Why did Australia become involved in the war in Iraq and what have been some of the consequences of this?

Essay by themiserychickHigh School, 10th gradeA+, October 2004

download word file, 4 pages 3.9

On the 19th of March, 2003, George W Bush the President of the United States of America declared war on Iraq. With the previously declared support of Australian Prime Minister John Howard and British Prime Minister Tony Blair he formed the 'Coalition of the Willing' to attempt to disarm Iraq of 'Weapons of Mass Destruction' it allegedly possessed. The actions of the government and their show of support for America caused a heartfelt reaction from the Australian people, with strong cases both for and against the war put forward. The fighting in Iraq, which still continues to this day has had a dramatic effect on world security, with the effects of the removal of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein nullified by an increased threat of terrorism around the globe.

In the months leading up to the election the United States government became increasingly concerned about weapons of mass destruction they believed were possessed by Saddam Hussein and his government.

These weapons, which include chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons would have the potential to cause major harm if they were ever unleashed. Prior to the war, the United Nations had weapons inspectors deployed to Iraq to search for evidence of these alleged weapons, but none were found. Despite this the US government still went to war, without the backing of the United Nations, citing the presence of weapons of mass destruction as their key reason for going to war. This reason was also given by John Howard as the reason for involving Australia in the war. As the war progressed it became increasingly obvious that weapons would not be found in Iraq. To save face George W Bush used the removal of Saddam Hussein and the resulting 'liberation' of the Iraqi people to justify the war. John Howard again followed suit, using...