families who are still paying this “human cost.” Space does not allow counting the economic, political, and moral costs.
But is V.P. Cheney’s “worth the effort” assessment accurate? Michael O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institute, has devised a list of benchmarks by which to objectively judge progress. O’Hanlon’s list indicates progress in only 5 of 11 key areas. On the list devised by the Iraqi government and endorsed by the White House in 2007, only 3 of 18 goals have been met.
As security improves, thousands of displaced Iraqis will try to return home, only to find they have no place to live and no jobs—one-third of Iraqis are unemployed. Though oil production is slightly up, households still receive only 64% of the energy they need.
Although most are glad Saddam Hussein and his tyrannical regime are gone, the international trust and cooperation the White House squandered to accomplish that goal will take years to rebuild.
Five years after shock and awe, we are still counting—counting the costs in lost lives, disabled soldiers, disrupted families, corrupted officials, broken alliances, a weakened military, economic indebtedness, and the loss of a moral high ground we once held.
The supporters of the war cannot tell us with any clarity why we are there, and they cannot define what conditions are necessary to get us out, except for vague statements about achieving “victory.” In this fifth anniversary of the Iraq war and the presidential election year, Americans deserve better.
J.E.T.
