This document discusses the role of neoconservative ideas in the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. It outlines four main tenets of neoconservative foreign policy: 1) Moral clarity about good and evil states, 2) Support for US military preeminence, 3) Willingness to use force, and 4) Skepticism of international institutions. It argues neoconservatives saw Saddam Hussein's Iraq as the epitome of evil and believed regime change through invasion would spread democracy and reinforce US power in the region. However, the failure to find WMDs and the ensuing civil war undermined international support for the US.

1. NEOCONSERVATISM AND THE
DOMESTIC SOURCES OF
AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY:
THE ROLE OF IDEAS IN
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM
Subject: Foreign Policy Analysis
Lecturer: Ibrahim Koncak
Student: Zarina Abzalilova
INTERNATIONAL ATATÜRK ALATOO UNIVERSITY
Department of International Relations

2. NEOCONSERVATISM AS DOMESTIC SOURCE OF
AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY
 The strong international ‘rally behind America’
sentiment in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks was
replaced by both dissent and resentment as the
Bush administration launched a preventive war
against Iraq.
 The failure to find weapons of mass destruction
(WMDs) in Iraq, the US mistreatment of prisoners in
Baghdad’s Abu Gharib prison, and the eruption of a
vicious civil war in Iraq made the international
community dubious about intentions, competence,
and moral stature of the USA.

3. THE FOUR TENETS OF NEOCONSERVATIVE
FOREIGN POLICY THOUGHT
 Moral Clarity
- about the forces of good and evil in the international
area.
- This moral clarity or certainty is starkly articulated in
terms of the internal characteristics of state
democratic leaders and democracies are good;
tyrants and tyrannical regimes are bad.

4. THE FOUR TENETS OF NEOCONSERVATIVE
FOREIGN POLICY THOUGHT
 Military pre-eminence (in the post-Cold War World)
- The situation where USA enjoys strategic and
ideological predominance in the world.
- From neoconservative perspective, people fear most in
the world is US retrenchment and isolationism, rather
than US activism and hegemony.
- Neoconservatism’s implicit theory of international
relations is based on preponderance of power, instead
of traditional balance of power, as the route to peace
and stability.

5. THE FOUR TENETS OF NEOCONSERVATIVE
FOREIGN POLICY THOUGHT
 Neoconservatives worry less about counter-
coalitions for two reasons:
1. They believe that fair-minded nations will
appreciate the benevolent nature of US hegemony
2. Nations refuse to give that USA the benefit of the
doubt will simply have to live with, or in fear of,
America’s overwhelming power.

6. THE FOUR TENETS OF NEOCONSERVATIVE
FOREIGN POLICY THOUGHT
 Leverage of military power
- willing to use military force to pursue its foreign policy
goals.
Gulf War (1990-1991) showing ‘cruise missiles capable of
making right angle turns’
- Neoconservative argument for the utility of force stems
from the first two premises:
If one’s ends are noble and good, one be morally derelict if
one did not use all the means at one’s disposal –
including military force – in pursuit of those ends (such
as democratization)

7. THE FOUR TENETS OF NEOCONSERVATIVE
FOREIGN POLICY THOUGHT
 Scepticism
- A deep scepticism on the part of neoconservatives
about the ability of international law and institutions
to bring about peace and justice in this world.
- Institutions like International Criminal Court and the
United Nations are seen by neoconservatives as
mechanisms used by weaker powers to tie down
the USA.
- + appreciating the legitimating functions of
international law and international institutions.

8. NEOCONSERVATIVES AND THE SLAYING OF
THE IRAQI MONSTER
 Applying the tenets of neoconservative foreign policy
thought to Saddam Hussein’s Iraq:
- Saddam is the №.1 ‘axis of evil’; regime change leading to a
domestic Iraq is the first step of democratizing the Middle East
- Regime change in Iraq will remove a major adversary and
reinforce US power in the Middle East
- Saddam possesses WMDs (weapons of mass destruction),
containment is not working, military force is the only way to
achieve US goals.
- UN resolution is unnecessary; ‘coalition of the willing is
sufficient’

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