LG211: America and the Wider World The end of the West? – Iraq and the Transatlantic divide

The transatlantic rift Since the end of the Cold War there has been talk of the ‘transatlantic rift’. The EU would progressively strengthen and begin competing with the US in key areas and on key issues. The US would pull away from Europe and recalibrating its alliance with it. Europeans are from Venus…Americans from Mars.

Issues at stake A number of issues were held to be divisive and pulling the two apart: Trade Security threats Human rights issues Arab-Israeli peace process Envioronment

The Build-up to War 9/11 and the emergence of the Bush Doctrine: “Our war on terror begins with Al-Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group with global reach has been found, stopped and defeated.” President Bush, 21/09/01 “States like these [Iran, Iraq and North Korea], and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world…these regimes pose a grave and growing danger” President Bush, 29/01/02 “Sovereignty entails obligations. One is not to massacre your own people. Another is not to support terrorism in any way. If a government fails to meet these obligations, then it forfeits some of the normal advantages of sovereignty, including the right to be left alone in your own territory. Other governments, including the United States, gain the right to intervene. In the case of terrorism, this can lead to a right of preventive or pre-emptory, self- defence. You essentially can act in anticipation if you have grounds to think it’s a question of when, and not if, you’re going to be attacked” Richard N Haas, State Department Policy Planner, April 2002

The Build-up to War: Why Iraq? Early discussion of Iraq in the context of 9/11 (cf Clarke 2004 & Woodward 2004) Nov 21 st, 2001 – formally began reviewing plans to invade Iraq 1998 – Iraq Liberation Act – US in constant military action in Iraq Reasons for war and what they tell us about IR: Oil? Personal? – “After all, this is the guy who tried to kill my dad” Pres Bush, 27/09/02 Ideology? – PNAC, Neo-Conservatism

The Build-up to War: Justifying Iraq abroad “In one place -- in one regime -- we find all these dangers [WMD, Rogue Regimes, Terrorism], in their most lethal and aggressive forms, exactly the kind of aggressive threat the United Nations was born to confront.” Pres. Bush, 12/09/02 Nexus of rogue regimes, terrorism and WMD “We don’t want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud” NSA Rice, 08/09/02 Res – 8/11/02 – “that the Council has repeatedly warned Iraq that it will face serious consequences as a result of its continued violations of its obligations”

The Build-up to War: Justifying Iraq at home WMD played a role Linking Saddam to Al-Qaeda and 9/11: NYTimes/ABC poll – 48% believed Saddam was ‘personally involved’ in 9/11 attacks (Mar 03) Knight Ridder poll – 44% thought ‘most’ or ‘some’ of the hijackers were Iraqi (Jan 03) Saddam as one of history’s worst dictators – human rights, genocide, war etc… Public Support for the War in the US – ranged from low 50’s to 80 depending on whether or not UN approval was received

Opposition to the War Russia and China were opposed to resolving the Iraq situation with force France and Germany joined in: “Resolution 1441 (2002) adopted today by the Security Council excludes any automaticity in the use of force” addendum, 2002 France, China & Russia “We didn't shy away from offering international solidarity in the fight against international terrorism. We did it because we were, and are, convinced that it is necessary; because we knew that the security of our partners is also our security. But we say this with equal self-confidence: we're not available for adventures” – Gerhard Schroeder, August 2002

Opposition to the War World public opinion: 100,000+ in Dublin, 1million+ in London 15/02/03 60%+ against war, Italy & Spain % against war, Australia % against war, Japan % of French and Germans consider Pres Bush a greater threat to peace and security than Saddam Hussein 47% against war, Britain, Jan 03, 80% req. further evidence and a UN resolution