Iraq War
It is estimated that the Iraq war killed between 100,000 and 1 million people. Despite this, their story does not end with their deaths; ripples of their presence and their death can be felt among their friends and family for many years afterward, and their mark on the world will be seen for years to come.
Similarly, the story of the Iraq war has not ended with the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. Insurgents continue to battle the government and each other, and people inside and outside Iraq continue to be affected by war.
The most obvious changes are, of course, within Iraq itself. The previous dictatorial government has been overthrown and its leader, Saddam Hussein, executed. It has subsequently been replaced by a democratic government, but its prospects are rather grim.
“It is doubtful that the shaky democratic institutions currently struggling for survival will be able to withstand the historical tribal and religious conflicts and regional instability left behind when American forces withdrew,” said UHS teacher Michael Pollock.
An indeterminate number of Iraqi civilians and soldiers have been killed, and the country has been severely destabilized, with America hardly escaping unscathed.
In addition to its own casualties, which number over 4,000, (and the hundreds of billions of dollars spent on the war) the country has taken a severe beating to its reputation – to say nothing of its morale.
The Iraq war, combined with the concurrent war in Afghanistan, has together cost the nation over one trillion dollars, and has left Americans highly averse to similar foreign interventions in the future.
“After 10 years with no victory, it’s become too much of a drain on our resources for it to be worth it,” said sophomore Josef Wachtel.
Regardless of one’s views on the matter, one cannot deny that the Iraq war has had a remarkable influence on matters foreign and domestic, with an impact that has been felt, directly or indirectly, throughout the world, and its long-term repercussions have yet to be seen.
About The Author
