Motives for Iraq War through Realism and Neo-Conservatism...

The invasion on Iraq by the United States in 2003 has become the biggest, lengthiest, and most expensive use of armed force since the Vietnam War. It is the first major post-Cold War U.S. military action taken unilaterally, without an international coalition, and the first U.S. experience as an occupying power in a Middle Eastern country. Although the invasion decision was distinctive (U.S. military connection in an Arab or Muslim country), the argument here is that the Iraqi invasion deals with motives related to natural security, power, and resources. Both realism and neo-conservatism claim to capture the motives behind the war, but only through a comprehensive comparison of the two can a synthesis be achieved. On March 20th, 2003, the†¦show more content†¦Realism argues that states are inherently self-interested, have â€Å"an innate desire to dominate others,† and that states are not likely to resolve their differences peacefully (Walt 31). â€Å"Rational† statesmen, as conceived by Morgantheau, continuously embarked on a struggle to accumulate more and more power. Power was â€Å"an end in itself† as only wars came out of the power struggle (Waltz 40). Realism helps to explain qualities of foreign policy that remain consistent over time. From a realist standpoint, verdicts by governments to go to war are the product of all states involuntary participation in â€Å"eternal quests for power and security due to an international political environment in which each state fears the actual or potential hostility of other states† (Lieberfeld 2). Leaders logically estimate wars costs and profits in terms of their states power and security. States international behavior thus reflects the constraints imposed on their actions by their relative power position. Even before 2003, the Bush administration had been forthright and explicit about its goal of global hegemony--a power so complete that challenging it becomes nearly inconceivable. Bushs speech at West Point in spring 2002 declared,Show MoreRelatedOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesdifferent intellectual traditions that contribute to our understanding of organizations. Professor Tomas Mà ¼llern, Jà ¶nkà ¶ping International Business School, Sweden . McAuley, Duberley and Johnson’s Organizational Theory takes you on a joyful ride through the developments of one of the great enigmas of our time – How should we understand the organization? Jan Ole Similà ¤, Assistant Professor, Nord-Trà ¸ndelag University College, Norway I really enjoyed this new text and I am sure my students will enjoyRead MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 Pagesdevelopment in the multistakeholder context of public sector services. BBC – structural changes to deliver a better service. Sony (B) – more structural changes at the high-tech multinational. Web Reservations International – growth of an Irish SME company through its online reservation system and business model. NHS Direct – using communication and information technology to provide new ‘gateways’ to public services. Doman Synthetic Fibres – resource planning for new products in the synthetic fibres industryRead M oreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 PagesMANAGEMENT FOR BUSINESS GROWTH IN A DEMANDING ECONOMY 7 growth, the immense potential of human resource effectiveness, and the speed of action required for success in today’s demanding competitive climate. Furthermore, the competitive climate is not a war of so-called Old Economy versus New Economy concepts. Instead, the competitive climate involves the convergence of the management models that have been proved to work best in both throughout today’s marketplace. Business leaders need to understand that