Premium Essay

Causes Of Iraq's Unnecessary War

Submitted By
Words 699
Pages 3
On March 20, 2003, President of the United States George W. Bush declared war on Iraq, and issued the order for both its invasion and occupation. According to the US government, this act of war was executed in response to substantial evidence proving that Saddam Hussein, Iraq’s current president, was in possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) which posed a significant threat to the security of the United States, its allies, and the people of Iraq themselves. This decision by the Bush administration proved to be a polarising one within international relations theory, with those within the profession striving to create an all-encompassing explanation for the conflict’s origins through their respective theoretical lenses. Of all of the …show more content…
In the period leading up to America’s invasion, Iraq was in the midst of significant economic hardship as a result of two previous conflicts, against Iran in 1980, and Kuwait in 1990, engaged in by Hussein in an attempt to strengthen Iraq’s strategic position Middle East. In the 2003 publication ‘An Unnecessary War’ written by John J. Mearsheimer, professor of political science at the University of Chicago and prominent realism theorist, Mearsheimer estimates that Iraq sustained losses of “$150 billion and 1 million casualties” (Mearsheimer 2003: 53) in it’s conflict with Iran alone. Following this, during his …show more content…
In the days leading up to America’s invasion of the country in 2003, Bush was quoted as saying “Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised” (Bush 2003). Due to the US being unable to determine Hussein’s motives in creating/harbouring these weapons, they had no choice but to consider the action offensive and as such, were forced to counter his behaviour with a superior display of power, this coming in the form of America’s military dominance, in order to control him and assert US hegemony. Due to this, America’s 2003 invasion of Iraq can be categorised as both a preventative measure, one that ensured that Hussein would not be left to his own devices to the point wherein he could rival the US’ military power with his WMDs, and as such create a formidable opponent in the Middle East, and as a signifier to the rest of the world that America possesses as much power as

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

The Unnecessary Wars

...John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, "An unnecessary war," Foreign Policy, Jan/Feb 2003 In the full-court press for war with Iraq, the Bush administration deems Saddam Hussein reckless, ruthless, and not fully rational. Such a man, when mixed with nuclear weapons, is too unpredictable to be prevented from threatening the United States, the hawks say. But scrutiny of his past dealings with the world shows that Saddam, though cruel and calculating, is eminently deferrable. Should the United States invade Iraq and depose Saddam Hussein? If the United States is already at war with Iraq when this article is published, the immediate cause is likely to be Saddam's failure to comply with the new U.N. inspections regime to the Bush administration's satisfaction. But this failure is not the real reason Saddam and the united States have been on a collision course over the past year. The deeper root of the conflict is the U.S. position that Saddam must be toppled because he cannot be deterred from using weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Advocates of preventive war use numerous arguments to make their case, but their trump card is the charge that Saddam's past behavior proves he is too reckless, relentless, and aggressive to be allowed to possess WMD, especially nuclear weapons. They sometimes admit that war against Iraq might be costly, might lead to a lengthy U.S. occupation, and might complicate U.S. relations with other countries. But these concerns are eclipsed by the belief...

Words: 4987 - Pages: 20

Premium Essay

Balance of Power

...Introduction “The efforts of global powers to establish a global system to create a balance of power in the world to suit their interest are the root cause of global peace, conflict & refugee crisis.” The above statement is our debate topic & we are supporting the statement. Before we present our arguments to support it, the following questions should be answered: • Who are global powers? • What is balance of power? • What is their (global power’s) interest? • What is global peace, conflict & refugee crisis? The answers to above terms will provide us clear view on the esteemed statement. The terms are discussed as follows: Global Power: There are 10 powerful countries, the 10 great powers that can rock the world. They have been ranked by their fire power & ability to shape both their regional environments and the international system as a whole; among all the world’s countries these are the ones with the most ability to affect global politics by their choices. The global power rankings are revised every year. Until 2016, the top 10 global powers are as follows: 1. United States of America 2. United Kingdom 3. Germany 4. China 5. Japan 6. Russia 7. India 8. Turkey 9. Iran 10. South Korea Balance of Power: In international relations, the posture and policy of a nation or group of nations protecting itself against another nation or group of nations by matching its power against the power of the other side. States can...

