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TommyLei
Prof.Kirkley
28April2016
English1A
TheJustificationoftheIraqWar
Ihatewarasonlyasoldierwhohasliveditcan,onlyasonewhohasseenitsbrutality,
itsstupidity(DwightDEisenhower).Warhasbeenthetruenatureofmansincethebeginning
ofhiscreation.Throughoutthecourseofhistory,manhasbuiltanddestroyedeverythingthathe
hasknown,andoutoftheruins,herebuilds.Warisinevitabletomanbecauseifthereisan
opportunitytotake,manwilldosotoputhimselfinabetterposition.Thisisthereasonwhythe
bookofhistoryisfilledwithwarandconflictandthebookisgettinglarger.Howeveritishard
tojustifywhetherwarisforthebetterorfortheworse.Isitreasonabletobelievethatthelivesof
othersareworthsacrificingforonesbeliefandintention?Themostcontroversialpartofwaris
thejustificationthatanothernationorgroupofpeopledeservetodie.Howeverwiththespread
ofpropagandaissuedbythegovernment,citizensbegintotaketruthinmisinformationand
conformtothenationalityofthenation.PresidentGeorgeW.Bushwasabletoreceivethe
supportoftheUnitedNationsbyusingsuchtactics.BushinstilledfearintotheUnitedNations
withtheuseofpropagandaandmisinformation.ThefearofSaddamHusseinsweaponsofmass
destruction(WMD)wasenoughprobablecauseforcountriestotakeaction.Bushusedaployon
feartosuccessfullydeploytroopsintoIraqwhichwouldcostthelivesofthousands.Warshould
onlybejustifiableifitisusedasalastresorttoprotectoneself.Bushhoweverplayedonthose
fearsandmisinformedtheUNaboutSaddamsWMDandgainedsupport.Therewasnotenough


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informationnorconfirmationtoengageintoanewwar.TheIraqwarwasnotjustbecauseit
deprivedthequalityoflifefromthoseinvolvedanditrepresentedanimmoralactofaggression
againstanothernation.
TheIraqwartookplacein2003andwouldlastforalmostadecade.AccordingtoMIT
research,theIraqwarhadadeathtollofnearly650,000people151,000ofwhichwouldbe
violentciviliandeaths(Tirman).Warbringsmanyconsequences,someofwhichare
unpredictable.Themoralityofwarisalwaysdifficulttojustifyandisoftenmadepolitically
correctthroughpropagandaandnationalizingacountry.TheJustWarTheoryisadoctrinethat
isusedtoensurewarismorallyjustifiablethroughaseriesofcriteria.Itistruethatthenationof
IraqwasactingagainstHumanRightsandwaskilling,gassing,andrapingitscitizens.Despite
theregimesoppressiononitspeople,itisdifficulttoarguewhetheranothernationisallowedto
interferewithIraqsissues.AuthorDavidMellowisawriterfortheJournalofApplied
PhilosophyandwroteanarticleontheMorallyJustifiedResorttoWar.Mellowspecifiesthat
despiteIraqsoppressivegovernment,thereshouldnotbeenoughethicalreasoningtowhyit
wasnecessaryfortheUnitedStatestoenterIraq.Reasonbeingthatthepeopleoftheregion
shouldbetheoneswhooverthrowtheiroppressorsandbecauseofthis,foreigncountriesshould
nothaveenteredintothewar.ThisismuchlikethecurrentsituationwithIsis.IftheUShadleft
Assadsregimetobeoverthrownbyitsownpeople,therewouldbenocoexistingproblems.
Thewarcausedmorebloodshedthantherewouldhavebeenifthecountryhadbeenlefttodeal
withtheirproblemsalone.ThisisthecaseforboththeIraqwarandourcurrentconflictswith
Syria.


