Disarming Iraq by Force: WMD Stakes and Scenarios

UN inspectors supervise destruction of an Iraqi al-Hussein ballistic missile.

By Michael Barletta

While a U.S.-led war to disarm Iraq appears increasingly probable, anticipating the consequences of the coming conflict is not a simple matter. The stakes in the coming clash include a wide range of possible positive and negative consequences. Of these, we can at best estimate which will most likely happen, which may ensue, and which are unlikely to occur. However, systematically estimating the likelihood of costs and benefits can aid in anticipating events, and offer a pragmatic basis for favoring or opposing war, as compared to alternative courses of action to address WMD threats posed by Iraq.

View previous Research Stories.

 

Author(s): Michael Barletta Related Resources: Iraq, Middle East, Americas, Weekly Story Date Created: March 7, 2003 Date Updated: -NA-

ARCHIVED MATERIAL

This page content is out-of-date and is no longer being reviewed/updated.