Words: 7717 - Pages: 31

Premium Essay

The Role of Risk Management on the Impact of Price Volatility

...“Oil Prices have exhibited unprecedented volatility in recent months , prices rose from 2004 to historic highs in mid -2008 and only to fall in the last four months of 2008” (kojima 2009:9). Economic growth in the United States of America (USA) and the emerging new markets between 2004 and 2008 gave rise to demand for oil and high-rise in the price of oil. This high volatility of prices has led governments and institutions to intervene in the oil market. This coursework aims at showing the impact of oil price volatility in the global market; it also examines the various roles played by governments, financial institutions and The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in stabilizing and managing the risk, and the remote causes of price volatility. Government intervention in the oil and gas market is due to the high prices, and they have introduced schemes, policies to check and cushion the effects and intensified their efforts in diversifying away from crude oil while OPEC too intervenes by stabilizing the price of crude oil in the international market which is one of the body’s statutory function. Crude oil prices have been defying all known rules of...

Words: 2866 - Pages: 12

Free Essay

Business

...UNCORRECTED PROOF | NOT FOR SALE Please do not quote for publication without checking against the final book On-sale: July 19, 2011 Publicity Contact: Dennelle Catlett, 212-782-9486 dcatlett@randomhouse.com Rume_9780307886231_2p_all_r1.indd v GO BA O D D S ST TR RAT ATE EG GY Y THE DIFFERENCE AND WHY IT MATTERS Richard P. Rumelt 3/17/11 11:46 AM Copyright © 2011 by Richard Rumelt All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Crown Business, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. www.crownpublishing.com CROWN BUSINESS is a trademark and CROWN and the Rising Sun colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc. Crown Business books are available at special discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotions or corporate use. Special editions, including personalized covers, excerpts of existing books, or books with corporate logos, can be created in large quantities for special needs. For more information, contact Premium Sales at (212) 572-2232 or e-mail specialmarkets@randomhouse.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request. ISBN 978-0-307-88623-1 eISBN 978-0-307-88625-5 Printed in the United States of America Book design by Robert Bull Jacket design: TK Author photograph: TK 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 First Edition Rume_9780307886231_2p_all_r1.indd vi 3/17/11 11:46 AM CONTENTS ■ INTRODUCTION OVERWHELMING OBSTACLES 1 PART I GOOD AND BAD STRATEGY ...

Words: 7637 - Pages: 31

Free Essay

B.Policy

...The History of US-Israel Relations Against Our Better Judgment The hidden history of how the United States was used to create Israel Louis Brandeis, flanked by Rabbi Stephen Samuel Wise, founding secretary of the American Federation of Zionists (right) and Nathan Straus, co-owner of Macy’s (Source: Library of Congress) By Alison Weir April 18, 2013 Alison Weir is Executive Director If Americans Knew and President of the Council for the National Interest. She is available to give presentations on this topic and can be reached at contact@ ifamericansknew.org. How the U.S. “special relationship” with Israel came about W hile many people are led to believe that U.S. support for Israel is driven by the American establishment and U.S. national interests, the facts don't support this theory. The reality is that for decades U.S. foreign policy and defense experts opposed supporting the creation of Israel. They then similarly opposed the massive American funding and diplomatic support that sustained the forcibly established state and that provided a blank check for its aggressive expansion. They were simply outmaneuvered and eventually replaced. Like many American policies, U.S. Middle East policies are driven by a special interest lobby. However, the Israel Lobby, as it is called today in the U.S.[1], consists of vastly more than what most people envision in the word "lobby." As this article will demonstrate, the Israel Lobby is considerably more powerful and...

Words: 14220 - Pages: 57

Premium Essay

The Relevance of the United Nations in the Post-Cold War Era: Iraqi Invasion as a Case Study

...THE RELEVANCE OF THE UNITED NATIONS IN THE POST-COLD WAR ERA: IRAQI INVASION AS A CASE STUDY BY ALADENIYI, EMMANUEL ABIODUN APRIL 2005 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND 1. The basic concepts and assumptions that led to the formation of the United Nations (UN) dates back to the beginning of statecraft and humanity’s first efforts to foster international cooperation. The treaty of the peace of Westphalia of 1648 is regarded at humanity’s first effort in statehood and fostering international cooperation. The formation of the UN is predicated on the evolution of diplomacy, alliances, conferences, rules of warfare, means of peaceful settlement of conflicts and the development of international law. The overriding purpose of the UN is war prevention. This purpose was earlier pursued by ancient Greek Philosophers, Plato and Aristotle, who wrote on the conditions necessary for peace.1 The church in the Middle Ages also enunciated a doctrine of “Just War” to limit violence and destruction by sanctioning only wars fought for justifiable courses. The pacifists and internationalists, like Desiderius Erasmus, condemned war in its entirety as “immoral and wasteful”. 2. The need to institute mechanics for peaceful settlement of disputes and prevent war encouraged the formation of various international organizations over time. These include the Congress of Vienna and Concert of Europe in 1815. The Hague System worked towards the codification...

