On March 21, 2003, the United States of America officially declared war against
Iraq on grounds that Iraq illegally possessed weapons of mass destruction. However, no such weapons have yet been found. In March 2002, even before the facts had been gathered, President George W. Bush told National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice,
“F--- Saddam. We’re taking him out.” (Bush, quoted by Elliot)
Instead, Gulf War II was the culmination of a decade of increasing hostility and failed negotiations towards Iraq. After twenty days of fighting, Gulf War II ended on
April 9, 2003. Although its duration was trivial, the war has left an imprint on world order. By attacking Iraq, the U.S. has positioned itself as a global bully who reorganizes global resources to favor U.S. interests.
The Gathering Storm: How the U.S. became a superpower
The United States under Bush has followed a path of imperialism that shows frightening parallels to Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler. Bush and
Hitler have both capitalized upon propaganda to stir up patriotism, used revolutionary war tactics, and pushed their political agenda without regard to world peace.
Figure 1. Ad comparing Bush to Hitler in the framework of Hitler Youth.
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Source of power . Although tension with Iraq had been building for a decade, the immediate and strongest catalyst for Gulf War II was the terror committed on September
11, 2001. In a highly coordinated attack against the U.S., Al Qaeda, a terrorist network masterminded by Osama bin Laden, hijacked four commercial airplanes and succeeded in destroying New York City’s World Trade Center and in severing the Pentagon.
Following 9/11, Rice urged the president to think about “how...you capitalize on these opportunities.” (Rice, quoted by Lemann) Because the attack was so atrocious, President
Bush was able to rally Americans in a “war against terrorism.” He immediately gained approval to start the Homeland Security agency and pursue aggressive foreign policy.
Over time, national interest was transformed from fighting terrorism to “preventing the accumulation of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of irresponsible states.” (Rice, quoted by Lemann) In retrospect, 9/11 played into Bush’s hands as a means to stimulate support for Gulf War II.
Similarly, Hitler’s agenda was furthered by a single event. The Reichstag fire on
February 27, 1933 was blamed on Communists but benefited the Nazis. The next day,
Hitler proclaimed a state of national emergency and invoked Article 48 of the Weimar
Constitution, Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of the People and State.
This suspension of civil liberties enabled the Nazi party to win a majority in the 1933 elections which in turn propelled Hitler to power.
By taking advantage of crises, Bush and Hitler can both be viewed as opportunists.
Propaganda . Having achieved momentum for their respective causes, Bush and
Hitler both maintained their momentum through the use of propaganda. The U.S. media
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is inundated daily by news of possible terrorist attacks in order to maintain Americans’ fervor to fight the enemy. For example, on May 20, 2003, media reported a possible upgrade in the terror alert level from yellow to orange due to increased whispering in the terrorist communities. In past instances of orange alert, ordinary Americans have “started feeling awful
Ridge put the terrorist attack.”
Cowley) reason Anthony almost as soon as Tom nation on high alert for a
(Anthony Lepre, quoted by
According to Cowley, the and other Americans feel that way is because generating stress sever connections fear affects the brain by hormones. These hormones in the brain and, in extreme cases, inhibit memory function. As if the stress of the terror
Figure 2. Newsweek cover 2/24/03. alert system was not enough, the cover of the magazine, Newsweek, adds to the fear. As Figure 2 shows, the cover serves as propaganda to visually link Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein to fear. An ordinary American looks pensive as thoughts of Saddam, Osama, the terror alert system, and oil fields occupy his head. Although the article stresses the negative effects of fear, the cover acts to the contrary by suggesting the connection between bin Laden,
Hussein, and fear. By keeping fear alive, Bush retains support for his war efforts.
Aside from fear as a mechanism of control, Bush uses propaganda to glorify the strength of the U.S. The sensationalized rescue of POW Jessica Lynch provides a prime example of this tactic. On April 1, 2003, Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Marine
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commando units stormed Nasiriyah General Hospital where Lynch was being treated.