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TheremayhavealegitimatereasonforothercountriestogetinvolvedwithIraqsissues.
ThegoalofthiswarwastostopSaddamHusseinsregimeanddisarmhimofhisWMD.Inspite
ofthefearorWMD,therewasnoactualproofthathehadthemnorwashegoingtousethem.
Therewasnotenoughprobablecausetoengageinawarthatwouldlastnearlyadecadeandtake
thelivesofhalfamillion.Itisgoodthattheintentionofthewarwasforpeace.Howeverthe
processofcreatingpeacewouldonlybepossiblebyimpairingthelivesofothers.ScholarSt.
ThomasAquinaswroteWhetherItisAlwaysSinfultoWageWartoaddresstheissueofwar
anditsnature.Aquinabelievesthatwarisalwayssinfulandengaginginwarmeantthat,Wedo
notseekpeaceinordertobeatwar,butwegotowarthatwemayhavepeace.Bepeaceful,
therefore,inwarring,sothatyoumayvanquishthosewhomyouwaragainst,andbringthemto
theprosperityofpeace(485).Incontrast,AquinasideasappeartobefoiledbytheIraqwar.He
statesthatpeoplegotowarinsearchofpeace,whichiswhytheIraqwarhadoccurred.However
nonegotiationshadbeenmadebeforehand,butratherbruteforcehadbeenused.Theproblem
wasnotapproachedwithapeacefulmethodandcontrastswiththeJustWarTheoryand
Aquinas'sideas.Resultinginhundredsofthousandsofunnecessarydeathsthatcouldhavebeen
avoided.
Thewarcausedindirectdeathsthattookthelivesofmanycivilians.Manyofwhichwere
becauseofdrinkingcontaminatedwater,sickness,andbeingunabletobetransportedtoa
hospital.Thewarhastakenthelivesofchildren,women,andelderlythosewhoneverposeda
threat.Thewarhascausedsufferinginfamiliesandhastakenawayopportunitiesfrommillions
anddisplacedmanyfamilies.MITresearchfoundthatanastonishing3.5millionto5millionor
morefamiliesweredisplacedduetothewar.Theresultofatreacherousandpointlesswar.The


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wareffortcostedmorethantwotrilliondollars,whichisenoughtofundeverystudentinthe
UnitedStatestoattendafreeeducation.ThewarhasnotonlydeprivedtheciviliansofIraq,but
aswellasothernationsthatwereinvolved.Theselossesinopportunityconflictwiththeideathat
warshouldbeusedinsearchofprosperityofpeace.TherewasnoreasontoaswhytheUShad
togetinvolvedwithforeignaffairs.TheresultisanactofaggressiontowardsIraqandits
destruction.ThestandardoflifeinIraqhasbeenloweredformultiplegenerationsandwilltake
decadestofixthedamages.
Theamountofdeathcausedbythewarisagreatamountandhasaffectedmillionsof
lives.Regardlessofwhyandhow,deathremainsadishearteningresultofwar.Causesofdeath
mayraisequestionsifthenumbersaresignificantenoughandtreacheroustowardscertain
values.Ifthemajorityofdeathinvolvessoldiers,thenthecaseisthatthewarfulfilledits
objective.TheIraqwarhoweverdidnotdemonstratesuchvariables,butprovedotherwise.The
UniversityCollaborativeIraqMortalityStudyconductedresearchonthenumberofdeathsper
weekinIraqfortwoyearintervalsfrom20012011.Theresearchshowsshockinginformation
aboutthetruevaluesofthedeathsthathadoccurredinIraqandwhyitisbadtojudgeanumber
byitsfacevalue.Theresearchconcludedthattherewasanaverageof1500deathsperweek
thatwerenotcausedbywar.Thefirstyearofwarinvolvedasubstantialamountofdeaththat
despisefrombeingwarrelatedviolence.Thefollowingtwoyearswouldcausemoredeaththat
isnotcausedbywarandroughly800deathsthatwerewarrelated.Thispatternwouldcontinue
forthenextdecade,howevertheamountofdeathscausedbynonwarrelatedviolencewould
increaseandthenumberofdeathscausedbywarrelatedviolencewouldincrease(Micheal).
Theevidenceshowsthattheestimatedhalfamilliondeathswerenotwarrelatedincidents.With


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thisinformation,itbecomesnecessarytoreevaluatethewaranditsefforts.Itisdifficultto
justifyawarthathastakenawaymorelivesfromnonwarrelatedviolencesthanfrom
warrelatedviolence.Arecentarticleshowsthatnearly50,000IraqandAfghanistanveterans
wereeitherhomelessorinafederalprogramaimedatkeepingthemoffthestreetsduring2013,
almosttriplethenumberin2011(Zoroya).Itishorrifyingthatourwarheroesarefacingsuch
tragediesafterservingtheircountry.
Despitethecountlessnumberofdeaths,itisimportanttorememberthosewhoservedin
theIraqwar,theUSVeterans.Afterwitnessingthousandsofinnocentliveslostandhavingto
takesomeofthoselivesputagreattollonthebrain.Soldierswhohavekilledanotherman,
children,orwomenarenotexpectedtoenjoythesamequalityoflifeuponreturningfromwar.
Thebravemenandwomenwhohavefoughtaremostlikelytohavedevelopedoraredeveloping
psychologicalproblems.Suchproblemsinclude,posttraumaticstressdisorder(PTSD)or
Traumaticbraininjury(TBI).Itisnotunusualforveteranstofindithardtoadapttosocietyafter
witnessingwhattheyhadanddevelopingwhattheyhave.Suchproblemsmakeitdifficultto
adjusttonormalcivilianlife,whichmakesithardertofindemployment.MilitaryMedicine
researchshowsthat,veteranscompriseupto41%ofthehomelesspopulation,andstudiesof
homelessveteranshaverevealedanincreasedriskofcriminalarrestanddifficultyaccessing
vocationalresources(Elbogen).Isthewarjustifiabledespiteitstakingofqualityoflife?These
veteransservedtoprotectAmericafromminisculeterroristthreatsandinresulthad
opportunitiestakenawayfromthem.Althoughtheseveteranslosttheiropportunitiesdueto
developedpsychologicalproblems,therearesomewhoarelessfortunateandreturnedwith


