Consequences of Iraq war

It takes generations to heal the wounds of a war. Even after seven decades, the wounds of Hiroshima and Nagasaki still fresh in the minds of Japanese despite the recent visit of US President Barack Obama. The consequences of Iraq war may not fully heal the wounds of those who lost their loved ones in one of the most unjustified wars of all time, but the Chilcot inquiry report on the Iraq war has now confirmed the misadventure of former US president George W Bush and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The world has paid a heavy price and let them pay the price as war criminals.

All those linked with the myth of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) should also be put on trial, including the so-called experts who had confirmed the presence of WMD in a blatant lie of all time on the basis of which UN sanctioned the war. Thus, the UN is equally responsible and must apologise to the Iraqi people like some US media did few years back, accepting the responsibility of developing public opinion in favour of war.

The Bush-Blair adventure has made the world more unsafe, with peace and truth being the biggest casualty. For years, they misled the world, divided nations and communities. Libya and Syria, the two most powerful voices for the Palestinian cause, were destroyed in the aftermath of Iraq.

The Muslim world – which hardly united since 70s, oil crisis and during the 2nd Islamic summit – were further divided on ethnic and sectarian lines.

How the former British prime minister could defend such a crime by saying his intention was good. It’s not a case of so-called honour killing, but of blatant killings with an intention to destroy and kill former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.

How can he justify something which has been declared ‘unjustified’ by an independent inquiry? How can he justify attack on another country on the basis of a fake report? How can he justify putting not only the lives of British soldiers in danger but as a consequence of British people as well? His role in the war was that of a facilitator to the crime. It’s not a mistake but a criminal act.

There is no doubt that Chilcot and his team took almost seven years to compile the report comprising thousands of pages and millions of words, but it has corrected the incorrect history of attack on Iraq.

I am sure such inquires if are held on Afghanistan, Libya and Syria, would correct some more wrong and declare the Iraq war an act of crime. History needs some corrections about the actual intention to attack Iraq.

Millions of innocent people have been killed or made homeless for the crimes committed by others.

Trillions of dollars have been spent in the name of war against terrorism, but can we say the world is safer today than two decades back?

Who should be put on trial beside the big Bush and Blair? The UN which gave legal sanction to this unjustified war? The team of experts confirming presence of WMD in Iraq and gave light to the war? The embedded journalists who in their reports painted a fake picture of Iraq and WMD and tried to influence the opinion in US and UK in favour of the war?

Saddam may be a dictator or traitor for its own people and could be held responsible for many crimes committed against his people but it does justify the attack on Iraq after creating hype through embedded journalists and later allowed live coverage of Saddam's hanging in a blatant violation of all ethics.

It would be interesting to watch whether the Chilcot report would also help in changing the perception about Islamophobia in the West. Iraq war was not a mistake but a war crime. The attack itself confirmed as who holds the real ‘Weapon of Mass Destruction’ which has destroyed two generations. Terrorism in any form has no justification because the ultimate victims are innocent people, including women and children.

The dilemma of the Muslim world is that it has become its own enemy and instead of showing unity and meeting the challenges in a more sophisticated manner, they allowed the non-state actors to take control. The collapse of system in many Muslim countries and division among Muslims have resulted in horrifying events like the one we had witnessed in Bangladesh and recent suicide attacks in Saudi Arabia, including the holy place like Madina.

Thus, it’s time to heal the wounds of Muslims around the world. The West not only needs to change its perception but also its policies.

I still remember one of my interactions with the former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton during her visit to Pakistan some years back, when I said the US policies after 9/11 have made the world more unsafe and more terror groups would emerge as a result of its policies in countries like Iraq, Libya and Syria.

The biggest WMD was used in 1945 against Japan in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed hundreds and thousands of people. But, the world remained silent and allowed nuclear race instead of learning some lessons from history.

The US than used the ‘communist card’ after its defeat in Vietnam War in the 60s. This card was later used in Latin America and the same 'weapon' was again used against Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 80s which resulted in the rise of 'jihadi culture', as madrasa students were used and the mujahedeen given medal of glory in the White House.

From al Qaeda to Taliban and from Taliban to Daesh, it’s the Muslim world in particular which is paying the price as on the one hand, the Muslims became victims of an unjustified war like Iraq and on the other of terrorism unleashed by terror networks.

Therefore, all those responsible for making the world unsafe should be declared war criminals and put on trial. The world needs to change its perception for which the UN must withdraw its resolution on Iraq war and tender apology to the world. It may not fully heal the wounds but at least would restore some confidence in the UN. George W Bush and Tony Blair must go into history as war criminals.

The writer is a senior columnist and analyst of GEO, The News and Jang.