Because “you don’t have perfect knowledge when you go in of what resistance you will face” (Lapan, quoted by AP), the units broke down the front door of the hospital, handcuffed hospital officials, and pumped a steady stream of fire throughout the raid.
These dramatic images were captured by the American media and designed to glorify
U.S. military might. In contrast to the story published by the U.S., the BBC released a report stating that the blitz was unnecessary. After interviewing dozens of hospital officials, the Associated Press determined that Lynch had been treated very well and, in fact, Iraqi doctors had been planning on releasing her the day after her rescue. According to Dr. Hazem Rikabi, “If they had come to the door and asked for Jessica, we would have gladly handed her over to them. There was no need for all that drama. Why the show?
They just wanted to prove they were heroes. There was no battle.” (Rikabi, quoted by
AP) Pentagon officials justify the validity of U.S. actions by citing the volatile conditions in Nasiriyah and a doctrine of the military to use overwhelming force in such situations.
Regardless of which story is true, this controversy shows the amazing propaganda that
Bush has used to stir patriotism in the U.S.
Hitler used a similar strategy. A master propagandist, he shaped public opinion into hatred against Jews, gypsies, and the disabled by glorifying Aryans. Acclaimed as the “most powerful piece of propaganda ever produced,” Hitler commissioned Leni
Riefenstahl to document the 1934 Nazi party rally in “Triumph of the Will.” Through footage of gatherings, marches, and parades, the film promoted Nazi ideals. It showed
Aryans as strong and dominant, projecting an image of perfection. Since Aryans were faultless, the problems of Germany had to come from Jews, gypsies, and the disabled.
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Like Bush, Hitler found an enemy for the German people to unify against. Propaganda lended legitimacy to Bush and Hitler’s war efforts.
Emasculation of peacekeeping organizations . With public opinion of their nations on their side, Bush and Hitler disregarded the opinion of the international community by starting wars. The U.S. led the United Nations Security Council inspections into Iraq’s irresponsible arms building. However, the Security never passed a resolution to wage war. (In fact, the only resolution passed concerning Iraq occurred one week after the advent of Gulf War II to address humanitarian efforts there.) Bush launched a preventive war against Iraq against the vocal objections of France, Germany, and Russia and without
U.N. support.
Nearly identically, Hitler sidestepped the League of Nations in his empire building efforts. Prior to World War II, he ignored all disarmament treaties established in the Treaty of Versailles and built an arsenal. In addition, Hitler drew his allies, Japan and
Italy, out of the League of Nations. Without these countries, Britain and France were each reluctant to act without the other, which rendered the League of Nations irrelevant.
The League of Nations was unable to contain Hitler and his vision of a Third Reich, just as the United Nations was unable to stop Bush and his quest to promote U.S. interests.
Because the U.S. in the 21 st
century and Germany in the late 1930’s were standalone superpowers, Bush and Hitler, respectively, were strong enough to ignore international sentiment in their pursuit of aggressive imperialism.
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Attack mechanisms
. In Gulf War II, Bush used a modified version of Hitler’s blitzkrieg. The concept of the blitzkrieg, or lightning war, is to take a target by surprise and overwhelm it with large amounts of firepower in a short amount of time. Oftentimes,
Hitler harnessed the combined powers of the Luftwaffe, SS, police, and army to carry out blitzkriegs.
Bush took the blitzkrieg concept and added a contemporary dimension to it: real time media coverage. Peter Arnett, a veteran war correspondent, likened the war to “an action movie, only this is real.” (Arnett, quoted by Franklin) Using the infrastructure built by the Information Revolution, the war was essentially transformed into a real time action movie creating a new genre of fighting termed “shock and awe.” Bush first demonstrated the U.S.’s tremendous firepower and theatrics in an attack on Baghdad on March 28,
2003. Within two minutes, three hundred cruise missiles destroyed two dozen buildings in a calculated attempt to take down Saddam Hussein. Reporters, embedded in U.S. troops, instantly relayed news of the attack back to the American public. The ensuing reaction encompassed both shock at the lightning fast speed in which devastation was dealt and awe at U.S. military power. Bush and Hitler chose shock and awe and blitzkrieg, respectively, as their primary tactics of war to gain competitive advantage through speed, surprise, and brutal force in their attacks. These factors allowed them to quickly establish dominance over their enemies.
The New Paradigm: Positioning the U.S. as the world superpower
