The United States has a history of conquering other nations through bombing and invasion, then rebuilding them to levels of prosperity far beyond their pre-invasion status. Germany, after World War II, became the third-strongest economy in the world with a high standard of living. Japan also benefited from America’s post-war benevolence, quickly transitioning from a military protectorate under Gen. Douglas MacArthur into the regional superpower it is today.
The most recent beneficiary of U.S. military might is, of course, Iraq. After decades of brutal dictatorship, Iraq was freed within a matter of weeks. With the recent U.N. Security Council vote further legitimizing an American presence in the region, the U.S.-led occupation force is now legally in the right. Morally, the United States has not only the right but also the obligation to continue playing the dominant role in rebuilding Iraq.
Whatever one’s opinion of the war to remove Saddam, it’s not a stretch to say that it was America’s war. Britain, Australia and the dozens of countries who played smaller roles in the “”coalition of the willing”” contributed little to the war effort in comparison with the waves of troops, tanks and aircraft brought in by the United States.
After carrying the burden of removing the dictatorial regime, it’s only fair that the United States should have proverbial “”first dibs”” on any spoils resulting from that war. And there are significant spoils. For example, Iraq has the world’s second-largest proven oil reserves. While any of the world powers would have also given most of the oil profits back to the Iraqi people, it’s vital that the United States be the one to do it. While Iraq’s oil reserves provide an incentive for America to abuse its position, that doesn’t mean that America should pull out due to some potential conflict of interest.
The conflict will be there regardless of who is in control; any other modern oil-dependent nation would have an equally strong incentive to loot Iraq. The differences between America and other countries are that the United States actually undertook the effort to remove Saddam, and that America doesn’t have preexisting financial ties to the deposed regime.
France and Russia have noteworthy economic links to Iraq, such as the billions of dollars in outstanding debt owed by Saddam’s government. Were they to play a dominant role in rebuilding postwar Iraq — as they undoubtedly would under any U.N.-sponsored reconstruction — the conflict of interest would be more damaging than if the United States rebuilt the nation alone.
The United States is responsible for removing Iraq’s dictator, but it is also responsible for the chaos that currently plagues the country. Food and medicine distribution was disrupted by the war. Much of Baghdad was obliterated. Saddam’s former soldiers, many of whom voluntarily threw down their arms in the face of American invaders, have threatened to rise up in armed rebellion if the military is disbanded. These problems are the direct results of the U.S.-led war, and solving them is the United States’ responsibility. To shirk its duty and let the burden of rebuilding fall upon other countries would be an egregious error, reinforcing other nations’ suspicions of the “”ugly Americans.”” Leaving the problem to the United Nations isn’t responsible either.
The United Nations was not happy with this war; getting its endorsement of any military action was like pulling teeth. The United States should recognize this fact, and not ask a body wholly opposed to the war to deal with the messy aftermath. The United Nations does not need to clean up the mess left by the U.S. invasion. America needs to finish what it started and rebuild Iraq’s economic, political and social institutions.
Despite America’s successes in rebuilding broken nations into powerhouses like Japan and Germany, there have been a few failures. Afghanistan’s tumble into Taliban hands after the expulsion of the Soviets is the most relevant today. However, the reign of the Taliban wasn’t because of a botched American rebuilding effort. Rather, it was the result of America pulling out too quickly and leaving warlords and extremists to their own devices. In Iraq, U.S. troops must stay behind to guarantee stability. When thousands of former Iraqi troops threaten to rebel if they don’t get their paychecks, the security dilemma posed by a premature American withdrawal is self-evident.
Before U.S. troops can withdraw certain conditions must be met. First, the Iraqi military must be under the control of a democratically elected civilian government. Next, Iraq must have the means to rebuild its economy and prevent the country from plunging back into disarray, which means the Iraqi people must have control of their oil reserves. Finally, infrastructure must be rebuilt, including hospitals, airports and power plants.
America had the physical and financial resources necessary to fight the war, so America must have the resources to rebuild. Now that the United States is legally authorized to rebuild Iraq, it has a moral obligation to follow through.
