Name:_____________________________________________ Date:_________________ Assignment #____
Iraq War Primary Sources
Directions: Read the following excerpts and complete the analysis handout that follows.
Primary Source #1: Statement by President George W. Bush on the U.S. Occupation of Iraq
(Source: New York Times, September 14, 2007, p. A8)
"In Iraq, an ally of the United States is fighting for its survival. Terrorists and extremists who are at war with us
around the world are seeking to topple Iraq's government, dominate the region and attack us here at home. If Iraq's
young democracy can turn back these enemies, it will mean a more hopeful Middle East and a more secure
America.
This ally has placed its trust in the United States, and tonight our moral and strategic imperatives are one. We must
help Iraq defeat those who threaten its future and also threaten ours. Eight months ago, we adopted a new strategy
to meet that objective, including a surge in U.S. forces that reached full strength in June. This week General David
Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker testified before Congress about how that strategy is progressing. In their
testimony, these men made clear that our challenge in Iraq is formidable. Yet they concluded that conditions in
Iraq are improving, that we are seizing the initiative from the enemy, and that the troop surge is working.
The premise of our strategy is that securing the Iraqi population is the foundation for all other progress . . . The
goal of the surge is to provide that security and to help prepare Iraqi forces to maintain it . . . Our troops in Iraq are
performing brilliantly. Along with the Iraqi forces, they have captured or killed an average of more than 1,500
enemy fighters per month since January. Yet ultimately, the way forward depends on the ability of Iraqis to
maintain security gains. According to General Petraeus and a panel chaired by retired General Jim Jones, the Iraqi
army is becoming more capable, although there is still a great deal of work to be done to improve the national
police. Iraqi forces are receiving increased cooperation from local populations, and this is improving their ability to
hold areas that have been cleared. Because of this success, General Petraeus believes we have now reached the
point where we can maintain our security gains with fewer American forces . . . General Petraeus also recommends
that in December we begin transitioning to the next phase of our strategy in Iraq. As terrorists are defeated, civil
society takes root and the Iraqis assume more control over their own security, our mission in Iraq will evolve. Over
time, our troops will shift from leading operations, to partnering with Iraqi forces, and eventually to overwatching
those forces. As this transition in our mission takes place, our troops will focus on a more limited set of tasks,
including counterterrorism operations and training, equipping, and supporting Iraqi forces . . .
The success of a free Iraq is critical to the security of the United States. A free Iraq will deny al Qaeda a safe
haven. A free Iraq will counter the destructive ambitions of Iran. A free Iraq will marginalize extremists, unleash
the talent of its people and be an anchor of stability in the region. A free Iraq will set an example for people across
the Middle East. A free Iraq will be our partner in the fight against terror, and that will make us safer here at home.
Realizing this vision will be difficult, but it is achievable. Our military commanders believe we can succeed. Our
diplomats believe we can succeed. And for the safety of future generations of Americans, we must succeed."
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Primary Source #2: Excerpts from a New York Times opinion essay written by seven U.S. soldiers who
served in Iraq. None of the seven were officers.
(Source: "The War As We Saw It" by Buddhika Jayamaha, Wesley D. Smith, Jeremy Roebuck, Omar Mora,
Edward Sandmeier, Yance T. Gray and Jeremy A. Murphy, New York Times, August 19, 2007).
"To believe that Americans, with an occupying force that long ago outlived its reluctant welcome, can win over a
recalcitrant [unruly] local population and win this counterinsurgency is far-fetched. As responsible infantrymen
and noncommissioned officers with the 82nd Airborne Division soon heading back home, we are skeptical of
recent press coverage portraying the conflict as increasingly manageable and feel it has neglected the mounting
civil, political and social unrest we see every day.
The claim that we are increasingly in control of the battlefields in Iraq is an assessment arrived at through a flawed,
American-centered framework. Yes, we are militarily superior, but our successes are offset by failures elsewhere . .