By orchestrating Gulf War II, the U.S. has flexed its immense global muscle. In its aftermath, a new paradigm is emerging where the U.S. maintains its economic
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dominance by policing the actions of other nations and rearranging international borders and regimes when deemed necessary.
Repercussions in the Middle East . Even though they were not directly involved in fighting, Iraq’s neighbors were affected by Gulf War II. One Saudi Arabian man,
Abdurrahman Saad Muhanna, described his concerns for himself and his family. Like the
Americans after September 11, "we are living in fear," he said. (Muhanna, quoted by
Fleishman) The war upset the internal affairs of Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Palestine,
Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.
For Saudi Arabia, the war could have major effects on its economy. As the world’s top leader in oil production, Saudi Arabia yields considerable power in setting oil prices worldwide. Saudis fear that their power could be undermined by the handling of
Iraq’s oil. "I'm not comfortable in my life anymore," said Khalid Subaiye. “ These attacks will take us backwards. They will hurt our economy and our relations with other countries.” (Subaiye, quoted by Fleishman) Because it will take time to rebuild Iraq and fully install a new regime, Iraq’s oil impact will be delayed and Saudi Arabia must brace for a reaction down the road. Samer Shehata, Mideast expert at the Center for
Contemporary Arab Studies, predicts that “the U.S. oil industry will post a major challenge to Saudi Arabia’s position as market leader.” (Shehata, quoted by Moran)
In Turkey however, the war’s effects immediately took a toll. Ignoring NATO ally ties, Turkey rejected a $15 billion deal from the U.S. for use of airspace and ground deployment of troops. In response, Turkish stock markets plummeted. Already laden with
IMF loan repayments, Turkish markets dropped 11.6%. Meanwhile, currency value
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dropped 5% and traded at 1.67 million lira to the U.S. dollar. Since then, the Turkish lira has appreciated against the U.S. dollar. As of June 4, 2003, the Turkish lira traded at 1.43 million to the U.S. dollar. However, rumors imply that Central Bank Governor Sureyya
Serdengecti may resign because of the pressure-filled responsibilities of fighting inflation and raising the Turkish economy. Turkey’s interactions with the U.S. resulted in destabilization of its markets and currency and, by doing so, have caused considerable effects on the Turkish economy.
Economic dominance . The U.S. oil industry and government leaders steadfastly deny that oil was a motive of the war. However, the U.S.’s participation in the Oil for
Food Program demonstrates the blatant contradiction between rhetoric and action. Started in the 1990’s, the program provides humanitarian relief - food, electricity, agriculture, and health – to Iraq in return for oil exports. Upon the commencement of Gulf War II, the
U.N. Security Council, including the U.S., unanimously voted to renew the program.
Although Operation Iraqi Freedom was auspiciously undertaken to liberate the Iraqi people from the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, the
U.S.’s underlying motive was Iraqi oil.
Strategically, Bush had to unseat Hussein to gain access to its oil. Before the start of the war,
Figure 3. Facetious ad showing Bush speech with oil company logos added.
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Grant Aldonas, U.S. undersecretary of commerce, stated that a war in Iraq, “would open up this spigot on Iraqi oil, which certainly would have a profound effect in terms of the performance of the world economy for those countries that are manufacturers and oil consumers.” (Aldonas, quoted by Moran) With low production costs, oil generates $12.3 billion in export revenues per year for Iraq. Iraq currently possesses 112 billion barrels of oil and ninety percent of oil fields are yet undiscovered. Together, these reserves are worth roughly 1.1 trillion dollars, making Iraq second only to Saudi Arabia in oil resources. Iraq’s fortune in oil gave Saddam international leverage.
By removing Saddam from control, Bush destroyed Iraq’s oil commitments.
Saddam had guaranteed much of Iraq’s oil reserves to France, Russia, and China.
Analysts predict that it will take at least three years before the Iraqi government is well established enough to begin forming long term oil commitments. Obviously, France,
Russia, and China wanted to avoid this situation and therefore chose to oppose Gulf War
II. As a beneficiary of voided oil commitments, the U.S. instigated attack on Iraq. Each country’s position on the war was formed to maximize economic objectives.
Adding more suspicion into the fray, top U.S. government officials hold stunningly close ties to the oil industry. Bush served as director of Harken Energy Corp.,
