George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 353

< 352 >

***

The grand strategy of East Iraq was simple: devour Kuwait while suppressing the heretical Kurds, whom they fundamentally rejected. Each faction pursued its own agenda as foreign powers, once dominant in the Middle East, withdrew.

To anyone paying attention, the timing seemed perfect. Indeed, opportunity knocked. Rarely had such a chance presented itself. Countries worldwide had been expanding their militaries, and East Iraq was, in reality, a monstrous terrorist haven. Its economy was virtually nonexistent.

If one were to analyze their economy, it resembled a bizarre form of aid-based sustenance. Domestic production couldn’t achieve self-sufficiency, let alone generate exports, so bartering was the norm. Without a functioning currency, a true economy was impossible. Of course, a black market thrived.

However, engaging in black market activities would, according to their twisted interpretation of Islamic law, send anyone caught straight to hell. The sole reason this quasi-state persisted was the external support it received from terrorist organizations.

That’s not to say they had no exports. They systematically cultivated and supplied drugs to the world. The profits were initially substantial, leading them to consider expanding their operations, but then the global price of drugs plummeted.

Thus, to sustain the country and expand its military, they desperately needed more funds, and the small, oil-rich nation to their south, Kuwait, was a tempting target.

The question of why extreme pseudo-Islamic fundamentalists, who ostensibly rejected even electricity, needed and drilled for oil can be answered by acknowledging the inherent contradictions within human nature. Justifications could always be fabricated as needed.

For example, ‘We only desire peace, but the world is unsafe, so we require minimal means of self-defense, and that self-defense consumes oil.’

Regardless of the validity of their reasoning, the answer was clearly no. A similar war had occurred before, hadn’t it? The war triggered by Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. Coincidentally, the participating countries and the overall scope were remarkably similar.

Even the United States was led by George W. Bush, the son of George H.W. Bush, the president who resolved the Gulf War. This time around, Bush Jr. was managing the Second Gulf War.

The key difference was that the primary adversary was a fractured Iraq.

The United States was utterly serious. They had been patiently preparing, waiting for the opportune moment to strike East Iraq. Consequently, they approached the conflict with the same meticulousness as the original Gulf War.

Evidence of this commitment was the deployment of three carrier strike groups against a single nation. With each carrier strike group possessing the equivalent firepower of a national air force, the fight for air superiority was essentially nonexistent. The Persian Gulf effectively became the United States’ personal playground as long as those carrier strike groups remained stationed there.

However, the initial strategy hinged on Saudi Arabia pressuring or actively participating against East Iraq. As the oil war strained their already tenuous relationship, this prospect faded.

While they hadn’t counted on Saudi Arabia’s assistance, its absence necessitated the deployment of additional US troops. They had always intended to form a multinational coalition, but Saudi Arabia’s withdrawal left a significant void.

To compensate, they enlisted Afghanistan and South Korea. Israel, preoccupied with border skirmishes and internal issues with Palestine (with whom they had recently brokered a truce), was deliberately excluded, a decision Israel accepted without protest.

West Iraq, eager to reunify Iraq, was drawing up troops, but its military was weakened by the recent coup, making it difficult to even secure the border, let alone conduct offensive operations.

Despite the limited number of participating countries, the outcome of the war remained unchanged.

Within three hours of the United States’ declaration of war, the East Iraqi forces that had invaded Kuwait disintegrated. Overwhelmed by superior firepower, they lost cohesion and scattered.

The Afghan army, supported by East Iraq Turkey, advanced from the north, attempting a land grab. The Afghan army’s armored units, thoroughly trained in American-style mobile warfare, encountered numerous tactical challenges.

Mirroring the US military’s past experiences, the armored forces advanced so rapidly with overwhelming firepower that the infantry couldn’t keep pace. Even when the armored units crushed all encountered enemies, new combatants filled the void, forcing the infantry to engage in battles without armored support.

Predictably, these engagements did not go well. However, the US Marines advancing from Kuwait and the air support that had secured air supremacy in the Middle East salvaged the situation.

By the time the hastily dispatched Korean army arrived in the Persian Gulf, the main force of East Iraq had already been routed. However, the war was far from over; it had merely devolved into a protracted quagmire. This was due to the fundamental nature of East Iraq.

