Eli5: how did America actually destabilize the Middle East in the Iraq war? What was done specifically that caused all of the chaos in the countries we were involved in?
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This question is too vague for all the nuances involved. The region’s history, politics and the missteps made by the US ALL contributed equally to destabilizing the area.
1. Thousands of years of inter family, inter tribal and inter religious differences have left lasting marks that transcend territorial borders and allegiances. Whether the schism that took shape after the passing of Mohammed that created Shia and Sunni religious sects or whatever offshoots from them, brought a destabilizing factor to the Middle East.
2. Politics is largely a family affair since the times of antiquities. The rich got richer either from exploiting natural resources or religious animosity. The clans, tribes and general populace have LONG memories.
3. One of the biggest mistakes that the US led coalition made in my opinion is the complete dismantling of the Iraqi National Army and police. Without a known, respected and feared civil apparatus already in place, we set the conditions for civil unrest and the possibility of chaos in a vacuum to occur.
There are so many more factors that come into play here at the micro and macro level that this simple question would take up volumes of texts to even begin addressing the myriad issues that set the conditions.
For what it’s worth, MY opinion is that we shouldn’t have gotten into this quagmire and yet, we would’ve had to eventually deal with if not Saddam, either one of his successor sons Uday or Qusay. Those two were psychopaths
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