Cheney as CEO of Halliburton Energy Services, and Condoleeza Rice as a Board member of Chevron. In fact, Chevron later named a super-tanker after her. Perhaps the officials’ relationships to American energy companies contributed to the decision to attack Iraq for oil.
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Demonization of enemies . The U.S. has engaged in an active campaign to solidify support for its actions. A prime example from Gulf War II is the demonization of Saddam and Iraq. Prior to the war, daily reports damaged the reputation of Iraq by alleging ties between Iraq and Al-Quaeda and describing the threat of Iraq’s warheads. Children who did not watch the news could be indoctrinated through their video games. Popular favorites included Gulf War Simulator and Quest for Saddam. Another diversion available was “Iraqi Most Wanted” playing cards, with Saddam the most wanted as the
Ace of Spades. The playing cards are so widespread that the media broadcasts news about these individuals with references to their card rank and suit. Fans can purchase decks both online or from street vendors in major cities. Through many creative means, the U.S. government convinced Americans to unite against Iraq.
Figure 4. “Iraqi Most Wanted” Playing Cards
Nations who dare stand against the U.S. are demonized by the American media and government as well. In comparison to the demonization of Iraq however, France has escaped easily. The U.S. government implicated France in selling military equipment to
Iraq and aiding Iraqi leaders in escaping to Syria. In response, Capitol Hill stopped selling French fries and French toast in the cafeteria, opting instead for “Freedom fries”
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and “Freedom toast.” This shift in nomenclature is reminiscent of WWII where the U.S. renamed sauerkraut as “liberty cabbage,” dachshunds as “liberty dogs,” and hamburgers as “liberty steaks” as anti-German propaganda. These acts have infuriated France. The
French Foreign Ministry urged diplomats to “count the untrue accusations” (The Week) in the U.S. media. Jean-David Levitte, French ambassador to U.S., reacted by accusing the U.S. of fueling “an ugly campaign to destroy the image of France.” (Levitte, quoted by The Week)
Aggressive foreign policy . Iraq is only the most recent event in a string of acts of aggression by the U.S. Following the acts of terror on September 11, 2001, the U.S. believed that Osama bin Laden was hiding in Afghanistan. The U.S. subsequently invaded Afghanistan to oust the Taliban regime. Rebuilding efforts in Afghanistan continue to this day.
The U.S. has historically positioned itself as the central mediator in Mideast peace talks. Riddled with thousands of years of violence and conflict, Palestinians and Israelis both lay claim over Jerusalem and the Palestinians struggle to establish a separate state from Israel. Bush has negotiated with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian
Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to develop a Mideast road map to peace. Under the plan, leaders would spend the next few years drawing permanent borders between Israel and Palestine, end hostilities, and establish an independent Palestinian state by 2005.
As the global police force, the U.S. has arranged world order to suit national interests. This trend is not an accident, but part of a plan by the U.S. government to continue aggressive foreign policy. Rice identified that, “there is a big global threat...that
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has started shifting the tectonic plates in international politics. And it’s important to try to seize on that and position American interests and institutions and all of that before they harden again.” (Lemann) The U.S. is now warning Iran and North Korea to abandon their nuclear arms programs. Will they be the next target of U.S. domination?
Conclusion
The actions of the U.S. have not gone unnoticed by the international community.
The U.S. is seen as vultures for cashing in on business generated by attacking Iraq. For instance, Bechtel has been appointed as main contractor to rebuild Iraq. This project involves rebuilding 90% of Iraq at an estimated cost of $680M. In addition, U.S. companies have already begun to compete for a piece of Iraq’s oil. Among the companies bidding are Halliburton, Schlumberger, Weatherford, Baker Hughes, and Fluour.
Foreign nations have responded with varying degrees of backlash against U.S. businesses abroad. In some cases, foreign nations are entering alliances to oppose U.S. dominance. For example, Saudi Arabian company Abdul-Aziz Al-Qahtani Group and
Figure 5. Protestors in France oppose Gulf War II.
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Iranian company Transfo signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on May 18,
2003 to collaborate on research efforts. Although the deal itself is not particularly significant, it shows the close relations between Middle Eastern states. Ridh Amr, Iranian
