One of the fundamental consequences of the Global War on Terror (GWOT) was the invasion of Iraq by the United States and its coalition forces. The United States of America falsely used weapons of mass destruction (WMD) as an initial excuse for invading Iraq and removing Saddam Hussein from power. Additionally, the Bush administration attempted to justify the war through false intelligence, which claimed a link between al-Qaeda’s Osama bin Laden and the Iraqi regime. Although the defeat of the Iraqi military was swift, the consequences of the invasion and occupation of Iraq produced horrific results that continue to negatively impact Iraq and the region to this day.

After the initial military victory by the United States and its allies over the Iraqi Armed Forces, the United States disbanded the Saddam Hussein’s military, which would significantly contribute to the outbreak of extreme violence and instability in Iraq in the post-Saddam era. Officers and members of Saddam’s former Republican Guard helped create the insurgency against the U.S. and coalition forces, and are now integrated into the upper ranks of Daesh. The struggle against Daesh remains a fundamental problem for Iraq’s development, stability, and survival.

The United States largely blames the Iraqi government and military for their failure to prevent the spread of Daesh in Iraq. However, Washington’s accusations against Iraq are unfair and unjust. American military operations, the long occupation of Iraq, and the poorly executed transition of the Iraqi political system, combined with the crisis in Syria resulted in ideal conditions for the formation and expansion of Daesh. It is evident that a new democracy, or any form of government, needs time to develop and strengthen; however, Washington failed to understand this in relation to Iraq, despite the United States’ own struggle during its formative years as an independent nation. After the Revolutionary War ended in 1783, the United States began its transition into an independent and democratic country. However, after nearly 20 years of independence from the United Kingdom, the United States was still struggling to form a unified national identity and strengthen its military capabilities. The War of 1812 further exposed the weaknesses of the United States, from political division to the failure to protect the capital from the British military. Furthermore, the United States, arguably, failed to unify itself and create a strong military power capable of self-defense until after the conclusion of the American Civil War in 1865. Despite these historical facts, the United States believes that Iraq should have developed into a strong and capable democracy in less than 12 years.

Additionally, Washington is angry over the amount of money and effort they put into training the Iraqi military, only to have large elements of it flee rather than fight Daesh. However, the blame cannot be solely placed on the Iraqi military, rather it should be blamed on Washington’s ridiculous expectation that Iraq should have transformed into a strong and democratic society in just over a decade. The transition of not only government, but a political system greatly impacts the ability of the military. Not only is the current military of Iraq new, but it is founded on the principle of the new Iraqi political system. Therefore, a strong and unified national identity of Iraqis must be formed first, because without this the motivation and morale of the majority of the Iraqi military will remain weak and ineffective. The Iraqi military units that fled Daesh did not flee because they were incapable of fighting, but rather because they lacked the motivation and will to fight and possibly die for Iraq.

The United States took nearly a century to develop into a unified country and create an American identity stronger than the individual state identities. Therefore, it cannot be expected that the new found image of a democratic Iraqi society would be ideologically strong enough to defeat Daesh. Therefore, no matter how much money was spent on forming and training a new Iraqi military, the fact remains that the Iraqi military still needs years to develop into a unified and strong fighting force. However, Iraqis are now, at least, finding common cause to stand together, which can help develop the sense of an Iraqi identity. While Iraqi military units might not have had the will to strongly oppose Daesh at first, the atrocities committed by Daesh have helped motivate Iraqis to stand together and fight to defeat Daesh.

Unfortunately, it won’t be possible for Iraq to become a unified nation, as long as the world powers continue to compete against each other in Iraq. While Russia, Syria, Iran, and Iraq are coming together to combat Daesh through a united front, the U.S.- led coalition continues its failed policy to try and defeat Daesh through the removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and political transition in Syria. The U.S.- led coalition cannot succeed through its current strategy, and will only create further division and mistrust in the region. The quickest way to defeat Daesh will be through a united front; therefore the U.S.- led coalition should follow the initiative of Iran and Russia and support both the Iraqi and Syrian governments in defeating Daesh.