Rereading the American occupation of Iraq (2003) in light of the experiences of neo-colonialism: A comparative historical study

Abstract

The US occupation of Iraq in 2003 is a pivotal event in the history of the modern Middle East. It was not merely a military operation to overthrow the former regime, but rather constituted a new phase of major power dominance within what is known as neocolonialism. Therefore, this research aims to re-read the US occupation of Iraq (2003) in light of the experiences of neocolonialism. A comparative historical study, and in order to achieve this goal we relied on the use of the descriptive analytical comparative method, which helps in arriving at results and recommendations on the subject of reading the American occupation of Iraq (2003) in light of the experiences of neo-colonialism. The study reached many results, including despite the justification of the American invasion by destroying weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and combating terrorism, Given the lack of conclusive evidence linking Iraq to al-Qaeda, which confirms the existence of other objectives behind the military intervention, and the occupation's dismantling of the Iraqi state, paving the way for escalating chaos and sectarian violence, the study recommends that international institutions reassess international military intervention policies to ensure respect for state sovereignty and prevent illegitimate intervention.