The two American presidents, George W. Bush and his immediate predecessor Barrack Obama displayed various clear points of similarities and differences during their tenures. This paper seeks to analyze the various similarities and differences between the two presidents in regard to their ideologies on foreign policy.
Obama and Bush displayed a similar approach in the fight against terrorism across the whole world. George Bush in 2002 declared anti- terrorism war on Al-Qaeda following the terrorist attack on the US. In the pursuit of his “preemptive action” against the nations that would threaten its security, Bush launched a US military invasion on Iraq and followed the ousting of Saddam Hussein from power. Obama in turn when he ascended to power, he managed to end the war in Iraq but in 2011 supported the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. In the same year, he footed the operation to eliminate the Al-Qaeda terrorist, Osama bin Laden. Despite the common strategy to fight and stop terrorism across the world, both presidents differed on the Iraq’s case. The fight against external aggression and terrorism in general by both presidential reigns was founded on their determinations to maintain safety for the Americans. Both presidents however differed in their policy in regard to the deployment and retention of US military in Iraq. While Bush was keen to deploy more soldiers in Iraq, Obama expressed and actualized his plan to end the war in Iraq and invest in resolving the challenges that had encumbered the country. While Bush advocated for the stay of US military in Iraq, Obama pushed for the exit of the US military from Iraq and thus the war came to an end. In regard to the US security policies, both presidents were focused to “the prevention of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the fight against terror aggression” (Adams)
Both American presidents shared the idea of supporting and expanding free trade. They have both been accredited for the continued involvement of the country in multiple trade agreements such as the EU and Commonwealth as a means of ensuring integration in the era of massive globalization.
Both presidents’ ideologies in regard to the nuclear power and the underlying threats posed by the same to the entire world have also been different. While Obama and his administration have expressed a sharp focus on reducing and getting rid of all nuclear weapons in the entire globe, Bush was reluctant to fight against nuclear weapons and had withdrawn from the Anti- Ballistic Missile treaty. In his pursuit for ending the manufacture and use of nuclear weapons, Obama sought to prevent the acquisition of such weapons by the terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda and Taliban. His commitment to stop the advancement of nuclear weaponry was evidenced when he suggested a negotiation pact with Russia to reduce nuclear weapons and also ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. ("George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and the Future of U.S. Global Leadership")
Obama has all along been focused on the foundation and strengthening of ties and relationships with the rest of the world as a global strategy to meet any problems that could arise in the future. During the tenure of Bush, America’s foreign policy in regard to the rest of the world was characterized by continuous and repetitive tensions between the US and other countries such as China and Korea.
What motivated Bush to invade Iraq?
The entry of America into Iraq was a decision informed by multiple factors that the Bush administration saw as sufficient justifiers for launching warfare on the Iraqi land. Bush administration had accused Saddam Hussein for continued support and funding for terrorists after the 1991 Gulf war. The terrorist activities had caused numerous deaths for people in Iraq, her neighbors and the entire world. In a bid to further his commitment to fight global terrorism, Bush sought to attack Iraq in 2003 so as to bring to an end to Saddam Hussein’s rule which was being accused of sponsoring terrorism.
The rapid victory in Afghanistan which preceded 9/11 also motivated the US to enter Iraq in 2003. The victory had brought to an end the rule of Taliban in the country and facilitated a smooth takeover and the ascension of Hamid Karzai to presidency. The US was motivated that the case of Iraq would be an easy overhaul to the existing terrorist rule, and put in place proper governance.
The media, the public and the two houses of the congress in the US had endorsed the proposal for Bush to intervene in the Iraq to remove Saddam from power. It is estimated that at least 70% of the American citizens supported the war at Iraq when it started. Bush also sought an approval from the UN to oust Saddam Hussein from power. (Farley)
The issue of oil in Iraq was another reason that motivated Bush to invade Iraq. This however does not mean that the US wanted to exploit the oil in Iraq as evidenced by the developments initiated by the US after the war in Iraq. Bush sought to cut the lucrative revenues that Saddam derived from the oil business and applied the money to undermine any internal uprising or opposition as well as the international resolutions like those made by the UN.
Bush also had the plan to enter and take a frontline position to restructure the country’s structures. Iraq had never been stable since 1991 and so there had never existed national stability for the years and US sought to assist by any possible means to create a stable and democratic government that could terminate the injustices committed by Saddam as well as terminate the support for terrorism by other leaderships in the gulf, Iraq included.
The threat posed by weapons of mass destruction was another motivation for Bush to invade Iraq. Following previous attacks and such attempts on America and other parts of the world, Bush and his administration believed that a termination to the threat of WMD’s would reduce their worries over security all over the world. A termination of the threats posed by the use of WMD’s would render any form of insurgency powerless. (Davis)
What motivated Obama to withdraw troops from Iraq?
The entry of the US military into Iraq in 2003 and the intensification of warfare in the country over the years, the conditions in both countries kept on changing and that triggered the withdrawal of the forces in 2011. Several reasons led to the decision to withdraw the troops:
The American public opinion that had majorly supported the invasion had gradually changed and resented the presence of their troops in Iraq. The war had caused many deaths for both Iranians and American soldiers. By 2007, 55% of the population believed that the decision to invade Iraq was a mistake and favored the removal of the troops from Iraq. The war had also caused undue suffering to the vulnerable populations such as women and children who often became victims of tragedies they never initiated. The invasion had also adversely affected the reputation for America internationally. Obama sought to regain the lost prestige and reputation. (Eland)
Maintaining the troops in Iraq had proved to be a costly affair for the US. It was estimated to have cost a minimum of $ 2 trillion. The funds “wasted” in the war could have been used in some productive activities in the US and could avert the economic crises which befall them. America also lost a lot of military officials, over 4000 and that could de-motivate the rest of the force.
American invasion and occupation in Iraq was also globally blamed for the increased rates of insurgency and terrorist attacks. The supporters of Saddam Hussein and his terrorist funded groups engaged in serial attacks targeting the US and her supporters. It was therefore evident that the presence of America in Iraqi caused more damage than any good that Bush had imagined at the time of launching the invasion.
The US was wrong in assuming that the situation in Iraq would be as easy and smooth like that of Afghanistan but it turned the opposite. The US forces in Iraq met a strong resistance despite their military might, a reason that contributed to the long war period. Obama in 2009 had written about his resentment for the war at Iraq even before it began and he made his promise real to bring the war to an end. He sought to withdraw the troops from Iraq the soonest possible at the least possible risk of harm to the two countries. ("Sudbury Democratic Town Committee")
Works Cited
Adams, Gordon. "The Iran Long Game: Bush Vs. Obama". Foreign Policy. N.p., 2016. Web. 10 May 2016.
"George W. Bush, Barack Obama, And The Future Of U.S. Global Leadership". Council on Foreign Relations. N.p., 2012. Web. 10 May 2016.
Davis, Victor. "Why Did We Invade Iraq?". National Review Online. N.p., 2013. Web. 10 May 2016.
"Sudbury Democratic Town Committee". Sudburydemocrats.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 10 May 2016.
Eland, Ivan. "Obama Iraq Withdrawal". Huffingtonpost.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 10 May 2016.
Farley, Robert. "The Ultimate 'What If': A World Where America Never Invaded Iraq". The National Interest. N.p., 2015. Web. 10 May 2016.
