Unlike the first Gulf War, in which George Bush Sr. assembled a
large Coalition of nations and invaded Iraq with clear United
Nations support, in the last conflict the US had only one major ally
and was often bitterly opposed by many powerful United Nations
member countries. Additionally, according to a February 17, 2003
Gallup poll, vast majorities of Europeans and Latin Americans were
against the war, and the US and Israel were perhaps the only nations
in which majorities were in favor of war without a UN mandate.
President Bush has also faced anti-war protests of unprecedented
size, in which millions of protesters took to the streets across the
world. The current Iraq war has greatly strained the transatlantic
alliance, exacerbating cleavages within the EU between
‘old’ and ‘new’ Europe, and is seen by many
in the Arab world as part of a new crusade by the West against
Muslims. Now that Saddam’s regime has fallen, the rest of the
world is trying to come to terms with the rapidly evolving situation
in Iraq.
The UN Security Council and
Iraq
M. James Wilkinson and Christopher D. O'Sullivan,
Columbia International Affairs Online, Feburary 2004. The United
Nations Security Council has, in the words of UN Secretary General
Kofi Annan, "come to a fork in the road . . . (that) may be a moment
no less decisive than 1945." The US Administration precipitated
the crisis when, unable to secure Council approval for using armed
force against Iraq, it fashioned its own "coalition of the willing"
and drove Saddam Hussein from power. The events surrounding the US
action and its aftermath have spawned a vigorous debate over
President Bush's policies and whether the Security Council in its
present — or any other — form can play a serious role
henceforth in the quest to ensure international peace and security.
Toward a European Strategy for Iraq
The Royal Institute for International Affairs, March 2003. This
report attempts to formulate a common foreign policy for the EU.
The World Order After Iraq
Lakshman Kadirgamar, In World Affairs, July-September, 2003. In
this long speech, Kadirgamar discusses the effect of the Iraq war on
the wider world, focusing on the power possessed by the United
States.
Freedom Fries: The French-American
Rift over Iraq
Columbia International Affairs Online, May 22, 2003. This
conference discusses many aspects of French-American relations and
the effect of the Iraq War.
After Iraq, the EU Can Learn from
its Disarray
Fraser Cameron, European Affairs, Spring 2003. Cameron
believes that the EU can learn from the mistakes of the Iraq war,
and forge a common foreign policy.
Patten vs. Perle: Is the U.S. a
Unilateralist Hegemon?
Chris Patten and Richard Perle, European Affairs, Winter
2003. This is a debate between Patten, a member of the European
Commission for External Relations, and Perle, Chairman of the U.S.
Defense Policy Board and a consultant to Donald Rumsfeld. Patten
believes that the US should follow a multilateralist path, and warns
that the unilateralist foreign policy adopted by the Bush
administration is causing anti-Americanism throughout the world.
Perle believes that Europeans do not fundamentally understand the
effects of September 11 on the US, and that the use of force should
not always be a last resort.
Casualties of War: Transatlantic
Relations and the Future of NATO in the Wake of the Second Gulf
War
Christopher Layne, Cato Institute, August 13, 2003. Layne
discusses the transatlantic strains over the Iraq war, and argues
that they grew out of fundamental differences between the US and
Europe in foreign policy.
The Transatlantic Alliance: Is
2004 the Year of the greater Middle East? 
Anthony Cordesman, January, 2004. Discusses the War in Iraq and
its effect on Transatlantic relations.
The French Were Right
Joseph Cirincione, February 24, 2004. A short article
discussing French statements before the Iraq war, and how they were
largely correct in their assessment of the situation.
African Press Response to the War in
Iraq
World Press Review, March 2004. The World Press Review
presents excerpts from newspapers the world over that demonstrate
regional opinions of the war in Iraq.
The Arab Press and the War in Iraq
World Press Review, March 2004. The World Press Review presents
excerpts from newspapers the world over that demonstrate regional
opinions of the war in Iraq.
Asian Press Response to the War in
Iraq
World Press Review, March 2004. The World Press Review
presents excerpts from newspapers the world over that demonstrate
regional opinions of the war in Iraq.
European Press Response to the War in
Iraq
World Press Review, March 2004. The World Press Review
presents excerpts from newspapers the world over that demonstrate
regional opinions of the war in Iraq.
The Latin American and Canadian Press
Response to the War in Iraq
World Press Review, March 2004. The
World Press Review presents excerpts from newspapers the world over that
demonstrate regional opinions of the war in Iraq.
Middle Eastern Press Coverage of the War in
Iraq
World Press Review, March 2004. The World Press Review
presents excerpts from newspapers the world over that demonstrate
regional opinions of the war in Iraq.
The Worst of Friends
May
2003. This short article deals with the decaying relations between the
United States and those who opposed the invasion of Iraq (namely the
France-Germany-Russian camp) after major conflict subsided in May 2003.
It also deals with internal European conflict over this issue and
proposes a solution to renew transatlantic and European relations.
American, European and Russian Cooperation on
Post-Saddam Iraq
Hella Pick, March 2004. This
paper examines the willingness of the United States, Europe and
Russia to repair damaged relations and address new global security
demands, including the reconstruction of Iraq and growing unrest in
the Middle East.
American Democracy Promotion Abroad
and the War in Iraq
Tony Smith, July 2003. In the
aftermath of armed conflict in Iraq, the United States' first
impulse is to democratize the Middle East. Smith traces this trend
from Wilsonian foreign policy of the early 20th century to the
present day. He examines how beneficial democratization can be for
the US and predicts a continuation of Wilsonianism for the
future.
Compiled and annotated by editorial assistants Adam Mausner and Siheun Song in consultation with Sean Costigan, Senior Editor for CIAO.
