ABSTRACT
Introduction The following chapters explore the contention that military-led regime change in Iraq was inevitable after 9/11. The evidence to support this argument comes from statements made by senior members of the administration, statements by Congressional leaders, and statements from influential conservative think-tanks. Government statements demonstrate that a post-9/11 security paradigm was constructed by the Bush administration that left Saddam Hussein little or no realistic room to manoeuvre. Confrontation was coming, the administration was determined to control and manipulate the national discourse on Iraq, it was prepared to bring the full force of the US military to bear, and the Iraqi regime’s history left little doubt that it would refuse to comply with US demands. The post-9/11 paradigm and its path to confrontation with Iraq enjoyed the full support of Congressional leaders. Dissenting opinion was found in both Houses, but these voices had little impact. The administration’s policy was supported and pushed by Washington’s network of conservative think-tanks which had a close relationship with senior figures in government. This combination of government policy, Congressional support and think-tank drive, plus a body politic still reeling from the 9/11 attacks, led to widespread support from the nation’s media networks for a new confrontation with Iraq. This closed off other possible avenues for addressing the threat posed by Saddam Hussein and subdued critical analysis and dissenting opinion.1
