After overthrowing Saddam Hussein, American military forces occupied Iraq, a decision that proved to be extremely unpopular both in Iraq and at home in the United States. Occupying defeated nations in times of war is nothing new. Under Elizabeth I’s reign, the British military occupied the Netherlands in 1585. Elizabeth justified this action by saying:
“[W]hereas in the late government in those countries [the Netherlands were referred to as the Low Countries] there hath been great abuse committed as well in the collection of the contributions as in the distribution of the same, which hath bred no little offense and mislike in the people, then hindrance in the public safety, you [the leader of the British occupying forces] shall in our name . . . have an especial care the said abuses redressed and the offenders punished. . . .”
Although the British occupying force was small at first, over time it grew as it struggled to maintain control over a territory that owed no loyalty to England. Almost thirty years later, at the time of Elizabeth’s death in 1603, Britain was still mired in the Netherlands, unable to extricate its forces easily. To modern American citizens, this tale must sound all too familiar, as we continue to argue over what role the United States should be playing in Iraq. We have to wonder whether Elizabeth would support U.S. intervention in Iraq or whether she would encourage the United States to learn from her mistakes and get out as soon as possible.
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