Our mistake in the land of the 2 rivers

Our mistake in the land of the 2 rivers

By Charleston “C.K.” Wang is a Cincinnati, OH attorney practicing U.S. immigration and nationality law.

Since ancient times, Baghdad has occupied a strategic location between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Today, the importance of Iraq can also be traced to its geographic place in the Middle East and the world.

Since the days of Sargon, King of Mesopotamia, armies have fought over the land of two rivers and empires have come and gone.

Today, Americans are worried that Baghdad is in danger of falling into the hands of extremist insurgents. Iran, also awakening to this danger, has sent more fighters into Iraq and has signaled willingness to cooperate with America to defeat this surge. Certainly, the immediate crisis requires attention and action, but a clearer understanding on how the United States got into this situation is also very helpful.

In my opinion, the present crisis can be traced to the dismantling of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003. Up to that time, there was a balance of power among the nation-states in that part of the world. Saddam’s ambition to rearrange this balance of power manifested in August 1990 with the invasion of Kuwait, which put a direct threat against Saudi Arabia. The United States responded by driving the Iraqi armies back to Baghdad, but stopped short of toppling Saddam. The balance of power in the region was wisely preserved.

Then in March 2003, due to residual discontent with Saddam, America launched Operation Iraqi Freedom for the purpose of regime change. In three weeks Baghdad was occupied, and eventually Saddam was captured, tried and executed. Regime change was accomplished, but the balance of power was destroyed in the process. Immediately, Iraq became a weak state existentially dependent on U.S. troops.

Soon it became apparent that we did not have the endurance to garrison Iraq for much longer. With the withdrawal of our forces from Iraq, a power vacuum seized the land of two rivers. Iraq, once a feared regional power, became a prize to be contested and won by surrounding powers – some with very bitter memories.

At this moment, the balance seems to be shifting in favor of the extremists.

Hindsight or no, the pressing question for America is who now will pay the dread price in treasure and lives to recover the lost balance of power?