Being a collection of terrorist groups rather than a unified army, they were more adept at dispersing than holding their ground. They had essentially reverted to their original state.

Their primary tactic was guerrilla warfare, a constant nuisance for occupying forces seeking to control the territory.

Every available vehicle was converted into a technical [improvised fighting vehicle], and everyday household items were transformed into deadly bombs.

Did this inflict significant damage on the US military and the multinational forces? Not really. The only weapon that posed a real threat was the Scud missile, a relic from Iraq’s past, but even those were consistently intercepted.

“I can see that super-giant mosque they’re building in the distance.”

One of the reasons East Iraq coveted Kuwait’s crude oil, despite possessing its own oil fields and drilling facilities, was simple: they lacked the funds to complete the mosque. They envisioned it as the Mecca of a new era, a structure befitting that status.

The result was a monstrous edifice, 1.2km long and 400m high, the largest on Earth. Constructed from reinforced concrete, it resembled the infamous Ryugyong Hotel [a large, unfinished pyramid-shaped hotel in North Korea].

“It’s collapsing just as spectacularly as it was huge.”

And now, it was reduced to dust, courtesy of a Tomahawk missile, a weapon known to silence even crying children. It had been considered one of the ugliest buildings in the world, alongside the Ryugyong Hotel, but no longer.

Look at that magnificent destruction! Who would dare call a mosque undergoing such a beautiful explosion the ugliest building in the world?

The US military didn’t destroy the mosque on a whim. Whether it was due to its symbolism, regret over the invested capital, or the expectation that it would serve as a massive air-raid shelter, the reason remains unclear. What mattered was that approximately 15,000 East Iraqi troops were stationed inside, seemingly determined to defend only the mosque.

In any case, it didn’t take long for East Iraq to transition from an existing country to a former one.

Ironically, while the residents were expected to rejoice, not everyone did.

Some prioritized their faith even while being exploited. Even if that faith was misguided, such individuals existed. Had it been only a few isolated cases, they would have been dismissed. Even complaints or protests would have been considered unusual but tolerable.

However, suicide bombings were a problem that couldn’t be ignored with mere sentimentality. Hadn’t Bush emphasized that post-war management was more crucial than the war itself? The US military was experiencing all the challenges faced by an occupying force.

It took about a week to secure all of East Iraq, thanks to the combined efforts of Kuwaiti and West Iraqi forces. However, West Iraq only deployed troops after the fighting had ceased, focusing solely on maintaining security.

But maintaining security was impossible with a collapsed military, and they exhibited all the negative traits associated with a force lacking discipline.

The US military also faced its own challenges. With the war concluded, it was time to hand over responsibility and gradually withdraw.

The problem was deciding which country to entrust with this responsibility. West Iraq lacked the capacity, and handing it over to any country other than West Iraq seemed inappropriate. Entrusting it to the Korean or Afghan army was equally strange, especially since the Korean army seemed reluctant to participate from the outset and was preparing to return.

“I hate war for this reason.”

Bush muttered while reading the report, then sighed deeply. The chief of staff, observing the scene, responded to the muttering.

“Everything from A to Z is a pain. The only people who enjoy war are those war maniacs desperate for promotion. But if it’s necessary, we have to do it, right? Like this time.”

The report contained numerous troublesome issues.

“It’s a string of sausages.”

What kind of country was East Iraq? Wasn’t it a haven for terrorists? Naturally, some terrorists fled as soon as the war began, but others remained. And many of those who stayed were wanted criminals affiliated with powerful figures.

And they were either captured or killed in action by the US military.

“Isn’t this a jackpot?”

“Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. This man is the most problematic.”

“Isn’t he just another terrorist leader?”

The only noteworthy detail in the report was that he had burns all over his body. This was the primary means of identifying him as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, as he himself claimed.

“No, well, that’s true.”

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was none other than the future leader of ISIL [Islamic State of Iraq and Levant]. But at this point, he was merely the head of a terrorist group operating in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam and the Philippines. This complicated Bush’s thoughts.

‘If I had waited a little longer, East Iraq might have grown into a stronger force.’

But that thought was fleeting. He quickly concluded that it was fortunate to have suppressed it early.

‘Now, is it Africa?’

Bush turned his attention to Africa, which was experiencing its own turmoil.