Under Secretary of Energy, cited the strong relations between the two countries and emphasized the objective of “strengthening the relations between the two countries...to enhance ties among the Islamic countries.” (Amr, quoted by SPA)
The U.S. must realize that its actions have both positive and negative effects. U.S. businesses gain revenue by spearheading projects in Iraq, but in doing so, the U.S. sacrifices its nobility and integrity in international opinion. The U.S. unseated Saddam’s dictatorship from Iraq, but to rebuild the country, the U.S. commits itself to years of occupation and increasing debt. Although stocks are rallying, job reports are still dim and the value of the U.S. dollar is falling. Altogether, these factors indicate a weakening U.S. economy. To combat a weakening economy, the U.S. must readjust its practices to regain financial health.
The history of British occupation of Iraq from 1914 to 1958 should serve as a guide to the U.S. government. The U.S. aims to establish a stable, unified, democratic
Iraq while benefiting U.S. business interests. Similarly, Britain’s move was designed to protect British business interests in Iraq. Despite Britain’s attempts to stabilize Iraq however, Iraq experienced a major anti-British revolt in 1920, five tribal and nationalist uprisings in Kurdistan between 1919 and 1936, and Shi’i tribal rebellions in 1935-36.
The U.S. must also be prepared for a long and bumpy period of occupation in Iraq.
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The U.S.’s motivation in toppling Saddam has been questioned by nearly everybody in the world. If the U.S. truly had humanitarian ideals in mind, they must now prove it by making legitimate efforts to establish a strong democratic state in Iraq. As the
British experience teaches, the U.S. military will have a difficult time combating Iraqi nationalism. Correspondingly, the U.S. must allocate its budget to plan for a large investment into Iraq. Should the U.S. achieve its goals in Iraq, Bush will show the world that the U.S. is a dominant, yet benevolent superpower.
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Appendix A.
Ankara – Turkish Daily News. “Wholesale prices drop in May.”
<http://www.turkishdailynews.com/FrTDN/latest/econ.htm> Accessed 6/4/03.
Arraf, Jane and Harris Whitbeck. “War vote shatters Turkish markets.”
<www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/ 03/sprj.irq.turkey.markets/> Accessed 6/4/03.
Associated Press. “Rescue of Lynch met no resistance.”
<http://www.msnbc.com/news/919314.asp> Accessed on 6/4/2003.
Carlile, Jennifer, ed. “World Reax.” <http://www.msnbc.com/news/813860.asp>
Accessed on 5/20/03.
Churchill, Allen (ed). Eyewitness: Hitler . New York: Walker and Company, 1979.
Cowley, Geoffrey. “Our Bodies, Our Fears.” Newsweek, 2/24/03.
Eisenstadt, Michael and Eric Mathewson, editors. U.S. Policy in Post Saddam Iraq:
Lessons from the British Experience . Washington DC: The Washington Institute for Near
East Policy, 2003.
Elliot, Michael and James Carney. “First Stop, Iraq.” Time Magazine, 3/31/03.
Fest, Joachim. Speer: The Final Verdict . New York, Harcourt, Inc., 1999.
Fleishman, Jeffrey. “Attacks change life in Saudi Arabia.” < http://www.gulfnews.com/Articles/news.asp?ArticleID=88776> Accessed on 6/4/03.
Franklin, Nancy. “TV Goes to War.” The New Yorker Magazine, 3/31/03.
Kaplan, Fred. “Bully Bush.” <http://slate.msn.com/id/2079678> Accessed on 5/20/03.
Koppes, Clayton R. and Gregory D. Black. Hollywood Goes to War: How Politics,
Profits, and Propaganda Shaped World War II Movies . New York: The Free Press, 1987.
Lemann, Nicholas. “The Next World Order.” The New Yorker Magazine, 4/01/02.
Machtan, Lothar. The Hidden Hitler . New York: Basic Books, 2001.
Moran, Michael and Alex Johnson. “Oil: The Other Iraq War.”
<http://www.msnbc.com/news/823985.asp?Ocb=-115114700> Accessed on 5/20/03.
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Noah, Timothy. “Banning French Fries.” <http://slate.msn.com/id/2079975/> Accessed on 5/20/03.
Reifenstahl, Leni. Triumph of the Will . 1934
Remnick, David. “September 11, 2001.” The New Yorker Magazine, 9/24/01.
SPA. “Saudi, Iranian Companies Sign Cooperation Accord” < http://www.saudiaonline.com/business1.htm> Accessed on 6/4/03.
Speer, Albert. Inside the Third Reich . New York: The Macmillan Company, 1970.
Wyden, Peter. The Hitler Virus: The Insidious Legacy of Adolph Hitler . New York:
Arcade Publishing, 2001.
The Week Magazine. Volume 3 Issue 107. May 30, 2003.
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Appendix B. Slides from Powerpoint presentation
Slide 1
Slide 2
The Growing Paradigm of U.S. Imperialism
Lauren W. Chan
Slide 3
 Bush and Hitler employ opportunistic moves to gain power www.chemtrailcentral.com/ubb/ Forum6/HTML/000546-6.html
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Slide 4
Slide 5
Germany U.S.
Source of Power

