Case 304 - Going to the United Nations: George W. Bush and Iraq

Martin, Curtis H.

This two-part case study analyzes the ambivalent stance of the George W. Bush administration toward the United Nations, both during the drive for war against Iraq (2002-2003), and the subsequent period of reconstruction and counterinsurgency. It asks whether the U.N. Security Council, is “an enabler or a constrainer” when it comes to advancing American interests. The study may also be used to illuminate the perennial debate between the realist and liberal internationalist visions of the world, alliance theory and balancing/ bandwagoning behavior, the sources of legitimacy of state action, the relative value of hard and soft power, and decision-making models.