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Taylar Baldwin
Mr. Salow
World History
October 29, 2016
DUE NOV 7
Operation Iraqi Freedom

Around the world the Iraq War, also known as Operation Iraqi Freedom, is widely known.
Known for its numerous amounts of bloodshed, for the long span of time that it went on, and for
its criticized controversial background. Around the world the Iraq War was and still is vastly
talked about. Numerous countries and many people have connections that relate to it. This war
and the events leading up to the war drastically changed many things in todays modern world.
People around the world look at the Muslim religion as a threat to us. When in reality people
dont understand the whole background of everything leading up to the war. This war is very
close to my heart. Whether it be from a family member fighting in the war or your home country
is fighting in the war itself. Even though this war is well known everywhere, I chose to write my
term paper on it because Ive always wanted to research more and write about it.
I really love to listen and learn more about it since I have a pretty big connection to it. My
father fought in this war and many others. Although this is a World History class a good chunk of
my research and factual information is coming from my father and what he saw, witnessed and
learned while overseas. For some veterans of war they dont like to talk about their experiences,
my father is very open certain things that happened. While deployed and stationed at a multi
echelon base he got the chance to talk to many people for numerous other countries. The facts,
information and stories in my paper will partly be coming from my father's experience.

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While my father was overseas in Iraq in 2005, he met people from numerous countries.
Italy, France, Korea, Poland just to name a few. Being stationed with people from all over the
world you get to talk and know more about them. As I was asking my father numerous questions
about being deployed over in Iraq during such a hard time I began to ask what where other
people's opinions about this war. Now America's views were pretty blunt, some didnt know why
we were sent over, some thought it was blatantly because of the September 11th attacks. When I
questioned him about what other countries views were, he said, ...some soldiers didn't
understand why we were there. A lot of people thought we were there because of the Iraq oil and
what benefits it had to be in control of it. Others thought we were there to support the Iraqi Army
and train them so they could then support themselves, these were my thoughts. Hearing this
really got my mind running. Just to think about the many soldiers from all over the world
questioning why they were deployed somewhere they have never been must have been really life
changing for so many.
For some background on Operation Iraqi Freedom: The operation was launched on
March 19, 2003 when President Bush went on national television and announced it to the public.
(CNN Library) Many people started to assume the main reason for going overseas was about the
attacks on September 11th. al-Quida then claimed responsibility for the September 11th attacks.
(CNN Library) United States intelligence agencies began looking for the possible connection
Iraq had with the attacks. The original reason for the launch of this operation was to get rid of
tyrannical dictator Saddam Hussein. March 20, 2003, one day after Bush announces the launch
of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Saddam Hussein speaks on Iraqi national television, saying these
attacks are "shameful crimes against Iraq and humanity." (CNN Library) Being sent overseas
was still a question from many troops and families of troops. No one had exact answers on why

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they were being sent over. The confused men and women who served Im sure wanted answers.
They may or may not have they gotten angry, but if I were in their place I would of started to get
frustrated. The families back home would have gotten frustrated and this resulted in a mass
opposition to this war worldwide. This connects very well to todays modern world because of
the widespread protests and opposition to this war that it caused. Even today many people still
continue talk about the controversy and anti-war movement that this war caused.
As I have researched I have found, on Wikimedia Commons, over forty six countries and
hundreds of thousands of people who did not support this war. The outrage was very widespread
across the entire world. Although to name all forty six plus more would take way more than the
max six pages, there are a few countries that very well expressed their opinions. From my
research China, Russia, France, and Germany weighed in on what they thought about the war.
(The Telegraph) Although Germany and France didnt express very thoroughly about what they
thought both countries said that they would not follow the United Nations authority to have
military action towards Saddam Husseins rule. (The Telegraph) Igor Ivanov, former Russian
prime minister, stated, "no grounds at the moment to use military force against Iraq. While at a
meeting Ivanov also claimed that, "There is still political and diplomatic leeway to resolve the
Iraq issue." Even though I was four years old while all of this was going on, looking back on all
of the research and facts 10+ years later I can understand what Ivanov was trying to say. There is
always is a solution to an issue or even a way to avoid an oncoming issue. Yes what all happened
was very destructive and angered many of us around the world, but I believe to target one person
for this destruction and start a war was not necessary.
Worldwide anti-war and angered protesters would line the streets and express their beliefs
on a war that involved so many neighboring countries. While researching I saw most, if not all,