9/11

Reichstag fire
Propaganda

Glorification of military

Glorification of Aryans
Destruction of World Organizations

United Nations

League of Nations
Attack Mechanisms

Shock and awe

Blitzkrieg
U.S. propaganda also fear through terror alerts
Slide 6
Russia
France maine.indymedia.org/ search-process.php3?medium=image
China
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Slide 7

Playing cards

Video Games
 “Freedom” Fries
Slide 8 radio.boisestate.edu/.../otherprojec ts/ potato/fries.htm www.telegraph.co.uk/.../news/ 2001/01/18/wirq18.xml
Video games: Gulf
War Simulator,
Quest for Saddam
Slide 9
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Slide 10
Slide 11
Slide 12

Gulf War II signals a new era of aggressive
U.S. foreign policy.
www.britains-smallwars.com/ gulf/land.html
“Now is our time to step up and take the lead.”
- Condoleeza Rice,
National Security
Advisor
Iraqi dinar soaring against U.S. dollar
Millions of U.S. dollars to rebuild and stablize Iraq
U.S. companies compete for piece of Iraq business:
Halliburton, Schlumberger,
Weatherford, Baker Hughes,
Fluour
Increasing U.S. debt
Bechtel appointed to rebuild
Iraq (estimated at $680M)
Weakening U.S. economy U.S. viewed as vultures
Mediate
Israel/Palestine conflict
Monitor North
Korea’s warheads
Monitor Iran’s warheads
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