The Impact Of The Iraq War On Current The American Sociopolitical Environment

Even though the war was almost eight years ago, the impact has changed so many factors for the United States politically and socially. Was the impact negative or positive? The cost of the Iraq war to the American individuals far surpasses the underlying determined cost of the war as the effect is felt in numerous regions even today. At the point when the Senate cast a ballot to approve the utilization of power in Iraq in 2002, it depended on a more restricted extent of prewar insight than was accessible to the Administration. After deadly multiple terrorist attacks by the Al Qaida organization on 9/11/2001 in the US, “President Bush announced the War on Terror on September 20, 2001, in a speech to Congress. ‘ (Hicks 2019). “Bush shifted his focus from bin Laden to gain congressional approval for the Iraq War. He had received intelligence in October 2002 that its leader, Saddam Hussein, was building weapons of mass destruction[1]”. Thus, the invasion of Iraq commenced with the support allies in the middle east namely The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. (SCIOLINO 1990). [1: (Hinnebusch 2007)]

The impact of the Iraq war is negative. “The total cost from the cost of war from 2003 till 2020 is estimated to be 2.317 Trillion dollars”. Since 2001, each American citizen has spent nearly $24,000 on the wars equivalent to the normal initial installment on a house, another Honda Accord, or a year at a state-funded college The entire cost of war has been financed through debt unlike World War II which was financed by an increase in Taxes and issuing war bonds to the public. This will add a tremendous burden on the future generation of Americans. Furthermore, the amount spent on war could have been used to improve the infrastructure in America which requires major repairs and upkeep. Most of America’s roads, bridges, airports, and electrical grids require major repairs & overhaul. The ports are almost obsolete compared to developing economies of China and the rest of Asia who is now formidable competitors to American businesses. This upkeep of infrastructure is very necessary to protect the American way of life, international competitiveness, and productivity. About 101 billion USD is the cost to the US economy due to congested highways, not to mention the pollution contributing to global warming. America needs to spend 3.6 trillion dollars by 2020 to Arrest the decline and revamp the above-mentioned infrastructure deficiencies.[2] The Iraqi war has led to increases in military spending and therefore spending on infrastructure is decreasing. During World War II America gained from the increase in Industrial output, more women joined the labor force and Salaries increased of the American workers. None of this is evident during the war in Iraq. On the contrary, due to borrowings to finance the Iraqi war, the average debt of the American families increased. (RT Question 2017). [2: (Morris 2014)] [bookmark: _Hlk5117115] Moreover, even though the government provides for the families who have lost their loved ones in the war, no one could pay or the sorrow the family is going through. There are children who will never see their dad again and that could have a very negative impact on a child which will affect the future of the United States as the disturbed minds of these children could lead to deadly crimes. Many of the American Soldiers returning from the war in Iraq are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). (Parekh 2017). This has led to increased Mass Shootings in the United States by Veterans of War. Increase in Domestic Violence, Rape, Murder and other criminal offenses. Many of the Veterans of the Iraqi war cannot find employment due to PTSD. This leads them to take drugs and take part in criminal activities. They are not able to adhere to social norms. They have become chemical dependent and cannot go in for retraining in skills as they are unable to cope. They are unable to attend skills retraining courses due to their mental state and physical conditions. As per the article published (Crawford 2018). As per this article, more than 6000 suicides by veterans of wars post 9/11 have occurred. 6000 soldiers and sailors have died and 53000 US Soldiers have been wounded and 1645 limb amputation after post 9/11 wars. The cost to the economy regarding the loss of lives, amputations of limbs, PTSD and related violence cannot be easily calculated and the long term repercussions to the American society cannot be determined. Citizens of America will have to live with these repercussions for a long time.

The Iraqi war has not achieved the main goal of defeating the terror groups, stopping terrorists and destroying weapons of mass destruction. The Al Qaida has been marginalized after the death of Osama Bin Laden but is yet operative and is a grave threat to the US and the rest of the world. Splinter groups have evolved in the rest of the World from Al Qaida. In Nigeria, the Boko Haram has launched terror attacks in Nigeria and neighboring countries.

After Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was removed from power, the US started disbanding the Baath Party and the Baathist were removed from the key post in the new Iraqi government. This frustrated the Baathist who later joined ISIS another terrorist organization which has created havoc in Syria and divided Iraq. ISIS was able to recruit key Army personnel from Saddam Hussein’s army who has formidable experience gained from the war with Iran. ISIS has also claimed responsibility for Major terror attacks in Europe and Asia.

