US Nation building in Iraq and Afghanistan

Nation Building: US in Iraq & Afghanistan

United States had launched several operations in Iraq as well as Afghanistan since the September 11 attacks. The operations were purposed to eliminate weapons of mass destruction and terrorist cells. President Bush, together with certain allies labeled it as the Global War on Terror. The major operations can be divided into three; Operation of Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Noble Eagle (ONE), and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

President Bush was very optimistic about these operations especially in Iraq. He assured the US congress that he needed more time and money to prosecute the war efforts, but the reality is different. American troops are now facing the real ground situation. There is no doubt that US had several interests in the Gulf region, but stung by failures, it decided to rethink of its operations in Iraq. Eventhough, the role of army is to win the war; the US political think tanks had understood that it has to change its plan from conquering to the nation building exercise. At the hindsight, the US military is involved in training Iraqi army and police, building roads, schools and helping the local governments. Recent news headlines reveal the intentions of Bush Administration on the war with Iraq. It says that after 9/11, Bush was ready to go to war even though the UN did not finish its analysis on Weapons of Mass Destruction. Recently,there were parliamentary elections in the 13 provinces of Iraq. Inspite of the threat from the radicals, two third of the people turned up for the poll. The results of March 7 election shows that the current Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki would lead the race, eventhough, he would not get the majority. The Kurds also fared well in the Northern Iraq. It should be noted that despite successful turnout in the elections, the violence in Iraq has not ended.

President Barak Obama is on a plan to withdraw forces from Iraq this year itself, based on the situation. United States is planning to evacuate Iraq by August 2011. There are natural apprehensions about the future of Iraq after the US withdrawal. The conflicts with the Sunnis and Shias may resurface again and on the other, terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda may create havoc in the Iraqi cities. The neighboring nations like Saudi, Iran and Syria may play a key role in the safety and security of Iraq. There are also other factors which determine the future of Iraq. Apart from the military point of view, the destiny of Iraq lies in who is controlling the oil explorations. There are also disturbing subjects like future of Iraqi government, Kurd issue, drafting of new constitution etc. There are doubts about the future role of US and UN in the affairs of Iraq. There is no specific answer to the above questions.

It is a fact that the future of the Iraq is unpredictable, but the success of the US nation building in Iraq depends on how the Iraqis work together in creating a new government. When Barrack Obama took over the US administration, he made his intentions clear about Afghanistan. White House unequivocally declared that their aim was to defeat Al Quaeda and Taliban. There were sharp criticisms regarding the US stand on the issue. As the time passed, US administration unfolded its future plans in Afghanistan. The new plans include creating new employment, agribusiness, reforming the justice sector, promoting mobile banking, starting media commission, and fighting corruption. In an effort to rout the Taliban, US led coalition forces started the war, Operation Moshtarak. At present, the operation is concentrated at the Helmand Province. The operation helped the Afghans clear Taliban from the cities of Marja and Nad Ali. The recent bombing in Kandahar was a warning to the NATO forces. However, the Ministry spokesman said the attack failed to achieve its objectives.

There is a change on the Afghan war. Pakistan became the focus of attention. Pakistan, US and Afghanistan would conduct intelligence sharing and conduct military operations. United States is training the Afghan forces to be self-reliant, it still remains to be seen whether these will be effective.There are uphill tasks before United States. It is not sure whether Afghanistan, Pakistan and US could conduct military operations in the future. Pakistan itself is in terror tangles. When the US and NATO withdraws, civil war may resume. If such a situation arises, there is every possibility that Taliban may be successful and become a vital political force once again.