Public Health Policy Reviews 15:
20 Years of US Military Domination in the Middle East – Part 2 – Iraq War 2.
Iraqi children. Image by janeb13 from Pixabay.
NOTE: Nazia Saeed, a Human Resources professional living in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, contributed significant research and writing for parts of this article.
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A famous cultural anecdote that originated in Africa is called “The Monkey Trap.”
If a primitive hunter wants to capture a live monkey, which is very difficult to grab hold of, he can construct a trap by carving a small hole in an empty coconut shell. Then, the hunter would tether the hollowed-out coconut to a stake in the ground.
The next step is to place some food inside the coconut that the monkey finds irresistible. It could be a banana or a mound of rice. Driven by hunger and greed, a monkey will place its hand through the small hole of the hollow coconut to grab the food.
The monkey’s hand can fit through the coconut hole, but a clenched fist is too big to pull the hand back and out. Often, the monkey lacks the intellect to let go of the banana or rice and escape.
The trap works by using the monkey’s hunger and greed against itself. The monkey becomes complicit in its capture and eventual death.
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The Temple of Hercules at the Amman Citadel in Amman, Jordan. Image by LoggaWiggler from Pixabay.
We must think about the “monkey trap” when we consider the ramifications of Israel’s invasion of Gaza, the October 7th Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, and the history of military imperialism in the Middle East by the US, Great Britain, and other Western allies.
The “primitive hunters” are the imperialists and colonizers, and those colonized are the “monkeys.” But consider the current challenges that the Israeli government and its US and Western European allies are facing as they struggle to dominate and control the indigenous populations of the Middle East.
The historical lust for land and greed for oil by White European Westerners and North Americans makes it impossible for them to let go of the “banana or mound of rice” in the coconut. What is clear is that all parties involved in the centuries-long effort by European and Christian nations to colonize the Middle East can be the anthropomorphic “monkey” in the “monkey trap.”
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Image of destroyed buildings in Iraq. Photo by Levi Meir Clancy on Unsplash.
Over the past two decades, public health emergencies have marred the Middle East and left devastating consequences.
Often ignored or misunderstood, these public health crises have profound consequences for the indigenous populations affected. A prime contemporary example of the challenges that North Americans and Western Europeans face in their attempts to dominate the Middle East is the US military invasion of Iraq in 2003.
From Iraq to Gaza, the region has experienced mass deaths, witnessed horrific violence, the destruction of family homes and civilian infrastructure, the collapse of healthcare systems, the outbreak of diseases, and widespread suffering among its populations.
While many factors contribute to these crises, we cannot overlook the primary role of US policies in the region. All this week, our public health policy reviews will delve into the intricate web of public health emergencies in Iraq, Syria, Iran, Yemen, and Gaza.
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Former US President Barack Hussein Obama. Image courtesy of Pixabay.
In 2009, former US President Barack Obama’s first foray into Middle East diplomacy began with what some called an “apology tour.”
President Obama began his diplomatic relations in the Middle East by apologizing for the United States’ misdeeds in the region. He also heaped praise on Islamic countries like Turkey and severely criticized Israel for its military aggression and expansion into the West Bank.
However, when reviewing the eight-year expanse of his Presidency, Mr. Obama’s policy initiatives in the Middle East were a disaster for the region. During Obama’s first term, he backed the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, leading to the rise of Islamic terrorism in the country and North Africa.
A civil war broke out in Syria in 2011. The tragic highlight of the conflict in Syria was Bashar Assad crossing Obama’s “red line” to sanction the use of poison gas against the Syrian rebels and his civilian population.
The Obama administration also ignored intelligence assessments that The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) posed severe threats to regional stability.
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An Islamic militant holds an Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) flag. The year or exact location is unknown. The photo is courtesy of GWU.edu.
ISIS subsequently conquered large swaths of both Iraq and Syria during Barack Obama’s eight years in the US White House.
In 2014, President Obama carelessly referred to ISIS as the “JV team” of Islamic radicals. Of course, the historic 2008 election of Barack Obama as America’s first African American President was – in part – a backlash to former President George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq.
As we wrote yesterday, President Bush’s excuse for military intervention in Iraq was “to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein’s support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people.”
President Obama said the US needed to remain in the Middle East and Northern Africa during his time in the White House to prosecute the war on terrorism and secure American security obligations in the region.
Yet, politically left-wing academics and historians of the Middle East claim that Mr. Obama’s numerous military bombing campaigns in Iraq were a significant factor in the formation of ISIS.
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The Public Health Fallout of the 2003 Iraqi Invasion and Occupation
US soldiers conducted an urban warfare operation in Iraq in 2004—photo image courtesy of Battlefield.org.
The US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States marked the beginning of a tumultuous period of social instability and political turmoil.
The war not only resulted in the loss of countless lives but also decimated Iraq’s infrastructure, including its healthcare system. America and its allies began a protracted and disastrous period for Iraq’s public health infrastructure.
The American and British conflict resulted in widespread destruction of healthcare facilities, disruption of medical supply chains, and the displacement of millions of Iraqis. Hospitals were overwhelmed with casualties, medical supplies were made scarce, and disease outbreaks became increasingly common.
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A US military artillery unit is operating an artillery weapon in Iraq in the early 2000s. Image by WikiImages from Pixabay.
Moreover, the use of depleted uranium munitions during the war has left a legacy of radioactive contamination, contributing to a surge in cancer rates and congenital birth defects.
Despite the official end of combat operations in 2010, Iraq continues to grapple with the aftermath of the war. Sectarian tensions, political instability, and the rise of extremist groups like ISIS have further undermined efforts to rebuild the healthcare system.
The legacy of the Second War in Iraq continues to pose long-term health risks for the Iraqi population.
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