ALYSSA HASEGAWA HEY-RIM YOO Case Study Iraq 2003.

ALYSSA HASEGAWAHEY-RIM YOO

Case StudyIraq 2003

Outline

1. Introduction Historical Background Key points & Important Events Actions Taken By the International Community Failure & Lessons 3. Conclusion The Significance of Iraq 2003 Case Current Situations and Issues

Historical Background

Saddam Hussein

5th President of IraqJuly 17 Revolution⇒

Establishment of Baathist government

He order the invasion of Kuwait in 1990⇒Gulf War

Convicted on charges of killing 148 Iraqi Shiites (April 28, 1937 ~ December 30,

2006)

Key Event of Iraq 2003

September 11, 2001Terror attack on the World Trade Center George W. Bush took this action as an aggression of “terror” Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein were primary targets

Important Events

State of Union Speech by President Bush (January 29, 2002) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHA-0EmkoC8

UN Blockages Iraq (May 14 ,2002)

U.S. Congress authorize use of military in Iraq (October 2002)

Important Events (2)

May 19, 2003 President Bush proclaim “invasion” on Iraq http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ8iMwA11T

QMay 20, 2003

First skirmish between American and Iraqi forces confirmed, and air raid started in Bagdad

International Reaction

US⇒ Osama bin Laden(Iraq strong ①connection to

Al Qaeda lead to attack on Afghanistan)

②Saddam Hussein violence towards its people

③Disarm of Iraq`s WMDsUK⇒ Disarm Iraqi forces①　　　　　② Giving sanctions to people violated

by 　　　　　 Saddam Hussein UN⇒Disarmament of Saddam Hussein

All on the same opinion of Saddam Hussein

Actions Taken By the International Community

Actions Taken By the International Community 　

UN-led ResolutionsResolution 1441 (November 8, 2002)

US-led ResolutionsOperation Enduring Freedom (October 7,

2001)Operation Iraqi Freedom (May 20 ,2003)Operation New Dawn (September 2010)

Resolution 1441

Final opportunity to comply with disarmament obligations (November 8, 2002)

Ceasefire under the term of Resolution 687 Anti WMD and prohibition of missiles and armaments

Coalition of the willing (US led invasion of Iraq)

This was voted unanimously

Operation Enduring Freedom

Reaction to September 11 attack on World Trade Center

War in Afghanistan by the U.S. government under the Global “War on Terror”

Aerial bombing on Taliban forces and al-Qaeda

US causalities⇒2.165 service men & 3 civilians

Afghanistan civilian death⇒1,000~3,000

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Reaction to Iraq rejection to UN`s Resolution 1441 by the US (May 20 ,2003~May 1, 2003)

Deployed 255,000 U.S., 45,000 British, 2,000 Australian, and 200 Polish troops

49 countries participated (ex. UK, Japan, and South Korea had their coalition force)

US causalities⇒4,409 service men & 13 civilians

Iraqi civilian death⇒ over 55,000

Failures & Lesson

Broad interpretation of UN ResolutionsFailure of Saddam Hussein to comply with

the ResolutionsFailure of the international society and

organizations to prevent U.S. and its coalition from invading Iraq

Failure of U.S. to accept the majority opinion of the international society

Failures of the International Society

Iraq Invasion of 2003

Supreme Humanitarian Emergency X

Last Resort X

Proportionality X

Positive Humanitarian Outcome (short) X/△

(long) X

Humanitarian motives X

Humanitarian justification X

Legality X

Selectivity X

Evaluation

Supreme Humanitarian Emergency

Human rights record of Iraq in 2003 did not constitute a supreme humanitarian emergency

In reality, there were much more civilian deaths after the coalition’s invasion in 2003

Last Resort

Economic sanctionsCriminal prosecutionMore thorough inspection from IAEAPressure from surrounding states (Saddam

Hussein’s enemies)

Proportionality

As the invasion wasn’t intended for humanitarian reasons, the coalition failed to deploy troops trained in policing

Civilian deaths by bombing, cross-firing etc.

Positive Humanitarian Outcome

Short Released the Iraqi

people from Saddam Hussein (△)

But there was no prospect for positive humanitarian outcome since the invasion wasn’t intended for humanitarian reasons

Long Total failure in

rebuilding phase Lack of police troops Lack of support from

the international society

Humanitarian Motives

The coalition started focusing on “humanitarian” reasons only after they found out that there were no WMDs in Iraq

Humanitarian Justification

Kenneth Roth in War in Iraq: Not a humanitarian intervention ‘Better late than never’ is not a justification for

humanitarian intervention, which should be countenanced only to stop mass murder, not to punish its perpetrators, desirable as punishment is in such circumstances.

Legality

Reinterpretation of UN Resolutions by US and UK UK: War with Iraq was legal because it was authorized by the

Security Council under Resolution 1441 due to Iraq’s breach of Resolution 678 Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter

Demands that Iraq comply fully with resolution… and decides, while maintaining all its decisions, to allow Iraq one final opportunity…

… a final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations under relevant resolutions of the Council

US: Legitimate based on ‘preemptive’ self-defense … given the goals of rogue states and terrorists, the United States

can no longer solely rely on a reactive posture as we have in the past. The inability to deter a potential attacker, the immediacy of today’s threat, and the magnitude of potential harm that could be caused by our adversaries, choice of weapons, do not permit that option. We cannot let our enemies strike first.

Selectivity

Why not back then? Oil Geopolitical reasons

Current Situation of Iraq

U.S. army completely withdrew from Iraq by December 2011

Current President of Iraq is Jalal Talabani—he is a Kurd

Significance

War against Iraq in 2003 was an “invasion” waged by the United States and its coalition members under the name of “humanitarian intervention,” staining/degrading the true value of “humanitarian intervention” as an international norm

It ignited a debate on both the humanitarian intervention and the role and power of UN

Question on US-led/organized humanitarian intervention

Thank You for Listening!!

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL34387.pdf

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0908900.html

http://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/numbers/2011/

http://www.iwar.org.uk/news-archive/iraq/maps/usaf-map.htm