Words: 11211 - Pages: 45

Premium Essay

How Macro Environmental Forces Affect Business Buying Behavior After a Recession- a Case Study of the Second Hand Truck Business C.Kakazoukis

...School of Management Blekinge Institute of Technology How macro environmental forces affect business buying behavior after a recession: A case study of the second hand truck business NAME OF AUTHOR Christos Kakazoukis NAME OF SUPERVISOR Urban Ljungquist MASTER’S THESIS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, MBA PROGRAM Jan 2011 Thesis for the Master’s degree in Business Administration Autumn 2010 Abstract Master thesis in business administration, MBA Program, School of Management, Blekinge Institute of Technology, fall of 2010. Author: Christos Kakazoukis Supervisor: Urban Ljungquist Title: How macro environmental forces affect business buying behavior after a recession: A case study of the second hand truck business. Keywords: Buying behavior, customer behavior, financial crisis, trucks, PESTEL Background and problem: The financial crisis has had a deep impact on businesses all around the world. This has affected our purchases, both as retailers and as customers. In this thesis I will investigate how the buying behavior has changed, before, during and after the financial crisis with focus on the second hand truck business. I will also investigate which macro environmental factors have affected the buying behavior. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to describe changes in buying behaviors from influence of macro environmental forces. Method: I have used a qualitative method, and as a part of that face to face interviews, to understand and establish a better contact...

Words: 16934 - Pages: 68

Premium Essay

Case

...Preface iii v Chapter 1 The Cold War Era 1 Chapter 2 The End of Bipolarity 17 Chapter 3 US Hegemony in World Politics 31 Chapter 4 Alternative Centres of Power 51 Chapter 5 Contemporary South Asia 65 Chapter 6 International Organisations 81 Chapter 7 Security in the Contemporary World 99 Chapter 8 Environment and Natural Resources 117 Chapter 9 Globalisation 135 Chapter 1 The Cold War Era OVERVIEW This chapter provides a backdrop to the entire book. The end of the Cold War is usually seen as the beginning of the contemporary era in world politics which is the subject matter of this book. It is, therefore, appropriate that we begin the story with a discussion of the Cold War. The chapter shows how the dominance of two superpowers, the United States of America and the Soviet Union, was central to the Cold War. It tracks the various arenas of the Cold War in different parts of the world. The chapter views the NonAligned Movement (NAM) as a challenge to the dominance of the two superpowers and describes the attempts by the non-aligned countries to establish a New International Economic Order (NIEO) as a means of attaining economic development and political independence. It concludes with an assessment of India’s role in NAM and asks how successful the policy of nonalignment has been in protecting India’s interests. The end of the Second World War led to the rise of two major centres...

Words: 52386 - Pages: 210

Premium Essay

Heath Care Policy Legislation Stage

...***AFF*** ***1AC*** Inherency – 1AC Contention one: Inherency The new FAA bill cut funding for the AIP, which will cripple our airport infrastructure – rapid investment is critical PRINCIPATO ‘12 - president, Airports Council International-North America; M.A. in International Relations from University of Chicago; International Trade and Transportation specialist, Hunton & Williams (Greg, “Why we should invest today in 'Airports Inc.'”. March. http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/labor/218525-faa-why-we-should-invest-today-in-airports-inc) With the latest Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) forecast predicting a doubling of passengers and cargo by 2030, the current funding system is not up to the job of ensuring airports will have the infrastructure they need to handle such dramatic increases in traffic. This will have far-reaching consequences. Commercial airports are powerful economic engines, generating 10.5 million jobs and $1.2 trillion for the U.S. economy, according to a new Airports Council International-North America study. Across the country, workers and businesses count on local airports to attract investment and move people and goods around the world. Since 2001, the total number of jobs associated with airports has increased by more than 50 percent. Despite unprecedented growth and clear evidence of the economic benefits of infrastructure investments, airports expect to have $80 billion in unmet needs through 2015 because of the flawed system...

