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In 1973, Richard Nixon made a speech promising to end the Vietnam war and bring peace but “Peace with Honor”. He never achieved his peace let alone the honor but he caused thousands of lives to perish while pursuing this goal. The peace came two years later during the Ford administration but not the honor.

Fast forward 35 years and a similar war mongering government is stuck in the same conundrum and they are desperately clambering to achieve their goal of “Peace with Honor” but there is no gleaming light at the end of this labyrinth beaconing success. What is this “Peace with Honor” they chant about that both administration failed so miserably to achieve? What is the peace? What is the Honor ? To answer this question, one needs to look at the history of American foreign policy for the past fifty something years. In the heart of American foreign policy towards any nations lies the fundamental principle of coercing other nations militarily or economically to capitulate to American interests. Henry Kissinger, the infamous war criminal who served under the Nixon administration and who sometimes has a problem of bellowing U.S government sentiments towards other countries once clamored that “America does not have friends. We only have interests”. To secure those interests, He was not one iota reluctant in unleashing the military he once described as: “Military men are just dumb stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy.”

For both administrations “Peace” must have meant entrhoning a stable puppet government, totalitarian or not that waits on orders from Washington when to stand, when to sit and when to rollover. The “Honor”, must be valiant troops crushing the enemy and making them submit to the U.S installed government. This “Peace with Honor” has failed in Vietnam and is failing in Iraq.

To understand the Iraq war and its current situation it is important to understand the primary objectives of the U.S and the intricacies surrounding it that is hindering their success. It is critical to scour through the history of Iraq which is a complex weave of religious and sects patchworks. It is also key to recognize that Iraq is rich in natural resources primarily their tremndous oil reserves which ranks next to Saudi Arabia in quantity. Oil is Oil but Iraqi Oil is more valuable than the rest. What makes Iraqi Oil more valuable and vigorously sought out by the Oil companies that are unrelentlessly extending their claws to get a piece of it is it’s high grade quality. The high content of carbon and low presence of sulfur in Iraqi Oil reserves contributes to an inexpensive refinery process that produces a high grade oil. The huge Oil reserves complimented by its high quality and cheap processing cost make Iraqi oil the most coveted commodity in the world.

In the course of Iraqi history, a major portion of these oil fields were once controlled by large U.S and U.K companies until the 1972 nationalization of the Iraqi Petroleum Corporation. A series of events occurred in Iraq between 1972 and 1991 through which relations between Iraq and U.S could best be described as lukewarm. This relation, based on mutual interest and ideology was to be severed by the 1991 gulf war and never to be amended from then. The broken tie between U.S led to the imposition of heavy economic embargo on Iraq through the U.S proxy the U.N. It was during this period of economic struggle that Iraq underwent the gradual process of denationalizing their Oil fields and a swarm of clients mainly France, Russia, China and other countries signed up for huge contracts on these highly craved oil fields. These contracts were to be effective once the U.N sanctioned embargo was lifted or expired. Throughout these whole scramble for Iraqi oil fields, U.S and U.K companies were stiff armed and left standing on the sideline as the lascivious spectators since they stood against Saddam and his Baathist government. Therein lies the utmost provocation of their interest, the national interest or corporate interest where billions is spent and scores of human lives are shed to control this treasure. The empty mantras of WMD, exterminating Al-Qaeda and liberation of Iraqi people were all cloaks of different color to veil the true agenda of this administration.

Whether the control of Iraqi oil fields as a matter of U.S national interest or just corporate interest is a highly debatable subject. I can easily build a case that Oil companies have little disregard to the publics concern and this topic of Iraqi oil barely passes as a national interest but a pure corporate interest pursued through the money and lives of the American public. However, even if this topic passes as a valid national interest the strategy employed to secure it will go down in history as the most ill-conceived and grossly mismanaged blunders of our time. The blame does not lie on just Bush, Cheney and their infamous gang. The list includes the Bidens, the Clintons, the Kerries and many more senators and representatives who voted for the war and some of who are currently trying to wash off their hands on Bushes coattails.

The strategy devised to topple over Saddam, the only barrier standing between the U.S and their interests was flawed in many ways. I hate to give a man like Henry Kissinger credit for an effective treacherous work but if the U.S was going to dust up his playbook and employ it then they at least have the immoral obligation of following it all the way through. Henry Kissinger’s play book which finds its root in Machiavelli’s book “The Prince”, emphasized on swiftness and effectiveness when undertaking cruel actions. Kissinger’s swift and effective clandestine operations in Chile and East Timor goes down as a prime testament of an efficacious Machiavellian scheme if we were to keep a blind eye on the heart wrenching villany involved. However, the current administration failed to follow through these priniciples as they were torn between the justifications of a devious plan dressed in a moral act and a corporate interest masked as national interest. Instead, they rather stroke a long war without an end in near sight and a dismal failure at every point.

Current political climate in Iraq is highly volatile and the Maliki government has no way of retaining power after the U.S troops evacuate. And they will evacuate because the cost of this war is now knocking on the front door of the American public. Hence, once the U.S troops leave, Power would be up for grabs and there is no way to tell if one Militia sect will be a victor over the others to create a stable Iraqi govt or If Iraq would go on to become the next Somalia. However, one thing is clear after U.S troops withdrawal. Just like the French, Chinese and Russian oil companies contracts were dissolved when Saddam was overthrown so will the U.S and U.K oil companies contract once Maliki or the next U.S installed government is overthrown. The inevitability that lies ahead of this complexity.

In the end, would the “Peace with Honor” once again evade the grasps of this administration ? Inorder to grasp this goal before its long gone, the first and foremost thing that needs to be done is the government to re-define the meaning of the phrase itself. The “Peace” needs to be the molding of a stable Iraqi government which stands to serve Iraqi interest not U.S corporate interests. It needs to be the creation of a safe and prosperous environment for the Iraqi people where they don’t have to fear of being shelled or blown apart by U.S or insurgent attacks. The “Honor” needs to be in bringing those soldiers back and giving apology for deceiving them into sacrificing their lifes for some corporations interest and not American interest. It needs to be providing them the utmost medical attention especially those affected psychologicall through PTSD (Post trauma Stress Disorder). It needs to be the assistance of these soldiers at every point so as they can continue their life as normally as possible. Thats a “Peace with Honor” that is within reach of this or the next U.S government.