OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM

Was there Just Cause?

Daniel Primachenko

BRIEF HISTORY

Prior to the war was Operation Desert storm in 1991 concerning possession of WMDs
(Weapons of Mass Destruction)

Operation Iraqi Freedom began March 16 th 2003 with unannounced US

invasion/occupancy of Iraq and the capture of its president Saddam Hussein

A democratic Shia led government was formed by 2005 which led to the Iraqi insurgency
and a new sector of AlQueda

After 4 years of fighting, President Obama announced a withdrawal of troops that led to
the eventual end of the Iraq war on October 21 st 2011

Despite Americas confidence in the new Iraqi government, fatalities continued in 2012
after US departure

JUS AD BELLUM

Just Cause Doctrine:

The invasion was not a last resort
Experience from Operation Desert Storm did show that success was not likely
There were over 12,000 reported civilian casualties in the first year alone
The initial goal was to apprehend the countrys leader, then create a new democracy,
then fight the insurgencies

JUS IN BELLO SCHOLARLY ARTICLES

Darell Cole discusses in his Journal of Military Ethics (2011) the concept of double
effect with warfare strategies with good intent that have foreseen negative outcomes
such as civilian deaths:
Roughly, the principle of double effect draws a distinction between intended and
foreseen effects of a voluntary action, such that we are not held culpable for the
foreseen effects but only the intended effects.

Catherine Dale, a specialist in International security, in her CRS report to Congress back
in 2009 quotes the opinion of a current general concerning the Iraqi Special Forces (ISF):
MNSTC-I Commanding General LTG Helmick commented in February 2009 that the
ISF still had a long way to go. He argued that if they continue to focus on logistics
their Achilles heeland there are no major surprises from the enemy, then the
ISF could have a sustained ground capability to fight the insurgency by the end of
2011.

JUS POST BELLUM

There was a drop in overall casualties and encounters with insurgent groups after 2008

The ISF was growing as a possible alternative to US occupancy

Public favor went towards removal of troops as the Americans grew tired of the war

As mentioned earlier, the ISF was not yet prepared to effectively fight insurgents which kept death tolls
constant from 2010 to present day

US involvement led to a struggling democratic Iraq fighting terrorists and insurgents while citizens are
distraught and are, for the most part, blaming the US for their troubles.
Banen Al-Sheemary is an Iraqi refugee who analyzes the aftermath of US occupation first hand as
she describes her home during and after the war:
After an hour of hearing horrendous stories [told by her uncle] of crimes committed by American
soldiers, he tiredly says, We are nothing to them. To America, we are simply strategic. Through
their eyes, our lives arent worth anything. That was the end of the conversation.
Everyday Iraqis have been partaking in reconstructing Iraq after a destructive occupation in
which they were robbed of their agency, future and country. Iraqis create and expand projects as
the current government continues to neglect the citizens needs.

FINAL CONCLUSION

The US was too hasty with its initial invasion

The US should have allowed the country to move towards democracy on its own which
could have led to Iraqi support of the US rather than scapegoating

The US was also too quick to remove troops from the war as we did not leave Iraq
prepared to take on the responsibilities we left them

There was justification behind US interest in the actions of pre-invasion Iraq but not in the
invasion, or the oppressor-like occupancy, or the foreseen civilian deaths, or the condition
we left Iraq in

WORKS CITED

http://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/numbers/2012/

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL34387.pdf

http://www.ushistory.org/us/60a.asp

http://
web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=6ca64adf-ecab-46a2-87a2-516b50e
d7fb6%40sessionmgr104&vid=10&hid=10
http://mondoweiss.net/2013/03/returning-after-exile.html