The causes and motives behind the Iraq War have come under intense scrutiny given the current situation in Iraq. This paper contends that the Iraq War could have been prevented had United Nation weapons inspectors received the full support of the Permanent 5 members of the Security Council throughout the entire inspection process from 1991-2003. The paper looks at a brief history of the weapons inspections under both UNSCOM and UNMOVIC. It analyzes the support the weapons inspectors had from the United States under both the Clinton and Bush Administration’s. As well, the motives for the United Kingdom to support the United States are looked at, in addition to why Russia, France, and China went from not supporting UNMOVIC in 1998 to supporting its use in 2002.
Author Biography
Mark Agnew
Mark Agnew is currently a Political Science and Economics student at Carleton University’s Faculty of Public Affairs. In his free time Mark is a lifeguard, and he also enjoys watching the Toronto Maple Leafs.