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missinglimbs.EvensupposingthattheUShasfacedtheseresults,noothercountriesshould
experiencethesametragedies.
TheUnitedStatesactedratheraggressivelyintheengagementoftheIraqwarandused
scaretacticstogainthesupportofcitizens.UnitedStatesDeputySecretaryofDefensePaul
WolfowitztestifiedtotheUSSenatethatthewarwasunjust.Wolfowitzclaimedthatthepublic
wasmisinformedandonlygiveninformationaboutSaddamHusseinsWMDandlinksto
terrorism.TheideaofwarwasmadejustbyterrorizingcitizenswiththethoughtsofWMD,but
thepubliccompletelyignoredthefactthatHusseinhadahorrifichumanrightsrecord.Thisis
becauseofthepropagandathatwasusedtosupportthewar.Wolfowitzquotedthat,thekilling
inIraqatthetimewasnotoftheexceptionalnaturethatwouldjustifysuchintervention.George
W.BushconvincedtheworldthatWMDwereenoughofareasontoengagewar.Thisisan
exampleofimmoralityinawartofulfillonesownagenda.Theexchangeisclearthelifeof
SaddamHusseinandhisfollowersinexchangeforthelivesofthousandsofciviliansand
soldiers.Wolfowitzstatesthatthewarwasinappropriateandwasmadeequitablebythe
misinformationofcitizens.Thistestimonydemonstratesjusthowwrongandimmoralthewaris.
IfaDeputySecretaryofDefenseiswillingtotestifyagainsttheUSanditsdecisionmaking,the
peopleoftheUnitedStatesshouldbeabletodothesame.Citizensweredeceivedand
manipulatedtomeetthecountryshiddenagenda.
ThewarinIraqwasjustifiedbythepotentialthreatofterroristsandSaddamHusseins
WMD.Whensuchfearsexist,itbecomesprobablecausetoeliminatesuchthreats.Thiswas
alsobackedupbythefactthatIraqsregimewasoppressivetowardsitspeopleandwasbreaking
HumanRights.EvenwiththefearofWMD,itisnotjustifiablethatwarwillsolvetheproblem.


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TheUSandRussiawereinthesameconflictdecadesagowiththecoldwar.Howevertherewas
nophysicalwarfareinthatsituation.ThisshouldhavebeenthesamecasewithIraq.Asaworld
leader,theUnitedStatesshouldnothaveenteredawarwithIraq,becauseitsetsabadexample
totherestoftheworld.Toengageintowarwithanationthatisstrugglingisnotonlywrongbut
alsoshowsanactofaggressiontowardsanothernation.Suchacountryshouldnotbebelievedto
havethecapabilitiesofcreatingWMD.TheUSwasnotrationalwithitsdecisionmakingandin
result,thelivesofhalfamillionwaslost.Eveniftherehadbeenenoughprobablecause,there
couldhavebeenmoreeffortintopreventingciviliandeaths.Thisdemonstratesanexampleof
raisingaswordagainstanunarmedcivilian.ThewarhasdegradedthequalityoflifeinIraqfor
generationstocome.Theopportunitieslostweighmorethanthepotentialdestructionthat
SaddamHusseincouldhavecaused.
TheIraqwarwasnotthefirstofitskindthroughouthumanhistory.TheVietnamwar
demonstratedsimilarcharacteristics,butstruggledwithcommunismratherthanterrorism.This
isanexampleofhistoryrepeatingitself.TheUShadfailedtolearnitsmistakesintheVietnam
warandengagedintoasimilaraffairwithIraq.Inregardstosuchwars,theonlyvictorsare
thosewhosurvive.Eventhesurvivorswillbescarredforlifeduetothingstheyhadtodoand
thingsthattheyhaveseen.Therearemanydeathsandcasualtiesthathavetobefactoredinwhen
decidingwhetherornotsuchwarsarejust.Governmentswillalwaysusepropagandatocontrol
civiliansintothinkingwhattheyaredoingisacceptable.Itistheresponsibilityofthecitizensto
sharetheirbeliefsandtogatherupandrevoltifthenationisnotactingonthebestinterestfor
itscitizens.ThecurrentquarrelswithIsisappeartobearepeatoftheIraqwar,butintheform


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ofethnicitywhichfurthernarrowsdownagroupofpeople.Warisneverjust,onlythosewho
aremisinformedanduninformedbelieveotherwise.


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