. This situation is made more complex by the questionable loyalties and Janus-faced role of the Iraqi police and
Iraqi Army, which have been trained and armed at United States taxpayers' expense . . . We operate in a
bewildering context of determined enemies and questionable allies, one where the balance of forces on the ground
remains entirely unclear . . .
Political reconciliation in Iraq will occur, but not at our insistence or in ways that meet our benchmarks . . . We
need to recognize that our presence may have released Iraqis from the grip of a tyrant, but that it has also robbed
them of their self-respect. They will soon realize that the best way to regain dignity is to call us what we are - an
army of occupation - and force our withdrawal."
Primary Source #3: President-Elect Barack Obama’s View on Iraq from the first 2008 Presidential Debate:
9/26/08
Question: What do you see as the lessons of Iraq?
Obama: “I think the first question is whether we should have gone into the war in the first place. Six years ago, I
opposed this war because I said that not only did we not know how much it was going to cost, what our exit
strategy might be, how it would affect our relationships around the world, & whether our intelligence was sound,
but also because we hadn't caught bin Laden. We hadn't put al Qaeda to rest, & as a consequence, I thought that it
was going to be a distraction. I wish I had been wrong. We've spent over $600 billion so far. We have lost over
4,000 lives. We have seen 30,000 wounded, and al Qaeda is stronger now than at any time since 2001. We are still
spending $10 billion a month at a time when we are in great distress here at home. The lesson is we should never
hesitate to use military force, & I will not, as president, in order to keep the American people safe. But we have to
use our military wisely. We did not use our military wisely in Iraq.”
And at the 2008 Democratic National Convention:
“As Commander-in-Chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's
way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and
benefits they deserve when they come home. I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al
Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the
tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression. I will
build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and
genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing, so that America is once again that
last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a
better future.”
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Primary Source #1
Title of Document (if available):____________________________________________________________________
Type of Document
Author of Document
(Is the document a letter, an article, an advertisement, a
(Who wrote the document?)
political cartoon, or a government piece?)
Date and Source of Document
(When was the document created? Where was it created?)
Style of Document
(What is unique or unusual about the language used in the
document? What is the tone of the document?)
Main Idea of Document
(What is the main or essential point?)
Impact of Document:
(What feelings does the document bring up in you, the
reader?)
Primary Source #2
Title of Document (if available):____________________________________________________________________
Type of Document
Author of Document
(Is the document a letter, an article, an advertisement, a
(Who wrote the document?)
political cartoon, or a government piece?)
Date and Source of Document
(When was the document created? Where was it created?)
Style of Document
(What is unique or unusual about the language used in the
document? What is the tone of the document?)
Main Idea of Document
(What is the main or essential point?)
Impact of Document:
(What feelings does the document bring up in you, the
reader?)
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Name:_______________________________________________ Date:____________________________
Iraq War Primary Source Analysis
Common Core Objectives:
R.H.9-10.6: Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar topics, including which details they include and
emphasize in their respective accounts.
R.H.9-10.8: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author’s claims.
R.H.9-10.9: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.
Analytical Questions (Please answer these in complete sentences!)
1. What details of the Iraq War and the chances of its success does George W. Bush emphasize in his account? (Identify at least two).
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2.
What is George W. Bush’s perspective or POV on the Iraq War? Explain in at least 2 sentences. (Use a sentence-starter).
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3.
What details of the Iraq War and the chances of its success do the soldiers emphasize in their account? (Identify at least two).
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4.
What is the soldiers’ general perspective on the Iraq War? Explain in at least 2 sentences. (Use a sentence-starter).
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5.
What is Barack Obama’s perspective or POV on the Iraq War? Explain in at least 2 sentences. (Use a sentence-starter).
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6. How and why do Bush’s, the soldiers’, and Obama’s opinions of the Iraq War differ? Explain in at least 5 sentences.
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