Graduate Thesis: 27 rationales for war in Iraq used by Bush

[Martin Eden]

<<snip>>
The study, “Uncovering the Rationales for the War on Iraq: The Words of the Bush Administration, Congress and the Media from September 12, 2001, to October 11, 2002,” is the senior honors thesis of Devon Largio. She and her professor, Scott Althaus, believe the study is the first of its kind.

For her analysis of all available public statements the Bush administration and selected members of Congress made pertaining to war with Iraq, Largio not only identified the rationales offered for going to war, but also established when they emerged and who promoted them. She also charted the appearance of critical keywords such as Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and Iraq to trace the administration’s shift in interest from the al Qaeda leader to the Iraqi despot, and the news media’s response to that shift.

<<snip>>
She drew from statements by President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Defense Policy Board member and long-time adviser Richard Perle; by U.S. senators Tom Daschle, Joe Lieberman, Trent Lott and John McCain; and from stories in the Congressional Record, the New York Times and The Associated Press. She logged 1,500 statements and stories.

The rationales Largio identified include everything from the five front-runners – war on terror, prevention of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, lack of weapons inspections, removal of Saddam Hussein’s regime, Saddam Hussein is evil, to the also-rans – Sen. Joe Lieberman’s “because Saddam Hussein hates us,” Colin Powell’s “because it’s a violation of international law,” and Richard Perle’s “because we can make Iraq an example and gain favor within the Middle East.”

link to the article:
http://www.news.uiuc.edu/news/04/0510war.html

link to the actual thesis:
http://www.pol.uiuc.edu/news/largio.htm

[Gman]

1. This is what they DON'T want anyone to do

keep track of their lies.

[Gman]

2. Graduate level quality work for someone working on his BA

excellent work.

Read the abstract and scanned the paper. Its excellent work. Connects dots real well.

[indepat]

3. Ms. Largio is a hero of the Republic, a true American hero: may

hundreds more scholars research, ferret out, and disclose every smelly, illegal, immoral, unjust, inhumane, corrupt and/or unconstitutional act this Administration has perpetrated.

[Eloriel]

4. Well she certainly has created an important document

This is one to save to the hard drive.

[Lisa]

5. and the author will kick scholastic butt at law school!

If the calibre of her undergrad work is any indication.