The 2003 Iraq War: An Iraqi Perspective

Introduction: A Controversial Perspective 📜

In today's analysis, we take a deep dive into the controversial subject of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, viewed through the prism of the Iraqi people. This vantage point allows us to understand the invasion's immediate implications, the turmoil that followed, and the rise of extremism and sectarianism post-Saddam Hussein. By comprehending these events from the Iraqi perspective, we gain a holistic picture of the numerous insurrections, civil wars, and international interventions that followed.

The Invasion: A Nation's Shock and Saddam's Miscalculations 💥

The Ultimatum and Misplaced Confidence

It cannot be overemphasized how shocking the 2003 invasion was to the Iraqi people. Even when President George Bush issued his famous 48-hour ultimatum, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein remained convinced that U.S. forces lacked the capacity to wage more than a limited military campaign against his country. Saddam, well-versed in past American military failures, such as the infamous Black Hawk Down incident and the Vietnam War, hoped to replicate the successes of the North Vietnamese by employing defensive, attritional warfare.

Saddam's Paranoia and Its Military Consequences

Long before the first shots were fired, many factors conspired to doom the Iraqi war effort. Chief among these was Saddam’s legendary paranoia. His paranoia had led him to create an extensive state security apparatus, pouring huge resources into intelligence organizations primarily tasked with spying on each other. This led to inefficiency and ultimately weakened Iraq's readiness for war. His forces were divided into regular army, the Republican Guard, and the Special Republican Guard (SRG), with no coordination between these units due to his fear of coups.

Religious Rhetoric and Misplaced Loyalty

Despite dysfunctional leadership, the average Iraqi soldier exhibited a surprising degree of misplaced confidence. The army was bombarded with religious rhetoric, promising that American infidels would fall before the sword of Islam. The prevailing attitude was that the U.S. was a "paper tiger," capable of initiating a terrifying war but unable to endure serious losses.

Iraqi Sentiment: Hostility Towards Western Liberators 😡

A Generation Under Dictatorship

Saddam Hussein had ruled Iraq for decades under the Arab Socialist Baathist Party, controlling all state policies. An entire generation of Iraqis had grown up under Saddam’s dictatorship, unable to imagine a world without him wielding absolute power. Surprisingly, despite his oppressive regime, the average Iraqi citizen was outright hostile towards their supposed American liberators.

America: The Distant Oppressor

For 12 years, America was known only as a distant oppressor, raining terror from the skies via airstrikes and subverting Iraqi culture by funding insurrectionist movements. The few Iraqis who benefited from Western education faced decades of villainization by the Baathist Party, who painted them as traitors. Additionally, America’s behavior during the Iran-Iraq War, where it supported Saddam only to turn on him later, further fueled distrust.

Religious and Cultural Manipulation

Saddam's regime had links with Islam, thanks to his extensive mosque-building program and efforts to manipulate citizens into religious devotion. Many Muslims preferred his regime to a democratic state because they viewed the latter as susceptible to Western influences. This notion was foreign to the U.S. and contributed to the challenges they faced during the occupation.

Sectarian Divide: Sunni and Shia Conflict 🔥

Fear of a Shia Revolution

A critical factor the U.S. failed to consider was the ideological divide between Sunni and Shia Muslims. Saddam's Baathist Party primarily consisted of Sunni Muslims, while neighboring Iran had undergone a Shia-led revolution. To prevent a similar revolution, Saddam brutally oppressed Shia Muslims, conducting mass executions and excluding them from positions of authority.

The Birth of Sectarian Violence

These measures, effective in the short term, only stoked the fires of sectarian violence, which blazed out of control once U.S. forces crossed the border. The invading coalition forces had no feasible plan for bringing stability, leading to civil disorder and shia militant groups seeking vengeance against their former Sunni oppressors.

Baghdad: A City in Anarchy

The capital city of Baghdad fell into a state of virtual anarchy following its capture. Mohammed Abbas, a shopkeeper, described the chaos: “When I got back to Baghdad, it was not the city I had left just a week before. People were walking everywhere carrying looted goods, and there were no signs of law and order, no police, military, or government. Everything had collapsed.”

A Provisional Government and the Seeds of Extremism 🌱

The Al-Tabol Raid: A Turning Point

The al-Tabol raid in 2004 was a significant turning point where U.S. forces ransacked a mosque. Although a large cache of weapons and explosives were uncovered, Muslims across Iraq were horrified by the desecration of a holy place. Extremist clerics decried the Americans as devils, escalating the distrust and violence.

The Provisional Government and Sectarian Bias

In an effort to restore stability, coalition forces announced a provisional government. The Iraqi Governing Council, consisting of 13 Shias and only 10 Sunnis (five of whom were Kurds), shocked the Sunni loyalists. To them, it was proof that Saddam’s anti-Western rhetoric had been right, fueling further sectarian conflict.

The Rise of Shia Opportunists

As the new sectarian order emerged, Shia individuals quickly filled posts left open by the vanished Baathists, verbally abusing and firing Sunnis. This created a volatile environment, increasing mistrust between the sects and further destabilizing the region.

The CIA and the Restoration of the Police State 🕵️‍♂️

Tracking and Reinstating Saddam’s Loyalists

Fortunately for America, the CIA had a plan for dealing with the rising tensions. Post-invasion, the CIA tracked down and captured many members of Saddam's former intelligence agencies. Surprisingly, they concluded that these individuals should be reinstated to rebuild the core of Saddam's police state, rationalizing that under Saddam, terrorist activity was minimal, and thus the methods were not wrong, only the goals.

The Explosion of Violence

This decision pushed the Iraqi people over the edge, resulting in an explosion of violence that divided cities into warring Sunni and Shia suburbs. The coalition could do little but watch as chaos engulfed the nation, their efforts hampered by their inability to understand Iraqi culture.

Civil War and Insurrections: A Broken Nation 🔫

2006: Escalation to Civil War

By 2006, violence had escalated into a full-scale civil war, with attempts of ethnic cleansing by both Sunni and Shia militias, displacing several million people. The political vacuum allowed extremist organizations to gain significant footholds, turning Iraq into a war zone between government forces and radical militias.

U.S. Withdrawal and Return

In 2011, American forces withdrew, only to return in 2014 to combat the growing power of ISIS. The country remained one of the most unstable on Earth, with endless threats both external and internal.

Post-ISIS Era: A Glimmer of Hope

With ISIS losing its territory in 2017, some hold a faint hope that Iraq may regain its footing as a modern nation. However, the nation continues to struggle with deep-seated divisions and the meddling of foreign intelligence agencies.

Conclusion: Lessons Learned and Moving Forward 📖

The 2003 Iraq War, viewed from the Iraqi perspective, reveals a complex tapestry of mistrust, sectarian violence, and flawed decisions that have left the nation in turmoil. Understanding these events from this vantage point allows us to grasp the challenges faced by Iraq and the importance of cultural sensitivity in future international interventions. While there is a faint glimmer of hope for a stable Iraq, much work remains to be done to heal the scars of war and division.

For a better experience visit our official blog site

Leave a comment

Leave a comment

Name*

Email*

Comment*

Send

• Share on:
• WhatsApp
• Deel
• Tweet
• Pin it
• Messenger
• Email

---