The war has also destabilized the middle east. After removal of Saddam Hussein Iraq is divided between Sunni and Shia Muslims. The Sunni’s minority in Iraq are frustrated by the lack of Jobs as the Major population is now Shia. This frustration has given further rise to ISIL, civil war and has divided the country of Iraq into major factions controlling different parts of Iraq. ISIL is responsible for many deaths and bombing within Iraq and neighboring Syria. The revenues accrue from the oil installations of Iraq held by ISIS, helped ISIS to establish an Army of terrorist, procure sophisticated weapons and finance terrorism across the world. The revenues from oil also helped fuel a civil war within Iraq and parts of Syria. The civil wars have resulted in mass killings and rape of Yazidi. As per the article published by Watson Institute (International & Public Affairs) in November 2018, ISIS is responsible for displacing approximately 3.5. million Iraqi’s and turning them into refugees. These Iraqi refugees are hosted by Turkey. Some refugees are trying to migrate to Europe for better living. But some countries in Europe have persecuted and deported them. It has given rise to a proxy war being fought between the Shia and the Sunni. The Shia are being financed by Iran and the Sunni by the Gulf Monarchies. This has divided the middle east and the whole region is unstable. (Abdulrazaq 2018) The human rights abuses, mass starvations and the total destruction of infrastructure is huge and may take years to rebuild if there is ever peace in Yemen. The instability in the middle east has also fueled an arms race in the middle east. Saudi Arabia has emerged as the largest purchase of arms in the world. Iran is developing nuclear weapons. Once the Middle Eastern countries become Nuclear power the region will become even more dangerous and could trigger a world war practically ending the Human civilization. The weapons of mass destructions were never found in Iraq. (Friedman 2018).

Since this has been a long, exorbitant, disagreeable war and there has been no strongly positive result, positives are hard to discover, however maybe America’s single best activity in the Iraq war was the evacuation of a merciless Saddam Hussein. Numerous individuals all through the world are in understanding that the world is a superior spot without Saddam Hussein. In losing Hussein, the Iraqis picked up the opportunity of articulation. Additionally, Iraq currently has a connectedness to the world through the Internet and other electronic devices such as phones etc. In addition, in spite of the fact that it has not been without intricacies, the popular government is gradually being built up in Iraq. Iraq could, in the end, fill in for instance of fair change for different countries in the Middle East.

To conclude the Iraqi war has not benefitted any country or the United States. The cost of war financed by debt raised by the US Government is staggering and cannot be sustained. Due to increase defense spending budget cannot be allocated to modernizing the infrastructure which will affect US competitiveness. The effects of the circumstances of war on US soldiers deployed in Iraq have resulted in many of them suffering from PTSD. This has resulted in an increase in mass shootings, increase in crimes, rapes & murder in the US. The increase in spending of Veteran Administration has increased substantially at the cost of other programs. Terrorist activities have increased all over the world. Developed countries have increased their internal security budget at the cost of programs for the general good of their society. They also have to deal with the influx of refugees being displaced by the civil wars within Iraq and Syria. The civil wars are a result of the Iraqi war which gave rise to ISIS. The splinter groups of ISIS and Al Qaeda are very active in terrorist activities around the globe. The Middle East has become a very unstable region and an arms race is underway further endangering the world peace. U.S. movement in Iraq and the Middle East has just prodded more prominent political change and agitation. The U.S.- drove alliance is seen not as a freeing power, yet as an attacker. This has incited extremist enrollment, and there are presently more fear-based terror groups in the Middle East than at any time in recent memory. The instability in the middle east is also spreading into the west and south Asia. The effects of the war have divided the world further, an Arms race between Russia, China, and the US has begun. Countries in Asia have also increased their arms purchases. Arms are an unproductive and precious waste of resources. This is easily proven by the post world war II economic miracle of Germany and Japan. Both country’s constitutions restricted defense spending after World War II. This resulted in resources being used for productive assets, spending on human resources, infrastructure, research, and new technology. In the last examination the war could be defended on philanthropic, political, and military grounds. The deaths of countless Iraqis were because of Saddam’s mercilessness. He upheld psychological oppressors, venturing to such an extreme as to subsidize their enlisting endeavors by paying the groups of saints. Conveying just administration to the area could bring both solidness and harmony. Saddam was at war for the greater part of his about thirty years in power. He was a destabilizing influence in the area, spending the country’s huge oil riches to finance military adventurism. Saddam was caught, covering up in a gap in the ground, in December of 2003. He was brought under the steady gaze of a court in his own nation in a preliminary that was more reasonable than any he permitted his political restriction. He was hanged for his horrendous violations. Other than this there is an awful circumstance for a whole age of Iraqi youngsters who have lost their adolescence by seeing an over the top dimension of savagery, passing, weapons, bombs, and so forth. Moreover, today more than 1.5 million Iraqis live as exiles in the neighboring nations. Regardless a huge loss of Iraqi lives and demolition, the world chiefs ought to understand that wars are not won by the armed forces and cutting edge gear alone. Individuals and countries are prevailed upon by thoughts and respectability. Issues like Afghanistan and others, by and by being looked by the world, won’t be settled through equipped activities alone.