69 million page views

Lessons of Iraq - Trying So Hard Not to Miss the Point - Yet Never Learning It

Reader comment on item: Reflections on the Invasion of Iraq

Submitted by M. Tovey (United States), Mar 18, 2013 at 17:15

There are many others, but Iraq stands in stark outline as an example of a failed attempt at something that should never have gotten beyond a simple political ideal; that of helping those who are friends of this country. Iraq was never a friend; neither a good ally; in reality, an investment gone real badly.

Nation building as a political ideology was never vetted enough on a presumptive circumstance that every one that this country 'invested in' was a good investment. Thus, way too much time and energy (for some, translated into money) was spent on Iraq. If the war between Iraq and Iran was any kind of indicator, the lessons there should have told the sufficient story.

A story going around from long past was that Iraq had significant natural resources that need wresting away from her former leader, S Hussein. When he took his adventurism beyond his borders, he provided the seed of opportunity the 'nation-builder' mentality to be used to free up those resources. For a long time, the WMD story seemed to provide the necessary alternative reasons to root him out-and it worked.

This reminisce of Iraq should now be used as the cautionary tale for the events unfolding in Syria; for the same demons that seemed to hold out Iraq as an offering to all-out war are wafting in the winds of Syria's current discontent. But to think the United States is not a full participant, think again. The foil of encouraging the insurgency against al-Assad's regime by proxy does not escape attention.

Ultimately, nation building has been so completely repudiated by those who are friend and enemies of other's governments, regimes and democracies alike. Yet too, Syria is being readied for exactly the same and one need not wonder all too much why. If al-Assad's Syria is defeated in due time as it appears, then Turkey could easily be tempted to position itself as a premier power in the Middle East.

Whose agenda then is served? But wait; do not miss out on the circumstance that is still yet undetermined: al-Assad has yet to play himself all out. You can bet he will not end up as the picture of Hussein depicts and the Russians are now more than ever not going to let all of this get away from them.

Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

Reader comments (20) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Casus Belli? [126 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
AlbertMay 15, 2013 21:08206081
Yes, but at what price? [117 words]AnonMay 15, 2013 01:23206067
1The bad and the worse [93 words]Ender WigginskyApr 29, 2013 08:49205724
also lebanon 1982 [36 words]jacob sassoonApr 13, 2013 18:32205144
Is it really nation-building that we are after? [288 words]stuffagainMar 27, 2013 00:21204734
Iraq is about the Big Game [113 words]J. AlejandroMar 26, 2013 16:32204725
1Iraq-Christian Free Zone [90 words]JDMar 26, 2013 00:38204705
The Case for Democracy by Natan Sharansky [27 words]George HaasMar 24, 2013 22:35204684
"fight for democracy" -dangerous delusion [76 words]BenMar 23, 2013 15:07204634
Reflections on the Invasion of Iraq [49 words]BALARABE ABBAMar 20, 2013 11:39204531
Yes, but..... [195 words]Rick MartinsMar 20, 2013 09:20204526
Iranian provocation [37 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
ConormelMar 19, 2013 16:21204491
The absence of a political faction for freedom and Democracy, Emulating Taiwan and Korea. [147 words]SamuelMar 19, 2013 03:59204474
2Iraq-What Did Work [134 words]John R PeacherMar 18, 2013 20:31204464
1Syria moved up the list [80 words]mythMar 18, 2013 19:02204457
1The Folly of Repetition [55 words]EthanPMar 18, 2013 18:05204455
1Post Soviet Saddam [105 words]Jonathan RubinsteinMar 18, 2013 17:41204454
reflections [63 words]infosifterMar 18, 2013 17:26204453
Lessons of Iraq - Trying So Hard Not to Miss the Point - Yet Never Learning It [387 words]M. ToveyMar 18, 2013 17:15204452
1"Nation Building" in the Middle East [206 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
KenMar 18, 2013 17:13204451

Comment on this item

Mark my comment as a response to Lessons of Iraq - Trying So Hard Not to Miss the Point - Yet Never Learning It by M. Tovey

Email me if someone replies to my comment

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

See recent outstanding comments.

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)