Iraq: Opposing Viewpoints is a book, in the Opposing Viewpoints series, presenting selections of contrasting viewpoints (of an array of scholars, political analysts, scientists, and journalists) on four central questions about the Iraq War and its aftermath: whether it was justified; what role the U.S. should play in Iraq; what kind of government Iraq should have; and what lies in the future for Iraq? It was edited by William Dudley.
It was published by Greenhaven Press (Farmington Hills) in 2004 as a 202-page hardcover (ISBN 0-7377-2286-X) and paperback (ISBN 0-7377-2287-8).
| Chapter | Viewpoint | Author | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Why Consider Opposing Viewpoints?=] | |||
| Introduction | |||
| Chapter 1: Was the 2003 War on Iraq Justified? | 1. An American Attack on Iraq is Justified | George W. Bush | Excerpt from "Address to the Nation," March 17, 2003. |
| 2. An American Attack on Iraq is Not Justified | John E. Farley | Reprint of "Why the United States Should Not Attack Iraq," September 23, 2002. | |
| 3. Liberating Iraq's People From a Cruel Regime Justifies War | George W. Vradenburg | From "Love in the Time of War," Tikkun, vol. 18, May/June, 2003. | |
| 4. Liberating Iraq's People Does Not Justify War | Michael Massing | Excerpt from "The Moral Quandary," in The Nation, Vol. 276, January 6, 2003. | |
| 5. A Failure to Find Iraq's Weapons Calls Into Question the Justification for War | David Corn | Excerpt from "Now They Tell Us," The Nation, vol. 276, May 19, 2003. | |
| 6. War Was Justified Even if No Weapons of Mass Destruction Are Found | Michael Schrage | Reprint of "No Weapons?," Washington Post, May 11, 2003. | |
| 7. The War on Iraq Heralded a Positive New Direction for American Foreign Policy | Thomas Donnelly | Excerpt from "The Meaning of Operation Iraqi Freedom," National Security Outlook, June 1, 2003. | |
| 8. The War on Iraq Heralded a Dangerous New Direction for American Foreign Policy | Stephen Zunes | Reprint of "The U.S. and Post-War Iraq: An Analysis," Foreign Policy in Focus, May 2003. | |
| Chapter 2: What Role Should the United States Play in Iraq? | 1. The United States Is Failing to Establish Order in Iraq | Philip Carter | From "Faux Pax American," Washington Monthly, June 2003. |
| 2. The United States Is Successfully Establishing Order in Iraq | Vito Fossella | Reprint of "Progress in Iraq," Washington Times, June 4, 2003. | |
| 3. The United States Should Embrace an Imperialistic Role in Iraq | Max Boot | Reprint of "American Imperialism? No Need to Run Away from Label," USA Today, 5 May 2003. | |
| 4. The United States Should Reject an Imperialistic Role in Iraq | Awad Nasir | Reprint of "Our Choosing," National Review Online, April 7, 2003. | |
| 5. America Must Involve the United Nations in Rebuilding Iraq | Joseph R. Biden and Chuck Hagel | Reprint of "Winning the Peace," Washington Post, April 6, 2003. | |
| 6. America Should Limit the United Nations' Role in Rebuilding Iraq | Nile Gardiner | Excerpt from "Limit the Role of the United Nations In Post-War Iraq," Heritage Foundation WebMemo, #246, April 1, 2003. | |
| Chapter 3: What Kind of Government Should Iraq Have? | 1. Iraq Should Have a Secular Democracy | Barham Salih | Excerpt from "A Plea from the People of Iraq", The Age, March 10, 2003. |
| 2. The Iraqi People Do Not Want a Secular Democracy | Amir Butler | Reprint of "Liberation through Occupation?," Four Corners, 2003. | |
| 3. Iraq Needs Transitional Rule By a Strongman | Daniel Pipes | Reprint of a "A Strongman for Iraq?," New York Post, April 28, 2003. | |
| 4. Iraq Needs a Transitional Government With Dispersed Powers | Laith Kubba | Reprint of "How to Achieve Democracy in Iraq," Financial Times, October 6, 2002. | |
| 5. The United States Should Permit Iraqis to Elect an Islamic Regime | Joan Ryan | Reprint of "Marrying Islam and Democracy," Liberal Opinion Week, April 17, 2003. | |
| 6. The United States Should Not Permit Iraqis to Elect an Islamic Regime | Robert Garmong | Reprint of "Liberty, Not Democracy, in Iraq," MediaLink, May 8, 2003. | |
| Chapter 4: What Lies in the Future for Iraq? | 1. Iraq's Prospects For Democracy Are Good | Rend Rahim Franke | Reprint of "The Prospects for Democracy in Iraq," Foundation for the Defense of Democracies Perspectives, January 17, 2003. |
| 2. Iraq's Prospects For Democracy Are Poor | Patrick Basham | Excerpt from "Flying Blind on the Path to a Democratic Iraq," Cato Daily Commentary, May 4, 2003. | |
| 3. Iraq Needs a Federalist System of Government | Alon Ben-Meir | Reprint of "Democratizing Iraq," United Press International, April 27, 2003. | |
| 4. Iraq May Need to Divide Into Separate Countries | Ralph Peters | Reprint of "Must Iraq Stay Whole?," Washington Post, April 20, 2003. | |
| 5. Iraq's Oil Resources Can Lay the Foundations For Future Development | Daniel Yergin | Excerpt from "Oil Shortage," Boston Globe Magazine, May 25, 2003. | |
| 6. Iraq's Oil Resources May Hinder Future Development | John B. Judis | From "Will Black Gold Stymie Democracy in Iraq?," The New Republic, March 31, 2003. | |
| Glossary | |||
| For Further Discussion | |||
| Organizations to Contact | |||
| Bibliography of Books | |||
| Index | |||