ABSTRACT
In 2002, Iraq and the possibility of intervention there were discussed primarily in the context of the fight against terrorism. Iraq’s military potential was at least three times smaller than in 1991 and military and defence spending had fallen sharply. From the very beginning, the idea of intervening in Iraq and overthrowing Saddam Hussein’s regime met with strong and constantly growing opposition – both in the West and in the non-Western world. The claim that Iraq supported terrorism was backed by the argument that Iraqi authorities had ties to Palestinian terrorist groups. A successful ‘liberation’ of Iraq and its citizens from the oppressive regime and the subsequent post-conflict reconstruction of the country was supposed to inspire other countries and societies in the region to make a similar change. Iraq’s strategy was determined by the overriding political goal – retain sovereignty and keep power in the hand of the governing elite.
