The Bush Doctrine And The Iraq War

Within his first six months as US President, George W. Bush had incurred criticism abroad and at home for his isolationist policy. He denounced Bill Clinton's policy of global engagement, pursued military build-up, and extricated the US from a host of widely accepted international treaties.The September 11th terrorist attacks marked a turning point in the US foreign policy. The Bush administration dropped its isolationist stance and managed to assemble some sort of international coalition in its most bloody war against terrorism. America's victory in Afghanistan turned out to be a catalyst to its unilateralism. Bush came up with what was to be called the Bush Doctrine, which declared that the US was ready for a preemptive military action against terrorists that threatened its security, unilaterally, if necessary. It also stated that the US would pursue global military superiority beyond challenge. The adoption of the belligerent policy is a clear indication that the hawkish neoconservative group has occupied the central place on the US political stage following the 9/11.The Bush Doctrine was first put into practice in Iraq. March 2003 witnessed US military operations against a sovereign country under the pretext of its possession and threat of use of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). However, the war is widely acknowledged as violating the international law for lack of UN authorization. In fact, no evidence has been presented so far on the Iraqi possession of WMDs, and the right of self-defense has proved to be nothing but an excuse for war with ulterior motives.Although one year has passed since Bush announced the conclusion of major combat operations in Iraq, the war is still far from over. A post-Saddam wave of anti-US guerrilla warfare has broken out. Obviously, what the war brings is not peace, but regional instability and a quagmire for the United States of America.