Marie+F

Goals of Operation Iraqi Freedom:

The U.S. goal in Iraq, Bush said, is “nothing short of victory.” That victory will come, he said, “when Iraq is no longer a safe haven for the terrorists [and] when the Iraqis are able to defend their democracy.” This statement, made by President Bush about the [|goals in Iraq], is one of the important issues on people’s minds today. It has been many years since the U.S. first entered the war in Iraq and a lot of Americans are starting to question whether our country has been taking the right steps towards victory and accomplishing the ever changing goals. Many opinions have been formed, but the  fact    is that the U.S. is a strong and powerful country with the duty and goal to form Iraq into a new nation using the support of its many friends and allies around the world. The initial goal of the war was to to remove Saddam Husein from power and dismantle his programs to build weapons of mass destruction. Pre-war intelligence indicated that Iraq was developing chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons along with the capability of delivering them as far as the eastern seaboard of the United States (Senator Bill Nelson.) Another goal of .the war was to stop Iraqi human rights violations against its people and to spread democracy to the Middle East. In September 2002, the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441 gave Iraq one last chance to comply with its disarmament obligation. Iraq failed to comply and in October 2002, the U.S. Senate voted to authorize the use of U.S. Armed forces against Iraq (Public Law No: 107-243.) The start of the war saw U.S. and coalition forces swiftly defeat the conventional Iraqi army and the forces of Saddam Husein. The invasion started on March 20 th, 2003 and the Iraqi capital of Baghdad fell on April 9 th ending Saddam Husein's 24 year reign. The end of the conventional war brought about new and difficult challenges for the occupying forces and a new set of goals: to establish a stable democracy and train an Iraqi security force capable of overcoming insurgent attacks and internal division in the country. With the fall of the formal government, much of the leadership under Saddam Husein went into hiding and formed an Iraqi resistance to the U.S. led occupation forces. This resistance initially consisted of Saddam/Baath Party loyalists and led to the urgent goal of finding Saddam and his leadership to try to put an end to the insurgency. Soon, the resistance expanded to religious radicals and Iraqis against the occupation. The U.S. goals, as the president has stated, involve helping the Iraqis take control of their country. Americans are assisting to build a free nation that can govern itself, sustain itself, and defend itself. They also want to play an important role in the successful formation of a new democratic Iraqi government. To reach these goals has not been an easy task and will take a lot more time to complete. With the never ending terrorist and religious groups in Iraq, it is becoming quite a challenge to keep moving along the path towards victory. Even though the setbacks have made it tough to continue, the enduring commitment is to help and raise a free self-governing Iraq that will cut off the terrorists and bring security to the United States as well as to Iraq and its people. An important    reality   to remember is that the United States has the support and hard work of its brave troops. These men and women have been sacrificing there lives to fulfill the goal of [|making Iraq safe for its people]. Along the way they are training Iraqis and starting to build an army that will eventually take over in defending their nation. Slowly, the Iraqi soldiers are beginning to take on more and more security responsibilities, but they are still being directed by U.S. Troops. Many American soldiers have been providing a lot for their country and for the country of Iraq. They are proving to many peop le that they are able to make a difference and can play an important role in the goal of protecting and making the Middle East a secure place to live. One very significant step that America has been involved in is the starting of a newly formed democracy in Iraq. On January 31  st  , 2005, Iraqis elected a transitional government in order to draft a new constitution. Many groups decided to boycott the elections and there were many attacks on the people who liked being able to freely vote for their own leaders. Despite all of the violence, the Iraqis have been able to see through it and stay committed with their goal of living in a world with freedom and democracy. Democracy takes different forms in different cultures, but successful free societies are built on common foundations of the rule of law, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, a free economy, and freedom of worship (Office of the Press Secretary.) The goal for Iraq that the President, U.S. Soldiers, citizens of Iraq, and the people of the United States all want comes down to one thing, peace. To live, breath, grow, and work surrounded by peace for one another. The world has struggled with peace for ages. To have peace would mean that their would be no more quarrels and disagreement between countries and there would be harmonious relationships for all. Many baby steps are being taken to fulfill this never ending goal, but slowly peace is coming closer and closer every day. The President talks about our goal in Iraq, as a new era that offers hope for the millions across the Middle East who seek a future of peace, progress, and opportunity. Works Cited

ABC-CLIO Pictures. "U.S. officials discuss military campaign in Iraq." __ABC-CLIO__. 25 Mar. 2003. 7 May 2008 < [|http://www.usatwar.abc-clio.com/Search/Display.aspx?categoryid]=4&entryid1032253&searchtext=iraq+war&type=simple&option= all>

Brooks, Stefan. "Postwar Training of Iraqi Troops by the United States: Middle East Wars." __United States at War: Understanding Conflict and Society__. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 7 May 2008 <[|http://www.usatwar.abc-clio.com>.]

Bush, George W. "President Outlines Steps to Help Iraq Achieve Democracy and Freedom." __The__ __White__ __House Governmen__ t 24 May 2005. 7 May 2008 <[|http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/05/20040524-10.html>.]

Denny, David Anthony. "Bush Explains U.S. goals, Methods on War and Terror." __America.gov Explaining America's Story__. 11 Jan. 2006. 7 May 2008 . Stockdale, Nancy. "United States Public Opinion: Middle East Wars." __United States at War:__  __Understanding Conflict and Society__. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 7 May 2008 <[|http://www.usatwar.abc-clio.com>.]

Walker, David M. "STABILIZING AND REBUILDING IRAQ." __GAO Government__. 11 Mar. 2008. 7 May 2008 <[|http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08568t.pdf>.]

YouTube, and Allstar51788. "Operation Iraqi Freedom." __YouTube Videos__. 10 Jan. 2006. 7 May 2008 .