Was The Cold War Justified

1963 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What caused the Iraq war

Over the course of history, the US has frequently intervened in foreign regimes. Although many would argue that the U.S. is not justified in its initiation of regime change, and that there are more reasons against their actions than in support of them, there are certainly justifications to be found in each interference. The most consistent justification for US-initiated regime change is the overthrow of authoritarian leaders and the protection of human rights and national security. Two events that exemplify this justification greatly are the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Invasion of Iraq. The goals of these two operations are very similar, to displace ruthless leaders who became a threat to the people they swore to protect. These leaders are …show more content…

After coming to power, he heard that Syria was planning to overthrow his regime, resulting in the removal of many of his assistants. He killed 300 officers for protesting his actions in the Iran War. He only enlisted the help of people he trusted, but that didn’t mean they were safe from execution. After his brother-in-law and childhood friend defended his sister, Saddam’s wife who he had cheated on, Saddam killed him and blamed the death on a “helicopter accident.” He also killed sons-in-law out of suspicion, forever tarnishing his reputation as someone who truly cared about his family. Seven failed assassination plots were recorded. In 1990, Saddam Hussein started The Persian Gulf War, which went on for six weeks and cemented his image as a ruthless dictator. Throughout the years, Saddam continued his authoritarian rule. More rumors circulated that Saddam put his wife under house arrest after the execution of his son. No matter what kind of opposition he faced, Saddam remained ruthless. After the events of September 11, 2001, George W. Bush suspected there was a connection between Al-Qaeda the Iraqi government. On March 20, 2003, the United States attempted the assassination of Saddam Hussein. The number of troops invading was less than expected for the reason that the US thought that Iraq’s military was weak in comparison. In a way, they were correct. The United States had been executing air-strikes on Iraq for so long that the invasion was much easier. The US military overpowered the Iraqi army greatly, particularly due to their increased troops and strong weaponry. The Iraqi army quickly found that they could not compete with the magnitude of the American military. The operation was executed with such speed that the Iraqis did not have time to make effective decisions and improve upon their strategy. Enemy forces could have retaliated

Show More
Related

  • Where Men Win Glory, by Jon Krakauer

    812 Words  | 2 Pages

    September 11, 2001 marked a tragic day in the history of the United States; a terrorist attack had left the country shaken. It did not take long to determine those who were behind the attack and a call for retribution swept through the nation. Citizens in a wave of patriotism signed up for military service and the United States found resounding international support for their efforts in the war on terror. Little opposition was raised at the removal of the Taliban regime and there was much support for bringing Osama Bin Laden and the leaders of al-Qaeda to justice. Approval abroad diminished approximately a year and a half later when Afghanistan became a stepping stone to the administration’s larger ambition, the invasion of Iraq. The administration would invent several stories and in some cases remain silent of the truth where would prove positive for the Iraqi invasion. It seems they were willing to say anything to promote the largely unpopular and unnecessary war they were resolved on engaging in.

    Read More

  • Comparing the Iraq War and the Vietnam War

    2081 Words  | 5 Pages

    No matter how well intentioned the invasion of Iraq may have been, it was an act of violence and deception that has left many American men dead for no clear reason.

    Read More

  • Battle Of 73 Eastings Battle Analysis

    1918 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Persian Gulf War started on 17 January 1991 in response to Iraq’s invasion and annexation

    Read More

  • The United States 's Operation Desert Shield

    1183 Words  | 3 Pages

    Saddam Hussein’s main purpose of sending troops to take over Kuwait was to take control of their oil fields, which Hussein believed would be an easy task; however, he failed to understand that the United States and United Nations were keeping a very close watch on the Iraqi’s actions. Hussein also had other motives, such as freeing himself from the debt he was drowning in from the Iran-Iraq War just two years earlier. He set the pretense for war with Kuwait by defining their refusal to give land to Iraq as an act of military belligerence. President Bush ordered the United States to respond just five days after Iraq had invaded Kuwait. If the United States had not taken action, Hussein would have possibly continued to invade other oil producing countries and take control of the United States main sources of oil as well as threaten a number of innocent people’s lives.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of The Cold War

