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03/17/2023

20th anniversary of the US occupation of Iraq

20th anniversary of the US occupation of Iraq

The US invasion of Iraq is one of the most significant examples of Washington’s lawlessness and violations of international law. The US carried out this invasion entirely through lies and black propaganda. And the Western media’s current stance, the policy of presenting facts as lies and lies as facts, operated at full throttle during the invasion.

20 days before the US attack

Twenty days before the US attack on Iraq, I had been to Baghdad. I was there at the invitation of Saddam Hussein’s government and also gave speeches. I witnessed with my own eyes the lies of the Western media.

Greater Middle East Project and the Second Israel

The main objective of the US invasion was to reinforce the unipolar world by force of arms. The objective was not only to change the regime and borders of Iraq and the government in Baghdad, but also to change the borders of twenty-four other countries as set out by the US in the Greater Middle East Project.

The most important pillar of the Greater Middle East Project was the ‘Greater Kurdistan’. This project targeted not only Iraq-Iran-Syria-Türkiye, but also Russia, China, Azerbaijan, in short, the entire Eurasia. The US aimed to establish the ‘Second Israel’ and use this vassal state as a base against Eurasia.

The US breathes life into ISIS and PKK

On this basis, the PKK terrorism, which was about to be eradicated, was revived after the US invasion.

The path to the rise of ISIS was paved by the US invasion. In fact, the US created ISIS. Donald Trump himself stated that ‘ISIS was founded by Clinton and Obama’.

The invasion, ‘dismantling of the Iraqi state and its institutions and thus laying the foundations for destabilization and chaos, caused various components of the former regime taking role in the establishment of ISIS, and the use of PKK against countries in the region.

The lesson Türkiye takes from the US sanctions

Another dimension of the invasion of Iraq that should be taken into account for today is that the first important trials of unilateral economic sanctions, which the US systematically uses as a weapon, were implemented before the invasion and so Iraq was weakened. Sanctions, just like nowadays, also played an inhumane role at that time, putting the Iraqi people in a difficult situation.

These sanctions were implemented not only on Iraq, but also on Türkiye. From the closure of the Ceyhan-Ovalık pipeline to the severing of Türkiye’s trade with Iraq, Türkiye was hit hard by these sanctions. Türkiye has taken important lessons that today Türkiye is not complying with the sanctions on Russia.

How to prevent possible new offensives of the US?

At that time, the leading countries of the world failed to prevent the US invasion of Iraq. But today, we live in a different world. A multipolar world is being formed. Eurasian countries are coming together. The US’ possible new aggressions, like the invasion of Iraq, should be thwarted by Eurasia’s leading countries such as Türkiye, Russia, China, Iran, Azerbaijan, Pakistan and India.

In this respect, Türkiye’s stand against the US plans in the Eastern Mediterranean is of great importance. Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine is also vital. China’s decisiveness on Taiwan issue and Iran’s resolute stance are crucial too.

Mehmet Perinçek
Historian and political scientist (Turkey)

One response to “20th anniversary of the US occupation of Iraq”

  1. Karen Shahbandi says:

    I was one of millions who marched against this unjustified war. We were ignored. For 20 years now I have borne the shame for my country’s actions against the people of Iraq, still, Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld have not been held accountable. For 20 years now my heart has felt pain for the Iraqi people who have endured death, destruction, the terrible heat of summer, the cold of winter without enough food, without medicine. Ever more people try to flee their broken country, living in camps and risking death at sea. As an American I will forever feel shame for this.

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