Adjusting U.S. Strategy Towards Iraq: Toward a Comprehensive Approach
Abstract
The terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington D.C. on September 11 reflected a level of brutality and ingenuity that horrified the entire world. Apart from those individuals who witnessed the destruction firsthand, many Americans continue to recall the harsh images flowing from millions of television sets that day and for weeks thereafter. These were ordinary Americans: falling out of buildings; burning to death; and running through narrow streets while being engulfed in smoke. President Bush's message soon after September 11 was understandably emotional, "You're either with us . . . or with the terrorists."1 This Presidential threat, coupled with the palpable anger of the American people, forced many nations to quickly digest the stakes of a "global war on terrorism." The purpose of this paper is not to argue that our nation's history requires that we "wait for threats to fully materialize, [increasing the risk that] we will have waited too long. 2 nor to downplay the dangers of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The objective is to review the nature of the threat posed by Iraq, the strategies and policy instruments presently employed and under consideration to address that threat, and, finally, to recommend adjustments where necessary. First, the Iraqi threat to the U.S and its allies has been grossly distorted and exaggerated. While exaggerating the nature and immediacy of the threat may regenerate homeland fears in such a way that sets in motion sympathy to oust Saddam, the actual commitment of American "blood and treasure" will bear out the need for a far more convincing explanation of the "why now?" issue. Second, the exhaustive failure to link Iraq directly to September 11 engendered an official yet public migration from preemption as the chief justification for an attack to an undefined strategic imperative to use force, causing international and domestic suspicion and confusion.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA441596
Entities
People
- Charles P. Kosak
Organizations
- National War College