The history of the United States has undergone many changes in the past 500 years. We have gone from being a nation governed by a hierarchy in a faraway land, to being a republic governed by the people living in it. We have experienced monarchy and we are now experiencing democracy. We have had our share of wars and political conflicts right here in our homeland. We have also been part of political conflicts elsewhere in the world. The question in everyone's mind seems to be...why are we going to war elsewhere in the world? Do we not have enough problems trying to survive as a nation that we have to seek bigger thrills in faraway lands? Why did we go to war with Iraq? Was it because of 9/11? Not necessarily. It seems like U.S. government had been planning to engage Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries in battle for quite some time prior to the events of September 11, 2001.
             The following is a compilation of this team's research into the above questions. The information gathered by methods of research explored in class, together with polls taken both here in the United States and abroad, will provide an interesting point of view into the conflict's purpose, its effect in society as a whole, as well as a preview into the new Iraq post-conflict.
             Long before September 11, 2001, the hierarchy in the U.S. Department of Defense had been having heated discussions about the direction in which the Defense Department was headed as far as a strategy. The never-ending arms race around the world seemed to have intensified in recent years, with the U.S. seeking out those countries in possession of "WMD" (Weapons of Mass Destruction"). Several terrorist attacks ensued against the United States prior to September 11, 2001, thus confirming the direction and planning principles that were subsequently developed by the Department of Defense. Many believe that the main reason for going to war with Iraq wa...