If there were only Iraqis in Iraq, with no outside influence other than the U.S. Would there be peace in Iraq?

Question

in the post-U.S. invasion time period?

would there be the sectarian violence?

would there be the civil war posibilities?

... if the Iraqis were left to their own devices?

in other words... no terrorist influence... no Iranian influence... no Syrian influence...

Answer 1

There will be no Post invasion period.United States is going to have permanent 16 bases in Iraq at least for the next 30 years or till the Oil in the Middle East is not finished.I think this time they will crush the insurgency by force.Up till now they were elongating every thing, because they wanted to finish those bases they were simply buying the time.Once those are finished they will bring home majority of GIs and Control the Iraq from those bases.To be frank they don't care about civil war or how many get killed.Because more divided they are easier it is to rule them.

Answer 2

No.

Every non-partisan Middle east expert in the world predicted that the most likely outcome of removing Hussein from power would be a civil war.

Bush’s own father (former President GHW Bush) explained in his 1998 book ‘A World Transformed” that any attempt by America to occupy Iraq and remove Hussein would –

1.)result in America being stuck in a quagmire from which there would be no exit,

2.)America would lose it friends and allies,

3.)Such action would result in America losing its power, influence, and position of leadership in world politics and events, and

4.)It would jeopardize America long-term interests in the region and undo all of America’s accomplishments.

Colin Powell told the President, “ if you break it [Iraq], you own it”.

Contradicting the President (just before their recent dismissal by the President), America’s military leadership in Iraq said that foreign (non-Iraqi) insurgents make up only 2 or 3 % of those causing the problems.

That means our own military is saying that 97-98% of the insurgents are native Iraqis.

Further, recent opinion polls in Iraq reveal that:

1.)Most Iraqis view America as an occupier – not a liberator,

2.)Most Iraqis feel that life was better and more secure under Hussein than it has been under US control,

3.)Most Iraqis think that it is OK to attack and kill American soldiers, and

4.)Most Iraqis want America to get out of their country.


Success was never a possibility, and most of the world (including half of America), knew it from the start.

The Bush administration has proven, once again, that ignorance + arrogance + power is a dangerous (and all too often, fatal) combination.

Answer 3

Of course not - the americans are the problem. Until the invasion Iraq was peaceful although ruled by a tyrant who had been preserved in power by the USA until 1990 as a buffer zone against Iran.
Since the invasion chaos has broken out due to the incompetance of the occupying power.

Answer 4

One thing most people don't know is that it was Saddam Hussein's divide and rule policy that led to the terrible ethnic and confessional hatreds that exist today, and is fueling this insurgency.

The shameful part is that by not having enough troops there to begin with, it subsequently forced many Iraqis to join these armed militia groups in order to protect themselves from other armed militia groups. Hopefully this new troop serge of 20,000 strong will help eventually secure Baghdad and then Iraq; we have to win this war.

So to answer your question; had Saddam been taken out when he should have back in 1991, then no- there wouldn't be this much violence, not on the scale we see now. But if we were to leave that country today, then yes there still would be. Iraq would not remain an un invaded country either; Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey would invade.

Answer 5

Right now the Shi'ia militias are trying to clear Baghdad of Sunni residents. A lot of this sectarian violence was sparked by AQ agitators, but I think the majority of it was started with the disbanding of the Iraqi military and the DeBaathification process. Paul Bremmer effed up big time.

Answer 6

Sure there would be continuing fighting if Iraq was left to it's own devices. It's religious influence that creates these wars when nobody else is involved.

Answer 7

A question that comes from an idealist...and this question does nothing to fix the problem at hand. Of course maybe we should do nothing for anybody and be some kind of isolationist. Of course, we did that in Rwanda. How many died? Oh 900,000.

Stop living in a black and white world.

Answer 8

No terrorist influence... yes... the world could live in peace then. That isn't a reality though.

Answer 9

I would say almost complete peace. The problems would be maybe 10% of the problem they are now. It would be a lot easier to win the peace permanently.

Answer 10

I don't think so. To define sectarian violence, you also have to include power struggles may they be social or economic.