Words: 41248 - Pages: 165

Free Essay

Frontline

...FRONTLINE JANUA RY 1 3, 2 012 WWW.FRONTLINE.IN INDIA’S NATIONAL MAGAZINE RS.25 WORLD AFFAIRS IRAQ FOOD SECURITY PDS CLIMATE CHANGE DURBAN Exit America 49 What people say 96 Uncertain stand 114 Remembering TAGORE On his 150th birth anniversary VOLUME 28 NUMBER 27 TH E STAT E S Fiery trap in Kolkata 41 SC IE NCE Higgs signal? 44 WOR L D A F F A I R S Iraq: Exit America War crimes in the trash Russia: December Revolution Pakistan: Volatile state India & China: Troubled equations DECEMBER 31, 2011 - JANUARY 13, 2012 C O V ER S T O RY 49 52 ISSN 0970-1710 Timeless Tagore As an activist, thinker, poet and rural reconstructionist, Rabindranath Tagore continues to be relevant. A tribute on the 150th anniversary of his birth. 4 WWW.FRONTLINE.IN Jayati Ghosh: Mess in eurozone R.K. Raghavan: A lost battle? 108 118 BOOKS LE TTE R S 73 127 54 57 61 TR AVE L Jungles of Borneo 64 AR T Achuthan Kudallur’s journey 85 H ISTOR Y Of Quit India, Nehru & Communist split 89 FOOD SEC UR I T Y Understanding the PDS Kerala: Power of literacy Bihar: Coupon fiasco Jharkhand: Strong revival Chhattisgarh: Loud no to cash E CONOM Y Losing momentum Interview: C. Rangarajan, Chairman, PMEAC CL IM A TE C H A N G E Uncertain stand in Durban CONTR OV E R S Y Mullaperiyar dispute: Deep distrust Fallout of fear OBITU A R Y Humble genius: Mario Miranda Korea’s...

Words: 77117 - Pages: 309

Free Essay

One Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.

... The New Left Revisited David M. Scobey, Empire City: The Making and Meaning of the New York City Landscape Gerda Lerner, Fireweed: A Political Autobiography Allida M. Black, ed., Modern American Queer History Eric Sandweiss, St. Louis: The Evolution of an American Urban Landscape Sam Wineburg, Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past Sharon Hartman Strom, Political Woman: Florence Luscomb and the Legacy of Radical Reform Michael Adas, ed., Agricultural and Pastoral Societies in Ancient and Classical History Jack Metzgar, Striking Steel: Solidarity Remembered Janis Appier, Policing Women: The Sexual Politics of Law Enforcement and the LAPD Allen Hunter, ed., Rethinking the Cold War Eric Foner, ed., The New American History. Revised and Expanded Edition E SSAYS ON _ T WENTIETH- C ENTURY H ISTORY Edited by Michael Adas for the American Historical Association TEMPLE UNIVERSITY PRESS PHILADELPHIA Temple University Press 1601 North Broad Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122 www.temple.edu/tempress Copyright © 2010 by Temple University All rights reserved Published 2010 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Essays on twentieth century history / edited by Michael...

Words: 163893 - Pages: 656

Premium Essay

Mister

...Contents Title Page Dedication Prologue CHAPTER ONE: Republicans and Democrats CHAPTER TWO: Values CHAPTER THREE: Our Constitution CHAPTER FOUR: Politics CHAPTER FIVE: Opportunity CHAPTER SIX: Faith CHAPTER SEVEN: Race CHAPTER EIGHT: The World Beyond Our Borders CHAPTER NINE: Family Epilogue Acknowledgments About the Author Also by Barack Obama Copyright Prologue IT’S BEEN ALMOST ten years since I first ran for political office. I was thirty-five at the time, four years out of law school, recently married, and generally impatient with life. A seat in the Illinois legislature had opened up, and several friends suggested that I run, thinking that my work as a civil rights lawyer, and contacts from my days as a community organizer, would make me a viable candidate. After discussing it with my wife, I entered the race and proceeded to do what every first-time candidate does: I talked to anyone who would listen. I went to block club meetings and church socials, beauty shops and barbershops. If two guys were standing on a corner, I would cross the street to hand them campaign literature. And everywhere I went, I’d get some version of the same two questions. “Where’d you get that funny name?” And then: “You seem like a nice enough guy. Why do you want to go into something dirty and nasty like politics?” I was familiar with the question, a variant on the questions asked of me years earlier, when I’d first arrived in Chicago to work in low-income neighborhoods. It signaled a cynicism...

