When Saddam Hussein lost his power in 2003, the Iraqi people's lives didn't improve much, and some people even think Iraq would have been better off under a dictatorship. The Iraq war changed not only the country of Iraq, but also the whole world. Because of the war, hundreds of soldiers from countries all over the world have died, and thousands of soldier's lives have been changed. President Bush is trying to persuade Americans that they are fighting for a just cause, and even though the majority is against the war, the Iraq war is still going on. The Iraq war is a major issue which is also a factor in the presidential election, and has had a big impact on the modern world.
What made the U.S. go to war with Iraq?
On March 20, 2003 the United States, England, Austria, Poland, Denmark, and other countries invaded Iraq. The reason, according to U.S. persident George W. Bush was to “disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein's support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people”. According to former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair, the actual reason was because Iraq didn't give up their nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons voluntarily.
What has the U.S. accomplished in Iraq?
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The American forces in Iraq have found 500 weapon munitions which contained nerve gases, which were illegal to make since 1993, but the army has found no trace of weapons of mass destruction. Therefore many people believe that the reason President George W. Bush invaded Iraq was because he wanted to make people believe that the Al Qaeda in Iraq was connected to the Al Qaeda that performed the September 11 2003 attacks. Even though all evidence is contrary to that, the war is still going on. Not much has been accomplished, while almost 4,000 american soldiers have died, and almost 20% of Iraq's population has fled the country.
How are the Iraqi government insurgents being funded?
A lot of the money used by the Iraqi insurgents for weapons comes from private Saudi citizens. Many trucks filled with money drive from Saudi Arabia to Iraq, but two high ranking Iraqi officials say that the money is for Islamic causes and charities. The insurgents are also funded by the oil production in Iraq, since almost all of Iraq is sitting ontop of an oil well. At least one third of Iraq's oil lands on the black market, and some of the money goes to the insurgents.
How is the U.S. army being funded?
In 2007, the war in Iraq has cost the U.S. about $170 billion, and all of the money comes from american tax payers. Every month, the U.S. spends $16 billion on the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and every U.S. household pays $138 a month, for the currently ongoing war. The total cost of the war is approximately $3 trillion, and the interest American will have paid by 2017 for the money borrowed is about $1 trillion. The U.S. is also paying $25 billion every year because of the rising oil prices.
Why doesn't the U.S. leave Iraq?
The simplest answer to that question is, because a lot of companies are profitting from the war. Many people have realized that the war in Iraq has failed, but they still hesitate to withdraw american troops. Some of these companies are Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing, although there are 100,000 others. The longer the war goes on, the more vehicles and weapons are on demand, and the richer the company becomes. The Pentagon's budget for example, has grown almost 50% ever since George W. Bush got elected president, from $300 billion in 2001, to almost $455 billion in 2007.
What do most Iraqis think about the U.S. army in Iraq?
The majority of Iraqis think that the U.S. military in Iraq is making a bigger problem than it is preventing, since they think that if the U.S. withdrew the Iraqi government would strengthen. Approximately 80% of the Sunnis said that they wanted the U.S. to withdraw within the year, while seven in 10 Iraqis think want the U.S. military to withdraw. Many of the Iraqis also believe that the U.S. government plans to have permament military bases in Iraq.
What do most Americans think of the Iraq War?
When 1,016 adults nationwide were asked if the United States made a mistake in sending troops to Iraq, 63% said yes, 36% said no, and 1% said that they're unsure. When asked if they approve the way Bush is handling the situation in Iraq, 33% approved, 65% disapproved, and 2% was unsure. When asked if the costs versus the benefits to the U.S. was worth fighting, 34% said yes, 64% said no, and 2% said unsure. When aksed if they think that the U.S. is making progress toward restoring civil order in Iraq 40% said yes, 57% said no, and 3% said unsure. When asked if the U.S. should stay in Iraq until civil order is restored, or if the U.S. should withdraw now without having restored civil order, 41% said to stay in Iraq, 56% said to withdraw, and 3% said unsure. When asked if the U.S. has to win the war in Iraq in order for the broader war on terrorism to be a success, or if the war on terrorism can be a success without the U.S. winning in Iraq 31% said the U.S. must win, 61% said victory in Iraq is not required, and 8% said unsure.
