by Isaac Madengu Mangatu

Created on: July 02, 2010

With power comes responsibility, no one and no nation should be exempt from bearing its responsibility during or after a war. While an army follows rules of engagement during war times, the Government has to ensure that the civilian side of matters are addressed at some point.

There is no doubt that America and its Allies messed up by going into Iraq, it is even more shocking that the question should be asked on what responsibility the US have is solving the refugee crisis. We might applaud the situation now and it might be good that Saddam is no longer the leader of Iraq but the basis of invasion was wrong and so the US should be at the fore-front to making sure that people who were displaced have some where to call home.

War has causalties we know, we can move on and pretend as if all is okay when the war was legit but when the war was ill advised and not called for, we need those in power to at least make it right for the people they cause to be displaced and those who become refugees because of the war.

The US has a right to protect herself and when provoked there is nothing wrong with retaliation but there is everything wrong with waging an illegitimate war and walking away as if all if okay. We know the debates that transpired in Congress, we know of the reason that was given for the war and the truth about that reason and now more than ever we know that they are refugees and they need assistance. The Iraq Government is new, they have very little mandate to rule in their nation and it will take a few years to get everything working as it should. We also hope and pray that the Iraq Government is not like the Afghanistan Government and is really focused on the people not their own pockets, however, now is the time for America to step up to the plate and help with solutions to the refugee crisis in Iraq.

I know many people were mislead and feel betrayed by the American Government under President Bush but that is all in the past, the future has to be addressed from where we stand. The refugee crisis is real and in the present tense not in the paste and America has to channel her resources to helping out in one way or the other. Providing assistance to Iraq refugees will not make things right for America but it will make a difference for the refugees and sure is the right thing to do. This is not a question of redemption but an issue of doing the morally right thing to do.

The refugees are in the position they are in because of the war and  I know this has been said one too many times but the war should have never been so it is only right that the US step up to the plate. It is more than the right thing to do, it is the only thing to do for the people of Iraq. Saddam was bad but why should the people be displaced because of that, before the invasion of Iraq these refugees had some sort of accommodation, returning this life to them is all that the US can do considering the devastation they caused.

Iraq will take years to restore its infrustrature but the refugees do not need to wait for years for their lives to be restored. It si an urgent and now matter which the US should make a prriority the same way they made the invasion a priority.

Learn more about this author, Isaac Madengu Mangatu.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.