Words: 120305 - Pages: 482

Premium Essay

Promises Not Kept

...THE END of POVERTY Economic Possibilities for Our Time JEFFREY D. SACHS THE PENGUIN PRESS N E W YORK 2005 THE PENGUIN PRESS Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Group (USA) Inc.. 375 Hudson Street. New York, New York 10014, U.S.A. Penguin Group (Canada), 10 Alcorn Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 3B2 (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R ORL, England Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd) Penguin Books Australia Ltd, 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) - Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi-110 017, India ' Penguin Group (NZ), Cnr Airborne and Rosedale Roads, Albany, Auckland 1310, NewZealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd) - Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R ORL, England First published in 2005 by The Penguin Press, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Copyright ©Jeffrey D. Sachs, 2005 All rights reserved Page 397 constitutes an extension of this copyright page, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA Sachs, Jeffrey. The e n d of poverty / Jeffrey Sachs. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-59420-045-9 1. Poverty—Developing countries. 2. Developing countries—Economic policy...

Words: 154314 - Pages: 618

Free Essay

Globalization

...GLOBALIZATION THE ESSENTIALS GEORGE RITZER A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication Globalization Globalization A Basic Text George Ritzer This balanced introduction draws on academic and popular sources to examine the major issues and events in the history of globalization. Globalization: A Basic Text is a substantial introductory textbook, designed to work either on its own or alongside Readings in Globalization. The books are cross-referenced and are both structured around the core concepts of globalization. 2009 • 608 pages • 978-1-4051-3271-8 • paperback www.wiley.com/go/globalization Readings in Globalization Key Readings and Major Debates Edited by George Ritzer and Zeynep Atalay This unique and engaging anthology introduces students to the major concepts of globalization within the context of the key debates and disputes. Readings in Globalization illustrates that major debates in the field are not only useful to examine for their own merit but can extend our knowledge of globalization. The volume explores both the political economy of globalization and the relationship of culture to globalization. The volume is designed so it may be used independently, or alongside George Ritzer’s Globalization: A Basic Text for a complete student resource. 2010 • 560 pages • 978-1-4051-3273-2 • paperback Order together and save! Quote ISBN 978-1-4443-2371-9 GLOBALIZATION THE ESSENTIALS GEORGE RITZER A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication This edition first...

Words: 168078 - Pages: 673

Premium Essay

The Social

...animal Books by Elliot Aronson Theories of Cognitive Consistency (with R. Abelson et al.), 1968 Voices of Modern Psychology, 1969 The Social Animal, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2004; (with J. Aronson), 2008 Readings About the Social Animal, 1973, 1977, 1981, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2004; (with J. Aronson), 2008 Social Psychology (with R. Helmreich), 1973 Research Methods in Social Psychology (with J. M. Carlsmith & P. Ellsworth), 1976 The Jigsaw Classroom (with C. Stephan et al.), 1978 Burnout: From Tedium to Personal Growth (with A. Pines & D. Kafry), 1981 Energy Use: The Human Dimension (with P. C. Stern), 1984 The Handbook of Social Psychology (with G. Lindzey), 3rd ed., 1985 Career Burnout (with A. Pines), 1988 Methods of Research in Social Psychology (with P. Ellsworth, J. M. Carlsmith, & M. H. Gonzales), 1990 Age of Propaganda (with A. R. Pratkanis), 1992, 2000 Social Psychology, Vols. 1–3 (with A. R. Pratkanis), 1992 Social Psychology: The Heart and the Mind (with T. D. Wilson & R. M. Akert), 1994 Cooperation in the Classroom: The Jigsaw Method (with S. Patnoe), 1997 Nobody Left to Hate: Teaching Compassion After Columbine, 2000 Social Psychology: An Introduction (with T. D. Wilson & R. M. Akert), 2002, 2005, 2007 The Adventures of Ruthie and a Little Boy Named Grandpa (with R. Aronson), 2006 Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me) (with C. Tavris), 2007 Books by Joshua Aronson Improving Academic Achievement, 2002 The Social Animal To...

Words: 208005 - Pages: 833