Iraq Trilogy

[Jedburgh]

..from the International Relations and Security Network, Center for Security Studies (CSS), and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich).

Iraq Between two Occupations (1933-2003)

This case study presents an overview of Iraqi foreign policy and diplomatic history from 1933 to 2003. The authors detail the historical evolution of Iraq's foreign relations, diplomatic interactions, and military confrontations with the great powers and go on to examine the impact of these events on Iraq's national development. The case study provides a synthesis of the different international perspectives on Iraq's place in the world.

The Second Gulf War (1990-1991)

This case study examines the causes, conduct, and consequences of the Second Gulf War, which was fought to remove Iraqi forces from Kuwait. The author examines the reasons behind Saddam Hussein's decision to invade Kuwait; the subsequent build-up and deployment of an international UN coalition led by the United States, and the eventual air and ground operations against Iraq's military. The author also examines Iraq's attempts to draw Israel into the conflict and briefly touches on the eventual cost of the war.

The Third Gulf War (2003-20??)

This case study examines the causes and conduct of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Particular emphasis is given to the efforts of the Bush administration to precipitate the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime; the planning and conduct of the invasion; and the subsequent difficulties faced by US armed forces in their occupation of Iraq. The author is critical of the Bush administration's lack of planning with regard to post-conflict activities and attributes this to "wishful thinking" with regard to the outcomes of the invasion. Finally, the case study examines the use of spy satellites to in both the run-up and conduct of the invasion.

2 Aug 06 Edit: It seems the original links no longer work. But the papers can still be downloaded at this location - ISN Case Studies