The Weinberger Doctrine and the Liberation of Kuwait
Abstract
The August 1990 invasion of Kuwait by the armed forces of Iraq presents a unique opportunity to analyze US national security decisionmaking and military strategy development. The opportunity is unique in that the analysis was real-time as the drama played daily in capitals and media centers around the world. As US policy and strategy were developed in response to the Iraqi invasion, the elements of this response were fiercely debated on the national and international stages. Adding to the uniqueness of this situation is its place in history as the first major military challenge in the post-Cold War era. Indeed, it has been argued that the new era will be indelibly shaped by the actions of the international community in coming to grips with the aggression of Saddam Hussein against sovereign Kuwait. This article will analyze the national security decisionmaking process employed by the Bush Administration in dealing with the Persian Gulf situation. It will also examine the military and diplomatic strategy that evolved as events in the Gulf unfolded. The interlocking nature of the process and the strategy will become evident as we study the dramatic events of the period and place in perspective the US responses to these events. Enough is now known about our strategy and policy decisions to embark on an analysis of these processes in the raw. Several frameworks of analysis exist, but a particularly appropriate one was advanced in 1984 by former Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger, in which he developed six major tests to be applied in deciding upon the use of US combat forces abroad. These tests became popularly known as the Weinberger Doctrine. We will use the six Weinberger tests as a point of departure for considering the national security decisionmaking and national military strategy development processes as they progressed in the Gulf crisis from August 1990.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA527982
Entities
People
- Thomas R. Dubois
Organizations
- United States Army War College