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The Political Road to War with Iraq: Bush, 9/11 and the Drive to Overthrow Saddam
Contributor(s): Ritchie, Nick (Author), Rogers, Paul (Author)
ISBN: 0415397324     ISBN-13: 9780415397322
Publisher: Routledge
OUR PRICE:   $161.50  
Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats
Published: September 2006
Qty:
Annotation:

As insurgency continues to plague Iraq and coalition forces struggle to maintain control, leaders in both Washington and London continue to assert that their course of action was the right one, a crucial question is: how did this situation arise?
This book argues that the Bush Administration was intent on regime change in Iraq on entering office in 2000 for a number of reasons, including:
* the enduring strategic importance of the Persian Gulf;
* growing disdain for the containment policy constructed after the 1991 Gulf War;
* the neo-conservatives desire for a robust foreign policy grounded in use of military and political power to secure US national interests.
This books central argument is that military conflict between the United States and Iraq was highly likely, if not inevitable, after September 11. This argument is based on a detailed examination of statements made by senior members of the Bush administration, senior members of Congress and influential neo-conservative commentators, together with empirical analysis of what actually took place in the build up to the war.
This is essential reading for all students of security studies, peace studies, US politics and the Middle East.
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Political Science | International Relations - General
- Political Science | Security (national & International)
- Political Science | Terrorism
Dewey: 327.730
LCCN: 2006005511
Series: Contemporary Security Studies (Hardcover)
Physical Information: 0.73" H x 6.06" W x 9.48" (1.07 lbs) 240 pages
Themes:
- Chronological Period - 21st Century
- Cultural Region - Middle East
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:

This volume explores in close detail the events and factors leading up to the second Gulf War in 2003 and considers whether war with Iraq was inevitable.

Nick Ritchie and Paul Rogers argue that after the election of George W. Bush, conflict between Iraq and the United States was probable, and that after 9/11 it became virtually inevitable. They begin by setting the story of Iraq, Bush and 9/11 within the broader context of the importance of the Persian Gulf to enduring US national security interests and go on to examine the intense politicking that surrounded the conflict and still reverberates today.

The authors examine US policy towards Iraq at the end of the Clinton administration, the opposition in Congress and Washington's conservative think tanks to Clinton's strategy of containment, and the evolution of Iraq policy during the first eight months of the Bush presidency and the growing pressure for regime change. They also explore the immediate focus on Iraq after the attacks of September 11 that marked a watershed in US national security policy and chart the construction of the case against Iraq through 2002 and the administration's determination to end Saddam Hussein's regime at all costs.

The Political Road to War with Iraq will be of great interest to all students and scholars of US foreign policy, war and peace studies and international relations.