The Hyperpower and the Hype: Reassessing transatlantic relations in the Iraqi context. EIPA Working Paper: 2003/W/1

Duke, Simon (2003) The Hyperpower and the Hype: Reassessing transatlantic relations in the Iraqi context. EIPA Working Paper: 2003/W/1.

Abstract

[From the Introduction]. This examination of the state of transatlantic relations argues that the positions of the EU Member States and the U.S. are in fact more nuanced. Two concerns are highlighted. The first is that the European resistance to military intervention in Iraq is not only a result of collective military weakness which, ipso facto, leads to a preference for a non-military resolution. The positions of any EU Member States stems from profound concern about what military intervention might trigger in the mid to longer term, both in Iraq as well as the region generally. The second concern is that the push for military intervention by the Bush administration, possibly without substantial international support, will compromise the chances for long-term stability in the region. The decisive advantage of the U.S., the hyperpuissance, over its European allies is its overwhelming military superiority. This alone cannot guarantee peace and stability for the region. That can only be done through multilateral efforts which the U.S. is not necessarily the best equipped to lead.