In the research, the broader question that will be the foundation of the study is “Why did the U.S. invade Iraq in 2003?” However, the narrower question that was derived from the broad topic concerns the role of geopolitics in the Iraq invasion. For this reason, the question that the research topic will seek to answer regards geopolitics in the U.S. and how this political concept contributed to the attack. The research question will first define geopolitics. Collin described geopolitics as the concepts of space, scale, network, territory, region, and place that influence international politics (17). Also, the author purports that the idea is part of the human geography that related to politics. Essentially, geopolitics emphasizes how nations assert political power in geographical space.
The research topic will also cover how U.S. geopolitics is evident in the American foreign policy. In this case, the Iraq invasion in 2003 will be discussed. A significant number of international observers and some Americans hold that the war waged because of the Iraqi war (Ebel 20). Before the invasion, Iraq was a leading producer of crude oil in the world (Mercille 327). However, after the war ended, attacks and looting on their pipelines resulted in a significant reduction in their exports and crude oil production. For this reason, the research topic will investigate whether the U.S. intended to assert their political power in order by sabotaging the Iraq oil reserves.
Lastly, the research topic will find critiques of geopolitics concerning the Iraq invasion (Falah et al. 142; Le Billon and El Khatib 109). The section of the paper will establish the assumptions that the concept makes, which could lead to inaccurate conclusions concerning the war between U.S. and Iraq in 2003.
Annotated Sources
Colin, Flint. Introduction to Geopolitics. London: Routledge, 2003.
The book introduces the writer to the concept of geopolitics. The author offers a precise framework to the readers with examples of contemporary conflicts that illustrate how geography presents opportunities for nations, terrorist organizations, and countries to exercise power. The resource helped in comprehending the current affairs concerning conflicts in the contemporary world.
Cramer, Jane K., and A. Trevor Thrall, eds. Why Did the United States Invade Iraq? Routledge, 2013.
The book provides insight into the 2003 war between Iraq and the United States. More so, the resource provides in-depth knowledge about America’s international politics and foreign policy. The book helped to understand how the American administration contributed to the invasion.
Ebel, Robert E. Geopolitics, and Energy in Iraq: Where Politics Rules. CSIS, 2010.
In this book, Roberts explains how the administration in Iraq addressed the question of Energy and politics later in 2010. More so, the author outlines how the power vacuum in the country may be the loophole that facilitated the invasion. More specifically, the issues of the gas and oil sector are addressed in this resource and how the reserves shaped politics in an international level.
Falah, Ghazi-Walid, Colin Flint, and Virginie Mamadouh. "Just War and Extraterritoriality: The Popular Geopolitics of the United States' War on Iraq as Reflected In Newspapers of the Arab World." Annals of the Association of American Geographers, vol. 96, no.1, 2006, pp.142-164.
The article explains how the Iraq government viewed the invasion. The authors hold that the war was not geared towards legitimacy and support but was more of a way to assert power. Additionally, the resource contained information about territorial sovereignty and how foreign governments invade these spaces.
Le Billon, Philippe, and Fouad El Khatib. "From Free Oil to ‘Freedom Oil’: Terrorism, War and US Geopolitics in the Persian Gulf." Geopolitics, vol.9, no.1, 2004, pp. 109-137.
In this article, the authors discuss how oil has played a role in driving foreign interests at an international level. Also, the writers reveal how the balance of power and territorial conflicts stem particularly in the oil-producing countries. The article helped in understanding how oil producing countries become a target for war because of the wealth of their resources.
Mercille, Julien. "The Radical Geopolitics of US Foreign Policy: The 2003 Iraq War." GeoJournal, vol. 75, no.4, 2010, pp. 327-337.
In this article, Mercille explains the concept of United States' geopolitics. The author focuses on the critics of this idea and how various assumptions were made concerning the Iraq invasion. The article provides insightful information about the concept and helps one understand the blind spots in geopolitics.
Works Cited
Colin, Flint. Introduction to Geopolitics. London: Routledge, 2003.
Cramer, Jane K., and A. Trevor Thrall, eds. Why Did the United States Invade Iraq?. Routledge, 2013.
Ebel, Robert E. Geopolitics and Energy in Iraq: Where Politics Rules. CSIS, 2010.
Falah, Ghazi-Walid, Colin Flint, and Virginie Mamadouh. "Just War and Extraterritoriality: The Popular Geopolitics of the United States' War on Iraq as Reflected In Newspapers of the Arab World." Annals of the Association of American Geographers, vol. 96, no.1, 2006, pp.142-164.
Le Billon, Philippe, and Fouad El Khatib. "From Free Oil to ‘Freedom Oil’: Terrorism, War and US Geopolitics in the Persian Gulf." Geopolitics, vol.9, no.1, 2004, pp. 109-137.
Mercille, Julien. "The Radical Geopolitics of US Foreign Policy: The 2003 Iraq War." GeoJournal, vol. 75, no.4, 2010, pp. 327-337.
