Twenty years ago, the United States officially launched the second Iraq War under the presumption that the country, led by Saddam Hussein, possessed weapons of mass destruction. Just under two years before the Iraq War, Al-Qaeda attacked the United States on September 11th, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 American citizens. However, despite the tense climate defined by fear of another terrorist attack, millions of Americans protested an invasion of Iraq as many questioned the accuracy of the intelligence reports stating that Iraq had such powerful weapons.
Both major political parties supported the war, but when reports of torture and high death tolls came out, attitudes quickly changed and many more Americans believed the war was a scheme to take control of Middle Eastern oil reserves. President George Bush's leadership over the war was questioned by many, as it appeared that the US was now trying to nation-build (a 2000 campaign promise he broke) while also fighting the Afghanistan War. Many were left dissatisfied with Bush's leadership, so in 2008, Illinois senator Barack Obama was elected as the 44th President of the United States, with one of his campaign promises being to bring home the troops from Iraq.
President Obama was successful in withdrawing troops from Iraq and ending the war, but the absence of military presence did not last long, with the rise of ISIS in the early 2010s. American presence in the Middle East has been credited as a motivating factor for the formation of ISIS, as they bombed several European cities while murdering those who opposed them in the Middle East. ISIS, and other radical organizations like Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, have previously used and have control over American military equipment to impose their will.
Many grudges held by radical Middle Eastern groups can be traced back to the United States government aiding in the overthrow of Democratically elected leaders. In 1953, Britain attempted to take control of Iranian oil reserves and enlisted the US for help. The CIA spread propaganda that would lead to the overthrow of Mohammad Mossadegh in favor of the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Nearly thirty-years after the coup, the US faced blowback for their involvement in the overthrow of Mohammad Mossadegh. In 1979, Iranian college students took control of the US embassy in Tehran and took fifty-two American diplomats hostage as retaliation for American support of Pahlavi and alleged attempts to undermine the Iranian revolution. Although the hostages would be released, the situation still shows that American interventionism in foreign affairs has backfired.
Not long before the Iranian Hostage Crisis, the United States armed Al-Qaeda with weapons to fight against the Soviet Union. Although Al-Qaeda did use American weapons to defend against the Soviets, not all was well, as Al-Qaeda opposed American presence in the Middle East and support of Israel and Egypt. Their leader, Osama Bin-Laden ordered a fatwa against the US government for their involvement in the affairs of other countries, and orchestrated the bombing of the Kenyan Embassy, the USS Cole bombing, and worst of all, the September 11th attacks.
Misguided American involvement in foreign affairs continues today, and over the past thirty years, has been defined by air strikes and escalation that has resulted in the deaths of innocents and destabilization of relations. While there are plenty of bad people in power in the Middle East, US involvement only adds to the problem and although several political leaders in America have tried to address that and fight for diplomatic resolutions, their messaging is often ignored. Former President Ronald Reagan even spoke about how he would never want his troops to retreat from battle, but after the death of 220 marines in Lebanon, he changed his tune and said that Middle Eastern politics were too irrational to tread in.
These are just three examples of American interventionism resulting in deadly blowback from radical groups and deaths of innocent civilians from US sanctions, but there are many more, as the US is helping Saudi Arabia’s military while Yemenis civilians are being starved. The United States is not an evil country, but its government often makes rash decisions that result in the deaths of both American troops, innocent foreign civilians and the destabilization of relations. It is long past time for the United States to stop engaging in foreign affairs that do not concern it, as it often ends in death and endless warfare.
Have an opposing viewpoint to this opinion?  Let us know.  All views are welcome.  Send your thoughts to our Editorial Staff – Editor Dylan Hicks dhicks@student.dean.edu or Dean Daily Faculty Advisor, Professor John Rooke jrooke@dean.edu