US Invasion of Iraq Based on the Theories of International Relations - Essay Example

US Invasion of Iraq Based on the Theories of International Relations Introduction The invasion of Iraq by the United States in 2003 was the most costly and the longest use of military force since the Vietnam War. It was the first post-cold war military action and the first experience of the US as a global power occupying the Middle East. The decision for the invasion may have been unprecedented, especially the extensive use of military involvement by the United States in a Muslim country. The Iraq invasion can be comprehended with reference to the established traditional theories of the causes of war. This paper explains how the theories on the causes of war can help elaborate the decision of Iraq invasion by the US. It looks at how the contending interpretations of the war can help in appreciation of the war causes by linking the war to theoretical perspectives. Context The 2003 Iraq war signaled and symbolized the root of the conflict between the United States and the Middle East. The operation involved 21 days of military combat operations. A combined force of military troops from the UK, the US, Poland, and Australia invaded Iraq and overthrew the government of Saddam Hussein. The war concluded with the capture of Bagdad, the Iraqi capital, by the American troops (Nikolaev, & Ernest 16). The number of troops that invaded Iraq included 148,000 from the United States; 45,000 from the United Kingdom; 2,000 from Australia; and 194 from Poland (Lieberfeld 4). The aftermath of the war also attracted approximately 36 other countries (Lieberfeld 6). According to Tony Blair-British Prime Minister and US President George W. Bush, the mission of the coalition was the disarmament of Iraq of the weapons of mass destruction and to end the support for terrorism by Saddam Hussein (McGoldrick 12). The mission of the war was also to free the people of Iraq and ensure that the international Human Rights policies and provisions are respected. The trigger of the war was the failure of Iraq to disarm itself of the alleged biological and nuclear weapons. The US and UK officials referred to the possession of the alleged weapons as an intolerable and immediate threat to global peace (McGoldrick 22). According to President Bush, Saddam Hussein had played a significant role in the 9/11 attacks in the US. America believed that Hussein was funding terrorism against the US. There was also the belief that Iraq was a home for the al-Qaeda terrorist gang, especially after some of the 9/11 attackers were identified as Iraqi citizens. At the same time, the al-Qaeda chief, Osama Bin Laden, was believed to have close links with Iraq and Afghanistan (Lieberfeld 10). In January 2003, a CBS poll was conducted in the United States on the need for military action in Iraq. The poll reported that approximately 61 percent of American citizens supported the American invasion of Iraq. Another group of the participants of the poll suggested that President Bush should seek for a diplomatic strategy to come to terms with Iraq. However, there was also the belief that going to war in Iraq would increase the threat of America being invaded by Islamic terrorists. The invasion of Iraq was opposed by several close allies of the United States, including Germany, France, and New Zealand. The opponents argued that the United States had no justifiable evidence that Iraq possessed the alleged weapons of mass destruction. Three million people assembled in Rome the same year in protest of the action of America against Iraq (Lieberfeld 16). The rally appears in the Guinness Book of Records as the leading anti-war rally in history. Theories Realism The theory revolves around propositions of international political groupism, international anarchy, power politics, and egoism. The assumption is that there is a supreme actor above other states that is capable of regulating international relations. Some states are forced and influenced by some larger states to come into relations with other states. This is the anarchic assumption that explains that the international political system tends to exist in the state of unchanging antagonism (Lieberfeld 20). All the states within the realism theory are rational and unitary actors. In this case, the states tend to pursue their individual interests and strive to accumulate as many resources as possible. Although states establish and develop their militaries for survival, their troops may lead to a security dilemma. The realism theory may serve as a good explanation for the Iraqi war. The major player in the war was the United States. The factors leading to war also seemed to circulate around the national interests of the United States. However, based on the state-based influence discussed in the realism theory, other countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland were influenced to join the war. At the same time, they surrendered their troops in a situation that caused a dilemma in international relations. Liberalism The theory aims to address the challenges of achieving lasting cooperation and peace in international relations. The theory looks at the impact of the domestic political regimes and the influence of domestic politics on international relations. It also includes the role played by international law in regulating the behavior of individual states. The relations between liberal states are governed by the liberal norms on issues of international politics. The theory also entails the role of international unions in international relations. This includes institutionalized alliances such as leagues, confederations, NATO, among others, especially those under the European Union. The theory can be a good basis for an explanation of the Iraqi war. Members of the European Union work together in ensuring that global terrorism is eliminated. The allegation by the United States that Iraq was in possession of weapons of mass destruction was one of the triggering factors that brought the troops of the three countries against Iraq. At the same time, the allegation of the involvement of Iraq in coaching al-Qaeda terrorists was a primary cause as per the theory. Critical International Relations Theory The theory criticizes the meta-theoretical status quo in international relations and international politics. The theory is based on both the positivist and the post-positivist positions (Lieberfeld 10). This also includes social constructivism. According to this theory, a superior state tends to receive more international recognition that enables its influences on other states. With the United States being the World Super Power, it is possible that the country was able to plan and execute the war because several other states wanted to demonstrate their support for the super power and be assured of positive future relations. Evaluation Among the three theories of international relations discussed in the paper, the liberalism theory best explains the particular event of the war. Liberalists believe that the decision to go into war is derived from the internal characteristics of the state. The features include the type of government and the influence of the international law. Global peace and prosperity depend on democracy and peace among states. Liberalists favor the use of force in place of dictatorship. Mature democracies are not prone to going into war among them but are likely to go into war with non-democracies. The explanation is that democracies live in fear that the non-democracies can take advantage of the slow democratic adversaries by initiating attacks (Lieberfeld 15). This is based on the fact that the non-democracies lack governmental checks and transparency on the use of force. Based on their anticipation that dictatorships are more likely to use deception, the democracies become more war-prone and aggressive due to the perceived threats of the non-democracies. With this regard, the decision to invade Iraq emanated from the administrative fear by the United States. The states feared that Iraq would misinform the weapons inspectors and secretly develop and deploy the weapons of mass destruction in the United States and her allies. Based on the theory, it is possible that the US would not have invaded had Iraq been a democracy. This is based on the substantiation that mature democracies have never fought one another in the global history. The dictatorial principles of Saddam Hussein triggered the initial attempts by the United States to attack Iraq and do away with the domineering politics in the region. The same perception was used to allege the association of Iraq with al-Qaeda terrorists that invaded the United States and her embassies. It is, therefore, true to the liberalist arguments that the dictatorial nature of Iraqi government was the primary cause for the attack. Democracies across the world could not trust Iraq in matters of international security. Conclusion The invasion of Iraq in 2003 was one of the most lethal conflicts between states in the global history. The war was caused by, among other factors, the allegation that Iraq was in possession of weapons of mass destruction. This created fears that Iraq was creating a threat to global security. As the analysis in the paper has demonstrated, the fear emanated from the dictatorial principles of Iraq and its president, Saddam Hussein. If Iraq were a democratic state, diplomatic means would have been used to avoid the war. Works Cited Lieberfeld, Daniel. "Theories of Conflict and The Iraq War." International Journal of Peace Studies (2005): 1-21. McGoldrick, Dominic. From "9-11" to the "iraq War 2003": International Law in an Age of Complexity. Oxford [u.a.: Hart, 2004. Print. Nikolaev, Alexander G, and Ernest A. Hakanen. Leading to The 2003 Iraq War: The Global Media Debate. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006. Print. Read More