The Complex Motives Behind The Wars In Iraq And Afghanistan

The war in Iraq and Afghanistan was motivated by the September 11 attacks and the US-led invasion of Afghanistan. The invasion of Afghanistan began in late 2001 and was triggered by the September 11 attacks, perpetrated by al-Qaeda. The campaign in Afghanistan started covertly on September 26, with a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) team known as Jawbreaker arriving in the country and, working with anti-Taliban allies, initiating a strategy for overthrowing the regime. The US and UK forces began a bombing campaign on October 7, 2001, marking the public start of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The US invaded Iraq in 2003, with the UK, Australia, and Poland, launching a shock and awe bombing campaign. The invasion of Iraq was motivated by the belief that Iraq had a weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program and that Saddam Hussein was supporting al-Qaeda. The US government also alleged that al-Qaeda was covertly co-operating with Iraq to build weapons of mass destruction. However, in 2004, the 9/11 Commission concluded that there was no evidence of any relationship between Saddam's regime and al-Qaeda.

The war in Iraq and Afghanistan has had a significant impact on the region, with the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Taliban. The war has also led to a shift in US foreign policy, with the US appearing to get out of the business of invasion and occupation following the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The war in Iraq and Afghanistan was motivated by the US's war on terror following the September 11 attacks

The invasion of Afghanistan was justified under international law by the US and its allies as an act of self-defence, which is legal according to Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. The US sent a letter to the Security Council stating that Afghanistan was harbouring terrorists, that further attacks might be anticipated, and that military action was necessary to deter them. President Bush signed into law a joint resolution authorising the use of force against those responsible for attacking the United States on September 11, which was later cited as a rationale for the decision to invade Afghanistan.

The invasion of Iraq, which began in 2003, is also linked to the US's war on terror following 9/11. The Bush administration used the threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and links to terrorist groups as a "pretext" or "rationale" to extend its war on terror agenda and destroy the terrorist threat to the US. Democratization and the spread of liberal democratic ideals were secondary motives to justify a war that was grounded in the pursuit of power and the preservation and extension of American hegemony in the region.

Some scholars argue that the main reason for the invasion of Iraq was indeed to safeguard the United States against the threat of weapons of mass destruction and links to terrorist groups. However, others argue that the primary objective was to preserve and extend US hegemony, including the spread of liberal democracy and capitalism, which were seen as ways to maintain global predominance. Iraq was seen as a convenient foe for demonstrating US power, as it was militarily weak and isolated diplomatically.

The war in Iraq was motivated by the US's belief that Iraq had a weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program

• The climate of public opinion at the time, with Americans still reeling from the horrors of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and accepting of the possible use of military force as part of the "global war on terror".
• The Bush administration's arguments that Hussein's regime possessed WMDs and supported terrorism, had close ties to terrorist groups, and had a role in the 9/11 attacks.
• The passing of a joint resolution by the United States Congress in October 2002, which granted Bush the power to use military force against the Iraqi government.
• The discovery of a mobile biological weapons laboratory in Iraq in 2003.
• The belief that Hussein was seeking to procure uranium from Africa.

However, as numerous investigations by independent and governmental commissions subsequently found, there was no factual basis for the assertions made by the Bush administration. The rationale for the Iraq war faced heavy criticism both domestically and internationally, and the war ultimately resulted in the deaths of more than 4,000 US service members and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.

The war in Iraq was motivated by the US's belief that Saddam Hussein was supporting al-Qaeda

• The US government alleged that al-Qaeda was covertly cooperating with Iraq to build weapons of mass destruction.
• The US government also argued that Iraq posed a threat to the US and its allies.
• There were reports of meetings between members of Saddam Hussein's regime and al-Qaeda operatives.
• The US government further claimed that Iraq was providing safe haven to al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups.
• The US government also asserted that Iraq was supporting terrorism and had close ties to terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda.

The war in Iraq was motivated by the US's desire to spread democracy throughout the Middle East

The US invasion of Iraq in 2003 was partly motivated by the desire to spread democracy throughout the Middle East. However, the war had the opposite effect, unleashing a bloody sectarian conflict in Iraq and severely undermining the reputation of democracy in the region.

The US government had multiple justifications for the war, including the need to eradicate terrorism and seize weapons of mass destruction. However, democracy promotion was also a key part of the Bush administration's rationale for the invasion. President George W. Bush declared that the US would not permit the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten the US with the world's most destructive weapons. He also said that the US would not permit a "freedom deficit" in the Middle East.

The US government believed that a democratic Iraq would serve as a "dramatic and inspiring example of freedom" for other nations in the region. However, the war had the opposite effect, severely damaging the US's credibility in promoting democracy.

The war led to the collapse of Saddam Hussein's Ba'athist government and the execution of Saddam himself. However, the power vacuum that followed, as well as mismanagement by the Coalition Provisional Authority, led to widespread civil war between Shias and Sunnis, as well as a lengthy insurgency against coalition forces.

The US responded with a troop surge in 2007, which gave greater control to Iraq's government and military while also giving the US a greater say in the postwar reconstruction of Iraq. However, the war had already severely damaged the US's reputation in the region, and democracy promotion efforts in Iraq and the broader Middle East faced heavy criticism.

The war in Iraq was motivated by the US's desire to control global oil

The US invasion of Iraq in 2003 was motivated by the desire to control global oil, among other factors. The US government's belief that Iraq was developing weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) was based on documents that the CIA later argued could not be trusted. The US also claimed that Saddam Hussein was covertly supporting al-Qaeda, but this was discredited by multiple US intelligence agencies soon after the invasion.

The US government's rationale for the war was articulated by a joint resolution of the US Congress known as the Iraq Resolution. The resolution cited many factors to justify the use of military force against Iraq, including Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction, its purported support for terrorism, and its "brutal repression of its civilian population".

The US invasion of Iraq was also driven by the desire to establish long-term Middle East military presence and to exert US global supremacy. The US government further justified the invasion by citing Saddam Hussein's human rights abuses, which were indeed well-documented. However, critics argued that human rights was never a principal justification for the war.

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