Why did the United States invade Iraq?
Translated title
Master Thesis
Author
Ciuchi, Ioana Gabriela
Term
4. term
Publication year
2018
Submitted on
2018-05-31
Abstract
This thesis examines why the United States chose to invade Iraq, with a specific focus on why military force was selected over alternative foreign policy options. The study is motivated by the war’s extensive human, economic, and security costs in Iraq, in the United States, and globally, as well as persistent doubts about the original justifications. Methodologically, it employs a case study with a deductive strategy, applying Mouritzen and Wivel’s complementary foreign policy analysis framework across three levels: the systemic (the U.S. position in the international system), the interstate (regional geopolitics in the Middle East), and the intrastate (domestic interests, ideologies, and institutions). The work begins with a literature review that maps explanations from realism, liberalism, elite-interest, ideological, and psychological perspectives, including debates about the Israel lobby and neoconservative, hegemony- and oil-related arguments. The model is then applied to empirical material to show how multi-level influences combined to shape the decision for war. The thesis aims to provide a more nuanced account than single-theory approaches; the final results are not included in this excerpt but are presented and discussed in the full text alongside limitations and contributions.
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvorfor USA valgte at invadere Irak, med særligt fokus på, hvorfor militær magtanvendelse blev foretrukket frem for andre udenrigspolitiske muligheder. Projektet er motiveret af krigens omfattende menneskelige, økonomiske og sikkerhedsmæssige konsekvenser i Irak, i USA og globalt, samt af de vedvarende tvivl om de oprindeligt anførte begrundelser. Metodisk gennemføres et casestudie med en deduktiv tilgang, der anvender Mouritzen og Wivels komplementære model for udenrigspolitikanalyse på tre niveauer: det systemiske (USA’s position i det internationale system), det mellemstatslige (geopolitiske forhold i Mellemøsten) og det indenrigspolitiske (interesser, ideologier og institutioner i USA). Arbejdet indledes med et litteraturreview, der kortlægger forklaringer fra realisme, liberalisme, eliteinteresser, ideologiske og psykologiske perspektiver samt debatter om blandt andet Israel-lobbyen og neokonservative forestillinger om hegemoni og olie. Herefter anvendes modellen på empirisk materiale for at belyse, hvordan påvirkninger på flere niveauer tilsammen formede beslutningen om krig. Afhandlingen sigter således mod en mere nuanceret forklaring end enkeltteoretiske tilgange; de endelige resultater fremgår ikke af dette uddrag, men diskuteres i den fulde tekst sammen med begrænsninger og bidrag.
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