    1408 Words  | 3 Pages

    The United States had bought Alaska from Russia partly so that the tsar would not be offended by a refusal. This kind of relation between the two became a rarity later on, especially in the twentieth century. The tense ambiance of this period gave no room for a civil affiliation between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic. After World War II, the two nations battled it out in a conceptual war known as the Cold War. It was characterized by a competition between the nations’ political philosophies- the USSR wanted communism to dominate the world, while the US wanted democracy to prevail. However, the war did not come about suddenly- it was congealed over a period of time by multiple factors. As World War II ended, the

    Read More

  • Mark Bowden's Tales Of Tyrants By Mark Bowden

    780 Words  | 2 Pages

    Saddam was trying to make the people fear him using terror, “His rule is based on fear”. He wanted the people to obey him without thinking and without saying no on anything he does believing that he has a divine power. But because he used terror to be respected by everyone he was decieved a lot, sometimes his subordinates lied and did not tell him the truth because they were afraid of getting mad and turing against them, so they would just tell him what he wants to hear. Even his guards were not loyal to him not because they wanted to but becasue they feared him “Their loyalty is governed by fear and self-interest, and will tilt decisively if and when an alternative appears.” Saddam was very suspicious he did not trust anyone and he was also weak but he never wanted to show it, for that he was trying to appear strong and powerful to hide his weakness and insecurity. From the things he used to hide his weaknesses was brutality and violence. An example that shows his savagery was when he wanted to capture U.S. soldiers and tie them up around Iraqi tanks to use them as human shields during the war over Kuwait. This actually shows that he knew he made the wrong decision in invading Kuwait but he did not want to admit it infront of anyone, so he was trying to find any solution that could make them win instead of taking the blame for their defeat. And here one can notices that fear and brutality kind of overlap or connect to each other, because Saddam used violence to make everyone fear him, a good example on that would be when Saddam’s regime accused some people of taking bribe and sentenced them to die, the colleagues, families and friends of those people were ordered to attend their hanging and everyone was compelled to attend because they knew that refusal could turn suspicion on them and end up hanged like

    Read More

  • Geography and History in the Iraq War

    1255 Words  | 3 Pages

    In September 1980, a very destructive war with Iran was started by Saddam Hussein. This was a result of an invasion in Iran. This invasion spurred an eight year war. Saddam used c...

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of The Cold War

    1416 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Cold War presented the United States with a unique decision. The Soviet Union had created a space program and the United States needed to decide if a space program would be beneficial for them. The Soviets sent probes out to space, and soon American probes followed. There are many reasons that the U.S. could have made this decision, but two reasons are more prominent that the others. Firstly the United States found it necessary to compete with the Soviets, and they could not accept the fact that the U.S.S.R had something that they didn’t. Secondly, JFK and his administration thought that space was the final frontier, and it would provide valuable scientific research. Ultimately, John F Kennedy and the United States decided to create a space

    Read More

  • Was The Atomic Bomb Justified

    805 Words  | 2 Pages

    In contrast, Maier and Selden’s thesis claims the act of dropping the atomic bomb was completely justifiable and not a war crime is the counter argument. Since, both authors address the fact that the world was at war and that aerial bombing was not something new, however, the technology advances were. In addition, their logic is reasonable because at the time of World War II almost everyone was using strategic and tactical aerial bombing, not to mention the Allies wanted to end the war as soon as possible. Thus, the atomic bomb was justifiable, however, it was a war crime. The objective of the tactical bombing was to aim at military targets it achieves its objective, however, killing thousands of lives in the process. The statement by Maier

    Read More

  • Idi Amin's Use Of Fear

    1370 Words  | 3 Pages

    He ruled Iraq with a virtual iron fist. His use of fear and intimidation is well known among the Iraqi people and it worked for over 20 years as he ruled without question.

