Today we hear comparisons between the Crimea annexation by Russia and the invasion of Iraq by the United States -President Barrack Obama had earlier reiterated the point in an audience of European leaders at the Palais Des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, Belgium that there was no basis for comparison – well we can say they are similar in one way- both were not backed by a United Nations mandate, rather they were unilateral actions carried out by countries with enormously powerful armies. Now the striking difference is that the Crimea takeover was done with very minimal bloodshed, admittedly only very few such examples exist in history. On the other hand the Iraqi invasion by the United states and it allies was met with stiff and deadly resistance from the Iraqi populace (although the then President of the United states George Bush famously used to refer the resistance to the occupation as “a bunch of hooligans”)- What resulted was the Death of over 4,000 American soldiers, with over 10,000 wounded. As for the Iraqis figures are hard to come by but conservative counts put it at over 100,000 Iraqis either dead or injured with thousands unaccounted for. Now looking at the reasons presented by both powers before the invasion- For the Russians it was the fact that the life of Russian speaking Ukrainians were under threat from a Fascist/Nazi like Government in Kiev which they believed came to power illegitimately. For the Americans it was that Saddam had amassed weapons of mass destruction and that his removal was good for the sustenance of global peace, that Saddam was a threat to his neighbors siting the invasion of Iran in the eighties and Kuwait in the nineties by Saddam, that the overthrow of Saddam and the establishment of Democracy would be the Panacea for the Middle East and its numerous dictators, well we know the true story now. Back then the few voices inside America that were courageous enough to speak out in Public were quickly labeled anti American, Wisdom was fleeting at that time and common sense was no where, but as they say the rest is history now. Iraq today is Governed by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in a rather shaky Government characterized by ethnic and sectarian in fighting . Iraq’s increasingly divided and dysfunctional political system risks a relapse to violence if concrete steps are not taken by all stake holders including the U.S and Other Arab states to demand a much more inclusive Government at the center.
What happened with the invasion of Iraq by the U.S was that the very moral standing of the United States in the eyes of the world was destroyed, a situation that was further damaged years latter by the Assange files and more recently the Snowden revelations.In as much as not speaking for Russia , at this point it becomes very hard for the United States to criticize or sanction Russia for there actions in Crimea as they lack the moral high ground to do so.