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of Europe did not support this invasion on Iraq. Anti-war and Anti-Bush groups started to pop
up all around Europe. Now with all of these opposing countries many began to view the United
States as a danger to the world. Views of the United States decreased. Many looked towards the
United States as a harmful non-peaceful place. A survey was conducted by the Pew Research
Center for the People and the Press in summer of 2003 to see the global attitudes towards
America. (Marquis) In nearly all forty four countries surveyed, their views of the United States
when down. After this survey was conducted the United States came back at these countries.
Since the test the US says now that we feel negative against France and neighboring European
countries. Even though many of the world's countries turned towards the United States, the
attacks on September 11th made people turn towards a new group of people.
As a result many people, not just the US but around the world, started to turn towards
Islamic people. Most people dont even understand the difference between the Islamic religion
and the Muslim culture. Undereducated people begin to assume and say things which are so
wrong. Even though I was one when 9/11 occurred from what I have been told and seen by
watching things on national television throughout my life, more people begin to become, I would
say, racist towards the Islamic religions and Muslim culture. It is upsetting to see the difference
in how people act towards these people and the societal things that have changed. Some look at
this group of people as terrorists and a harm to us. On the television I see so many shows that
make jokes about these people. All of this is happening because of something that happened
fifteen years ago. Just because a certain race/religion of people do something bad one time to us
doesnt make them bad for the rest of our existence. Terrorism is still a thing, but the direct
threats to the whole country is happening everyday. Yes threats are still there but not yet has a

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huge attack happened. I believe people should open up their eyes more and look at the bigger
picture.
Not only did the world view certain people different after this, but the people deployed to
the war zone were changed. Some changed more than others. I have heard many stories about an
individual being deployed and coming back like a completely new person. Post-traumatic stress
disorder is a common disorder that affects many. It comes and goes in certain situations can be
very bad. My dad is one who is affected by this disorder. Although his is not that bad, it can be. I
read a study that was tested on UK military personnel. The many doctors involved compared the
health of UK servicemen and women at random, and ones who were not deployed at the time.
The difference was small but they found that there was an increase of people with physical
symptoms, along with the finding that a big number of deployed soldiers with many more mental
disorders.
Operation Iraqi Freedom lasted for nine long strenuous years. So many lives lost,
estimated to be in the millions, from all around the world, to soldiers and innocent civilians. To
me this was a very big war that changed the views and lives of many across the world. It changed
people in society and those in the battle field right in the middle of it all. It made people have the
wrong judgement on a certain group of people and their religion. The September 11th attacks
caused this war. I look at the broad spectrum of this war and to me if this war had never
happened I always question how different our world would be. Sometimes I think about how if
this war didnt happen Im sure another war would have happened and have the same impact.
Nevertheless I still have many questions about this war that I know wont ever be answered.
Always question the things you read and see. Operation Iraqi Freedom will always have an

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impact and connection to my life. I just hope people can understand that just because this
happened doesnt make the Islamic religion and Muslim culture bad.

UK, The Telegraph. "China And Russia Warn US Against War On Iraq." China And Russia Warn
US Against War On Iraq. The Telegraph, 23 Jan. 2003. Web. 05 Nov. 2016.
Kull, Steven, Clay Ramsay, and Evan Lewis. "Misperceptions, the Media, and the Iraq War."
Political Science Quarterly. Political Science Quarterly, 1 Dec. 2003. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.
Hotopf, Matthew PhD. "The Health of UK Military Personnel Who Deployed to the 2003 Iraq
War: A Cohort Study." The Lancet. Elsevier Ltd., 16 May 2006. Web. 6 Nov. 2016.
"Casualties in Iraq." Antiwar.com. Ed. Margaret. Griffis. Antiwar.com, 20 May 2003. Web. 6
Nov. 2016.
Marquis, Christopher. "AFTER THE WAR: OPINION; World's View of U.S. Sours After Iraq
War, Poll Finds." The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 4 June 2003. Web.
6 Nov. 2016.
Library, CNN. "Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn Fast Facts." CNN. Cable
News Network, 27 May 2016. Web. 6 Nov. 2016.
Commons, Wikimedia. "State Positions Iraq War." Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia, 9 Apr.
2015. Web. 29 Oct. 2016.
"Iraq War." Encyclopdia Britannica. Ed. The Editors of Encyclopdia Britannica.
Encyclopdia Britannica Inc., 13 Mar. 2004. Web. 5 Nov. 2016.

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