There has been considerable debate in recent years about the conflicts instigated by the USA and the UK in Afghanistan and Iraq. The aim of this post is to ascertain just exactly what it’s all about.

Afghanistan

Strictly speaking, the war in Afghanistan began with the September 11, 2001 attacks. Attributed to Al-Qaeda, an international alliance of militant terrorist organisations established in 1988 by Osama bin Laden, the attacks prompted the US to declare war on Afghanistan on 7 October 2001. This was the beginning of the war on terrorism.

A curious thing apparently occurred following the attacks. Members of bin Laden’s family, who were in the US at the time of the attacks, were granted extraordinary White House privileges to fly out of U.S. airspace. According to Vanity Fair, at least four flights with about 140 Saudis, including roughly two-dozen members of the bin Laden family, flew to Saudi Arabia that week without even being interviewed or interrogated by the FBI (( Propaganda Matrix, “Bin Laden family allowed 9/11 leave” )). It is almost certain that at the time, bin Laden was a main suspect for the September 11 attacks, so why arrange for his family to be flown out?

An aerial bombing campaign was initiated against Afghanistan by the US and the UK, with the ultimate aim of capturing bin Laden, destroying Al-Qaeda, and removing the Taliban regime which had provided support and safe harbour to Al-Qaeda. The Taliban regime was overthrown, but the invasion has largely failed, with the future of Afghanistan now hanging in the balance. It has a weak government, Taliban forces are re-emerging and the poppy fields are ripe with opium.

So then, what was the point of invading Afghanistan? Osama bin Laden is apparently still at large and Afghanistan is the largest supplier of heroin world-wide – 90% of the world’s opium comes from Afghanistan (( Baldauf, S and Bowers, F, “Afghanistan riddled with drug ties”, The Christian Science Monitor )). The invasion has elevated human rights infringement of women somewhat, but with the resurgence in Taliban forces, these rights are again under threat.

Iraq

Turning our attention to Iraq, George W Bush decided that evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq could not be ignored, and on 20 March 2003 the US invaded Iraq with the support of the UK. The Iraqi government and military collapsed within three weeks. Of course, Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi dictator, was eventually captured, tried and executed.

Why was the decision taken to invade Iraq? Initially, the rationale was that Iraq posed a threat due to weapons of mass destruction, which then turned into a crusade promoting freedom and democracy (( Stevenson, Richard W., “Aftereffects: The President; Bush, Visiting Michigan, Promises All Iraqis a Voice in New Government”, The New York Times, 29 April 2003 )). However, the overriding rationale was the continuation of the war against terrorism, in a similar vein to that of the invasion of Afghanistan following the attacks of September 11.

If one thinks about it, Iraq is a major producer of oil. Therefore, the US had an economic interest in the invasion of Iraq. There are sources to suggest that Saddam Hussein had planned to require Euros for all oil sales, rejecting the US Dollar. This would have been detrimental to the value of the US Dollar. By invading Iraq, the US was able to protect its interest (( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationale_for_the_Iraq_War#Petroleum )).

Terrorism

The war on terrorism / struggle for freedom and democracy has so far resulted in the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. However, it’s rather curious that other nations world-wide subject to human rights infringments, the will of cruel dictators and of civil war and unrest, are largely ignored.

Iran

The current human rights situation in Iran under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is poor. According to Amnesty International, dissidents who oppose the government non-violently face harassment, torture and execution (( Amnesty International, “Iran” )). Additionally, the Human Rights Watch has stated that “[r]espect for basic human rights in Iran, especially freedom of expression and assembly, deteriorated in 2006. The government routinely tortures and mistreats detained dissidents, including through prolonged solitary confinement” (( Human Rights Watch, Essential Background: Overview of human rights issues in Iran” (Human Rights Watch World Report 2007, 31 December 2006 )).

Iran has also refused to stop the Iranian nuclear enrichment program, sparking fears of a potential nuclear conflict.

Where’s the US invasion? Well, Iran does have access to nuclear weapons, so a bit of a risk perhaps? Also, it’s right next door to Iraq, so it would look a bit dodgy if the US invaded; insomuch that it would appear that the US is trying to take over the world.

North Korea

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, among others, accuse North Korea of having one of the worst human rights records of any nation, with a severe restriction on political and economic freedoms. North Korean defectors have testified as to the existence of detention camps with an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 inmates, and have reported torture, starvation, rape, murder and forced labour. (( http://hrnk.org/hiddengulag/toc.html )) A man who claims to be a former prison guard and army intelligence officer said that in one camp, chemical weapons were tested on prisoners in a gas chamber (( BBC News, “Access to Evil”, 29 January 2004 )). According to another claimed former prisoner, pregnant women inside the camps are often forced to have abortions or the newborn child is killed (( http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/gashc3859.doc.htm )).

Where’s the US invasion? Of course, there’s no oil in North Korea.

Zimbabwe

There have been widespread reports of various civil and political human rights abuses throughout Zimbabwe, in particular against opponents of the government. According to Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch the government of Zimbabwe violates the rights to shelter, food, freedom of movement and residence, freedom of assembly and the protection of the law. There are assaults on the media, the political opposition, civil society activists, and human rights defenders (( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwe#Human_rights )).

Where’s the US invasion? Of course, there’s no oil in Zimbabwe.

There are several similar examples.

Countries that are reported to host Al-Qaeda cells include:

• Pakistan;
• India; and
• Somalia.

Countries where human rights infringements are reported to exist include:

• Belarus;
• Burma;
• China;
• Cuba;
• Eritrea;
• Ethiopia;
• Russia;
• Sudan;
• Turkmenistan; and
• Uzbekistan.

In light of the above, the US government under the lovely George W Bush has a lot to answer for. Afghanistan can probably be put down to a knee-jerk reaction to the appalling atrocities of September 11 and the war against terror, but why has there been little or no action against other contries where Al-Qaeda cells are reported to exist? The Iraq invasion is not quite so clear-cut, and the excuse of “freeing the Iraqi people and restoring democracy” doesn’t quite wash, as the same is arguably needed in numerous other nations around the world.