    Read More

  • Machiavelli On The Iraq War

    1182 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Iraq war, also known as the second Gulf War, is a five-year, ongoing military campaign which started on March 20, 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by U.S. troops. One of the most controversial events in the history of the western world, the war has caused an unimaginable number of deaths, and spending of ridiculous amounts of money. The reason for invasion war Iraq’s alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction, which eventually was disproved by weapons inspectors. Many people question George W. Bush’s decision to engage a war in Iraq, but there might be greater reason why the decision was made. The ideas of George W. Bush might have been sculpted by one of the greatest works of all time, "The Prince."

    Read More

  • Operation Iraqi Freedom

    2159 Words  | 5 Pages

    On March 20, 2003, the combined military forces of the United States and Britain crossed the southern border of Iraq and Kuwait with the intent of capitulating the government of Saddam Hussein. Over the course of 21 days, the joint task force moved quickly and decisively to seize major objective cities along the road to Baghdad using aviation, armor, artillery, and infantry. Following the overwhelming success of the primary combat operations of the invasion, stability and support systems proved insufficient as sectarian violence and other criminal activity among the local population of Iraq increased.

    Read More

  • The History of Iraq

    2693 Words  | 6 Pages

    Pre-invasion Iraq reflected the views and policies of its leader, Saddam Hussein, who made his first political appearance as a supporter of the Ba’ath Party. He was jailed in 1967 for this, and after his escape quickly rose to power within the faction. (Saddam Hussein Biography, 2008) Saddam became known for his political talent and progressiveness, and soon became a popular politician. After working on extensive unification and expansion efforts for the Ba’athists, the man rose to vice chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council. Faced with a tremendous amount of religious, racial, social and economic divisions, Saddam launched a campaign of total control to bring about stability.

    Read More

  • The Iraq War Of Iraq

    1565 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Iraq War was a protracted armed conflict that began with the 2003 invasion of Iraq by a US-led coalition. The US wanted to destroy Saddam Hussein’s regime and bring democracy. To addition to that, US and its allies believed that Iraq had secret stocks of chemical and nuclear weapons, hence Iraq was a threat to the world (Axford 2010). In March 2003, US air bombed Baghdad and Saddam escaped Iraq. The invasion disarmed the government of Saddam Hussein. President Bush in March 2003 gave a premature speech, that tyrant of Iraq has fallen and US has freed its people. President Bush flew into Iraq to show the world that the war is over, even though nothing was accomplished (Kirk et al. 2014). Iraq was facing 13 years of scantions, therefore regime diverted its resources to flexible networks of patronage that kept it in power (Dodge 2007, 88). Iraq faced widespread of lawlessness and after the violent regime changed US could not control the situation. Iraqi civilians were looting, attacking ministries building and this resulted into a series of event (Kirk et al. 2014) . From a military perspective the regime was taken down, but they made no commitment to rebuild or secure the country.

    Read More

  • Saddam Hussein Leadership

    851 Words  | 2 Pages

    Growing up Saddam Hussein was always trying to gain power and rule. Even before his presidency he was always fighting his way up. In 1958 after the monarchy was overthrown Hussein and others tried to assassinate the Prime Minister Qasim (Butt). The Prime Minister was soon aware of the fact and consequently Hussein had to flee Iraq. In 1963, Qasim was murdered, and Hussein returned to Iraq. Thus Hussein began his rise to power once more. He soon found a position in the Ba’ath party and was named assistant secretary general. Within a few months the Ba’ath party was overthrown, and Hussein was sent to prison. He was released two years later in 1968 after the Ba’ath party regained power in a coup that Hussein helped lead. Hussein was named the vice chairman of the ruling Revolutionary Command Council and vice president under General Ahmed Hassan Bakr. In 1979 Hussein became president. As the President he began doing many more harsh things, he executed hundreds of high ranking party members and army officers who he thought were disloyal. As a result of his cruel and brutal ways some refer to Hussein as the moniker, Butcher of Baghdad. (Andrews).

    Read More

More about Was The Cold War Justified

Open Document