ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT The Anglo-American invasion and occupation of Iraq must be understood in the context of the grand strategy consistently pursued by the US since at least the beginning of the 20th century. The Bush administration, breaking from Washington’s reliance since the Second World War on coalition building, is seeking to use one of the main comparative advantages of the USits military supremacy-to perpetuate a favourable global balance of forces. The seizure of Iraq seemed to favour this strategy, particularly since it would enhance US capacity to deny access to Middle Eastern oil to actual or potential rivals such as the European Union and China. But popular resistance to the occupation of Iraq is now testing this policy, perhaps to destruction.
