The United States’ global hegemony is by many accounts being challenged seriously for the first time in generations. This is, first and foremost, due to the rise of China, but also the growing influence of South Korea, Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Asia is the driver of the global economy and is rightfully speaking for itself more than it has since the Second World War.
In the aftermath of World War II and then the Cold War, America’s hard power was matched by truly seductive soft power. In contrast to the atrocities committed at the hands of imperial Japan, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, the flaws and hypocrisy inherent in America’s espoused values seemed de minimis.
Today, nothing could be further from the truth. Decades of efforts by China’s ruling communist party to rehabilitate its image have been aided by striking examples of America’s flaws. The global financial crisis of 2007 was the result of the United States’ excesses, while the political polarization now seen in Washington harkens back to the most uncertain periods of American history.
But, as US diplomats dial up accusations that China is flouting the “rules-based order,” by employing “predatory economics,” there is a much more glaring example. The 2003 invasion of Iraq was arguably one of the most calamitous violations of international norms in recent history.
Sinan Antoon, an Iraqi novelist who once dreamed of the day Saddam Hussein would be dethroned, wrote Monday – fifteen years to the day since the US invasion began – on what the disaster has meant for the Iraqi people.
Despite being a critic of Saddam Hussein, Antoon said in his editorial in The New York Times, “when the cheerleading for the Iraq war started, I was vehemently against the proposed invasion.”
“The United States had consistently supported dictators in the Arab world and was not in the business of exporting democracy, irrespective of the Bush administration’s slogans. I recalled sitting in my family’s living room with my aunt when I was a teenager, watching Iraqi television and seeing Donald Rumsfeld visiting Baghdad as an emissary from Ronald Reagan and shaking hands with Saddam. That memory made Mr. Rumsfeld’s words in 2002 about freedom and democracy for Iraqis seem hollow,” Antoon recalled.
The author witnessed the war from abroad, and when he returned, despite low expectations, he was horrified by how dysfunctional and dangerous daily life in Iraq had become.
“No one knows for certain how many Iraqis have died as a result of the invasion 15 years ago. Some credible estimates put the number at more than one million. You can read that sentence again,” Antoon suggested.
While some now call the Iraq invasion a “blunder,” or even a “colossal mistake,” he says, it was in truth a crime. “I never thought that Iraq could ever be worse than it was during Saddam’s reign,” Antoon writes in conclusion, “but that is what America’s war achieved and bequeathed to Iraqis.”
Straight from the horse’s mouth. Democracy is American hypocrisy.
do not blame conditions in your country on USA. USA liberated the country from the dictator as requested and legally sanctioned in the UN and left the country to the people to govern. failure to independently govern liberally for all the people is not USA’s fault. look in the mirror
just ask Madeline Albright she thought that 500,000 dead Iraqi children due to American sanctions was ‘worth it’ and then American hellfire missiles bombed the Iraqi back to the Stone Age under ‘shock and awe’ all these things are run prosecuted war crimes committed by American politicians under the auspice of spreading democracy.
I think I have heard that before. In Vietnam I think. " We had to destroy the village to save it". Well you certainly destroyed Iraq, and after 15 years I think it is fair to ask when will the saving part arrive?
An Ignoramus and arrogant individual you must be, sanctioned by the UN you gotta be having a laugh.
Thomas Daniel Kuhn USA and allies were asked to leave after an Iraqi originated government and constitution were in place. The time between the end of combat operations and that government’s formation was fully subsidized by taxpayers of the USA and allies. Iraq was far from destroyed in the defeat of Saddam’s forces by USA and allies. The village was not destroyed Saddam’s forces were. Civilian casualties from USA and allied forces were far less than quoted here. The anarchy of the Iraqi people following defeat of Saddam’s forces was a very physically destructive period, but this was not from the actions of USA and allied forces. The Iraqi people were empowered to chart their own future through Iraqi people’s formation of a liberal constitution and government. What they did with this opportunity is on them! But when asked to come back by the Iraqi government to help, who came? Oh, USA and allies at those countries taxpayer expense. Your tax dollars are going there too, my friend. Given time and the dedicated efforts of Iraqi patriots adhering to the principals of their constitution their country will be far better for ALL of it’s citizens.
BLAME IT ON GEORGE BUSH JR., THE ILLUMINATI AND MERCHANT OF DEATH! WHENEVER UNCLE SAM INTERFERE IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF A SOVEREIGN STATE, DESTRUCTION AND MISERY FOLLOWS! IT’S THE USA PRIMARY BUSINESS, FOMENT TROUBLE AND SELL ARMS.
Ok so at what point do the iraqi’s start doing something for themselves… after every war a country tends to prosper but all they do is fight & kill each other….. how come sunni & shiites’s get along in afghanstan and other arab countries ?
Still better than Communism 🙂
David Bedford May be USA should stay out of those wars and let you drow in debts from China and have to sell oils for water, foods. Eventually, without a single shot you will have Chinese swarming all over your country from construction sites and assimiation begin.
Kamran Khan spoken like a true pakistani. Have you went out and fed your pigs yet? Also how does it feel to have your government sell you off to china as their bitches now?
Talk lyk wise person.so now how did the war help them.The evil USA just wanted their resources.
America invades Iraq
Removes a Sunni president and leaves the affair of the government in the hands of the shia minority.
Sunni form Isis and start the "holy ‘ war.
America funds Isis and extends their mandate to depise the Syrian dictator Assad.
The mess we see today is cos of short-sightedness.
The west has no workable long term strategy for the Middle east.
And the middle East leaders cant see beyond the ballooning pots
bull shit.
By any moral standard, the meddling of the US in foreign countries such as in Vietnam and the Middle East, involved war crimes, i.e. real crimes against humanity. The US bully’s agents, e.g. UNCHR, ICC, are the hypocrites ganging up on leaders of sovereign countries like the Philippines’ Pres. Rodrigo R. Duterte for not towing the US line but exercising political will to bring back social order and peace to their citizens.
In truth, if the judicial standards of the tribunal that tried the cases of those Japanese and Nazi criminals in World War 2 were applied today, all the US leaders responsible for the wars in Vietnam and the Middle East would go to the gallows for their crimes against humanity.
Đức P Phạm tell that to the Iraqis.
https://www.facebook.com/asiatimesonline/posts/1672296569502225
By any moral standard, the meddling of the US in foreign countries such as in Vietnam and the Middle East, involved war crimes, i.e. real crimes against humanity. The US bully’s agents, e.g. UNCHR, ICC, are the hypocrites ganging up on leaders of sovereign countries like the Philippines’ Pres. Rodrigo R. Duterte for not towing the US line but exercising political will to bring back social order and peace to their citizens.
In truth, if the judicial standards of the tribunal that tried the cases of those Japanese and Nazi criminals in World War 2 were applied today, all the US leaders responsible for the wars in Vietnam and the Middle East would go to the gallows for their crimes against humanity.