Essay - US Invasion of Iraq in an April 6, 2003 Washington...

US Invasion of Iraq

In an April 6, 2003 Washington Post article, Libby Copel*****d writes about the striking historical parallels between the 1917 British-led invasion of Iraq and this year's joint British- and United States-led attack. In ***** early twentieth century, Iraq was ruled by the Ottomans, who like Saddam Hussain, ***** with an iron fist. The ********** people wanted ***** Ottomans out, enabling the Brits to capitalize on the propaganda ***** "liberation." In fact, ***** rhetoric in 1917 was the same as it is in 2003. British General Stanley Maude used the word "liberators" to justify the British cause. Similarly, President Bush, Vice President Cheney and most other government officials call the invasion an effort ***** "liberate" the Iraqi people.

However, the *****s don't see it that way, especially since their own history points to the truth. The Brits remained in Iraq for decades after they captured Baghdad, us*****g the nation as a stronghold ***** their burgeoning oil interests and as a strategic p*****sage ***** India. Of course, things haven't changed much in n*****e decades: Iraqi oil is high on the agenda of both Great Britain and the United States in their most recent attempt to "*****" Iraq. The key ***** in both the British invasion of 1917 ***** the 2003 invasion is control, according to James Zogby, President ***** the Arab-American Institution. ***** recent invasion of Iraq is just one more attempt by the Western powers to control the region to serve their own interests. The well-being ***** the Iraqi people *****n't as much a consideration as these *****s would like us to believe.

Once the ***** o*****ted ***** Ottomans, they installed a puppet regime ***** allowed the ***** to have ***** over Iraq for four decades. The League of Nations gave ***** Britain a mandate ***** rule ***** in 1920, and ***** Iraqis revolted. In 1921, the British government placed K*****g Faisal I in power, establishing a constitution*****l monarchy with strong ties to Great *****. *****raq gained independence in 1932, but the British remained in *****direct control until 1958, ***** a coup of the British-allied *****.

***** 1914 British invasion of Iraq progressed along remarkably similar lines ***** today's war. British troops first entered Basra in the south and proceeded north to seize Baghdad. "Coalition" troops followed a similar path. Furthermore, Iraq ***** just as divided along ethnic ***** tribal ***** then as it is now. The Shiite majority ***** dominated by a substantial elite Sunni minority. Copeland notes that ***** divisions exist even within the exiled Iraqi community.

***** Iraqi community learned to mistrust the intentions of the Western *****. According to Copeland's sources, ***** ***** people don't want non-Muslim rule of their country. Any government ***** by the Americans will be resented and rejected. Currently, the Iraqi National Congress is ********** as the new regime. However, any leader associated with ***** ***** will be associated with the invasion.

***** course, there are differences between what happened in the early 20th century and ***** is happen*****g