Tuesday marks the 15th anniversary of American lives at risk in Iraq, fighting a war that does not serve American interests.
Authorized in 2002, the Iraq War was intended to remove the egregious regime of Saddam Hussein and seek out the perpetrators of the Sept. 11 attacks. About 125,000 American and British troops set foot in Iraq in 2003 to topple Hussein’s government. Hussein was captured on Dec. 13, 2003 by American Operation Red Dawn. He was then tried and found guilty by an Iraqi court for crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by hanging on Nov. 5, 2006.
So, why are there 5,200 troops still in Iraq today? Those are 5,200 husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, and friends risking their lives because a group of congressmen decided in 2002 that America was going to become the world’s police.
The Iraq War is a clear example of how regime change does not benefit the country in question or those that invade it. As Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., recently said in The National Interest magazine, the architects of the Iraq War “…forgot to tell us that it would tip the balance of power in the Middle East”.
The results of the Iraq War speak for themselves as we continue to lose lives in a land that is not ours, advancing a military agenda that is unknown and most likely unwinnable. The Founding Fathers encouraged a policy of diplomacy, not interventionism. This engagement is characterized by the seeking of friendship, free commerce, and diplomatic discourse with other nations.
For the better part of a century, Congress and the White House’s fingers have gotten too used to the “military action” button; their go-to has become sending troops and dropping bombs instead of seeking solutions through diplomacy. What is worse is that we keep sending troops into Iraq and have been doing so for 15 years without a real reason — what purpose does having U.S. troops in Iraq in 2018 serve? I’ve been asking this for the past year and have yet to receive a credible answer.
It clearly does not serve the national interest of U.S. citizens as we hear news reports of our men and women being wounded and losing their lives. That doesn’t even take into account the countless mental health issues our veterans return home with. Let’s be real: It was a mistake to use military action in Iraq, and, according to a new Pew Research Center study, nearly half of Americans agree.
It’s time we move away from military adventurism and focus on rebuilding this country. We need to have real conversations about our role as a country and why we should not engage in empire building around the world. Empire building on the grounds of regime change is costing us American lives and driving up the national debt. Trillions of dollars spent in the Middle East are bankrupting this country.
Let’s turn the situation around for a moment: What would we say if Chinese troops were patrolling the streets of New York City? We would be in the streets objecting and attempting to reclaim our country.
It’s time to seriously consider our role in the world based on what we would do if we were presented with the same situation that we’ve created in the Middle East. Let’s follow the golden rule of treating others the way we wish to be treated. Putting innocent lives at risk and creating a power vacuum for more radical terrorists does nothing to solve problems.
Instead, we should seek peace through diplomacy, through engagement instead of intervention. That starts by bringing our troops home.
Cliff Maloney Jr. (@LibertyCliff) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. He is the president of Young Americans for Liberty, a non-profit organization based in Arlington, Va., with more than 900 college chapters across the country.
