Iraq 2002 - Reason for War essays

Iraq 2002 - Reason for War essays Without a doubt, almost all of the attempts to contain and deter the current Iraqi regime have eventually failed. The only policy that has a proven success against Saddam Hussein has been the use of military force. As the worlds only superpower, the United States of America has the capability to remove Saddam Hussein from power. But is a war with Iraq the only option? Iraq became an independent kingdom in 1933, have the destruction of the Ottoman Empire in World War I. Proclaimed a republic in 1958, the country has in actuality been ruled by various tyrants and military strongmen since. Iraq is 432,072 square miles, approximately twice the size of Idaho (CIA World Factbook 2002 - Iraq). With a population of about 24 million people and a GDP of $59 billion (debt of $140 billion), Iraq is a relatively small country. The current president is Saddam Hussein, who originally rose to power in 1979 through a coup in which the Baath Party (Arab Socialist Renaissance Party) overthrew the government of General Abdul Arif (Iraq 12/01). During his twenty-year term, Saddam has engaged in many atrocities and human right violations. He has oppressed and massacred Iraqs native Kurdish population in the north and native Shia population in the south, which represent 20 percent and 60 percent of the population respectively (Pollack, 61). During Iraqs eight- year war with Iran, Saddam used chemical and biological weapons against his enemy, including a massive chemical weapons attack against the city of Halajaba that killed several thousand civilians (Iraq 12/1). In 1981 fourteen Israeli warplanes entered Iraq airspace undetected and blew-up Iraqs Osiraq nuclear reactor, the key to Saddams nuclear weapons program, setting his nuclear program back a few years (Pollack, 17). In August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, and was quickly counter-attacked by a U.S. led coalition. Though the coalition forces...