Detailed Summary and Analysis: 'An Unnecessary War' Article Review

This essay provides a summary and analysis of the article 'An Unnecessary War' by Mearsheimer and Walt, which critiques the rationale behind the Iraq War. The article challenges the perception of Saddam Hussein as a serial aggressor, arguing that his actions were often driven by international objectives and survival. The essay acknowledges the authors' recognition of Saddam's use of chemical weapons but notes their attempt to downplay the extensive destruction caused by warfare. While praising the article's depth and clarity, the essay also points out a potential bias in neglecting the broader consequences of war. The analysis concludes by highlighting the article's warning against further US military interventions, which, despite being unheeded, remains relevant for understanding the complexities of the 2003 Iraq War. Desklib offers a wealth of similar academic resources for students.

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Summary of Article
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2ARTICLE SUMMARY
The article by An Unnecessary War is mainly hinted at narrating the threat and
loss that was initiated by the wars being led by Saddam. This article is engaging as it helps in
getting a strong insight into the series of battles that was led by Saddam Husain (Van Rythove
2016). The article is set against the backdrop of the debate of Bush administration to neutralize
the so-called threat and fear of Saddam Husain. The central idea of the essay was to uphold the
fact that Saddam was not really a serial aggressor. The authors tried to somehow cover or
overlook the huge destruction that is caused by warfare. The argument is that the essay did not
correctly focus on the greater furies that are caused by the War.
The methods that have been employed in this essay are the secondary method. The information
has been collected from the accounts of warfare included in the article An Unnecessary War
(Mearsheimer and Walt 2003).
War leads to the loss of life and resources. It is for this reason that people must
try their best to stop the war. However, it has been seen that in this piece the two authors are
trying their best to throw light upon the warfare that easily carried on by Saddam. Mearsheimer
and Walt (2003) have stated it must be noted in this context that people often have seen Saddam
as the creator of the Iran Iraq war and the creator of terror. However, in this essay, the two
authors are saying that Saddam was not really a serial aggressor (Kostagiannis 2018). However,
they have also agreed to the fact that Saddam was active in using the chemical weapons as his
tools for winning over the war. The authors are also of the opinion that his use of chemical
weapons is deplorable. At the same time, they have also agreed that none of the other enemies of
Saddam were deplorable.

3ARTICLE SUMMARY
The authors have also stated that the motif of Saddam was not always to wage
war on to his enemies and to create a fight. He was like a leader and his motivation for his
survival was always guided by international ideas and the objectives. However, the authors' have
stated that none of the enemies of Saddam had a similar arsenal that was implemented by him.
The 2002 national security strategy was seen as a means of expanding the advantages of freedom
all over the World. At the same time, it was also to be noted that the United States and their
regional armies were also stronger at the same time.
The strength of the article lies in the depth with which the authors have described
with the furies that continued in the 9/11 post world period (Morkevičius 2015). There are a clear
language and a crisp way in which the authors have written the article. This shows that they
wanted the readers to be able to read through it and develop a critical understanding. They have
denied considering Saddam as the evil or the creator of war. However, both the authors
Mearsheimer and Walt have been able to achieve their goal of stating that a compelling strategic
rationale was not present.
The tone of the article seems a bit biased in nature. This is because the authors
seem to have neglected the large scale destructions that are usually caused due to warfare. The
authors concluded their articles with the warning of the death and destruction that can be caused
if any further wars are launched by the US. However, the US gave no heed to these warnings and
even in the year 2003, there was another invasion by the US on Iraq. This was just a validation of
the fears that the authors prophesied in their writing. However even today, this article helps the
readers to get a whole new plethora of views over the 2003 Iraq war.

4ARTICLE SUMMARY
References
Kostagiannis, K., 2018. Nationalism and the Nation-State in Structural Realism: John
Mearsheimer’s Offensive Realism. In Realist Thought and the Nation-State (pp. 139-175).
Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Mearsheimer, J.J. and Walt, S.M., 2003. An unnecessary war. Foreign Policy, (134), p.50.
Morkevičius, V., 2015. Power and order: the shared logics of realism and just war Theory.
International Studies Quarterly, 59(1), pp.11-22.
Van Rythoven, E., 2016. The perils of realist advocacy and the promise of securitization theory:
Revisiting the tragedy of the Iraq War debate. European Journal of International Relations,
22(3), pp.487-511.