On the 20th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, there seems to be no sign of remorse among American writers and politicians who applauded the war. The U.S. invaded Iraq under the pretense of possessing weapons of mass destruction, which later turned out to be false. Once Basra was destroyed, the importance of the issue disappeared. The Neocons, led by George W. Bush, knew that Iraq did not possess these weapons, but they needed a lie to justify the invasion. The lie had already spread around the world before it was exposed.
It is unthinkable that the humanitarian disaster caused by the U.S. invasion would affect the conscience of the Neocons. For them, the loss of human life is a necessary burden for the "American Empire." They claimed they would bring freedom, peace, and democracy to the people of Iraq and build a modern nation, but these were also lies.
In a previous piece, I quoted the famous Roman historian Tacitus, who wrote a book about his father-in-law General Agricola's role in the Romanization of Britain. Tacitus had Calgacus, a native leader who resisted Rome, say: "The plunderers of the world, having exhausted all the land, are now looking for the sea. If the enemy is rich, they are robbed, if he is poor, they are besieged. Neither the East nor the West can satisfy them. They are driven by an insatiable greed for wealth and power, resorting to robbery, murder, and lies, and calling it 'empire.' They create a desert and call it 'peace.'"
According to modern historians, Tacitus's description of "Roman imperialism" belongs to him. Tacitus, who was not content with living in the "Roman Empire," longed for the "Roman Republic." In other words, Tacitus expressed his thoughts on the Roman Empire through Calgacus.
Recently, many American writers have written articles comparing "Ancient Rome" to "Modern America." According to these articles, America, which has turned from a republic to an empire, is repeating ancient Rome. Rome's weaknesses have become America's weaknesses. Like Rome, the American Empire will collapse. Arguments about the struggle between the "globalists" who support the "American Empire" and the "nationalists" who advocate for the "American Republic" can also be found in Tacitus's works.
The "American Empire," which is a reflection of Rome, devastated Iraq and called it "peace." It is evident how the destruction of Iraq has led the entire region into instability. The effects of the American destruction in our neighboring regions will continue for many years to come, just like what is happening in Afghanistan.
When Iraq was invaded, current U.S. President Joe Biden was the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Biden's support made it easier for G.W. Bush to invade Iraq. Biden also supported the lies of the Bush administration and said, "These weapons must be taken from Saddam Hussein or he must be removed from power."
John Bolton, a seasoned neocon who played a significant role in the invasion of Iraq, said in an interview with Steve Inskeep of National Public Radio that he would do the same thing again if given the chance. In his article "After the Iraq War" in the National Review, Bolton argued that the invasion of Iraq was flawless. According to Bolton, one mistake was that the Bush administration did not use its military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan for regime change in Iran. Another mistake was Obama's withdrawal of military forces from Iraq in 2011.
On the 20th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, a similarity is being drawn between the U.S. and "Putin's Russia." Neocons or liberal hawks support Putin's prosecution in the International Criminal Court, while the US does not recognize the court's jurisdiction. In fact, Trump banned the ICC prosecutor from entering the US and froze their assets. Trump's National Security Advisor John Bolton also said, "The ICC is dead to the United States."
Juan Cole, a history professor at the University of Michigan, argued in his article "20 Years Ago, the U.S. was Putin" in The Nation that while blaming Russia for Ukraine, Americans should not forget the crimes they committed in Iraq. Many commentators also argue that Russia is following the path of the U.S. According to these writers, Russia is using the US's invasion of Iraq and its violation of the UN Charter as a template for its actions.
