"We will, in fact, be greeted as liberators"

When Dick Cheney asserted that “We will, in fact, be greeted as liberators,” he was articulating a confident expectation that American military forces entering Iraq would not be seen as an occupying power, but rather as welcome deliverers from the tyranny of Saddam Hussein’s regime. Underlying this claim is an assumption about the sentiments of the Iraqi population: that decades of oppression and suffering under Saddam had made them not only ready but eager for foreign intervention to topple the regime. The phrase belies a particular worldview prevalent among some American policymakers in the early 2000s, a vision in which American power and values, exported by force if necessary, would be enthusiastically embraced by those perceived to be suffering under authoritarianism.

The statement also reflects a broader historical pattern where intervening powers project their own narratives onto complex foreign societies. It frames the United States as a benevolent actor whose intervention is inherently a moral good, discounting the potential fears, suspicions, or complexities within the Iraqi society. By predicting a warm welcome, Cheney simplifies the dynamics on the ground to a binary: oppressed versus oppressors, evil regime versus grateful populace. It overlooks the possibility of nationalist sentiments, internal divisions, and the general suspicion of foreign military presence that often accompanies invasions, regardless of the stated intent.

Additionally, “greeted as liberators” carries implications for anticipated post-conflict scenarios. It suggests that military and government planners believed the transition after Saddam’s fall would be relatively smooth, with local populations cooperating with and perhaps deferring to American political designs for Iraq’s future. Such a belief influenced operational decisions, planning for occupation, and resource allocation, sometimes at the expense of preparing for unrest or resistance. Cheney’s assertion thus is not only a prediction but reveals a mindset and a set of priorities that shaped critical decisions in the Iraq war, influencing both policy and public expectations in profound ways.