The United States and its allies have successfully prosecuted a war against Iraq. Although amazingly few allied lives were lost, there was great destruction to Iraq and many Iraqi deaths. It seems important to explore what led the U.S. to turn speedily to war, rather than pursue alternatives. I will focus on how cultural and psychological factors shaped the reactions, motivations, and behavior of the leadership and people of the United States. We are usually unaware of these influences, even though they have great power, and even shape political and economic motives.

Many nations supported Iraq after it attacked Iran and continued to support it in spite of the use of chemical weapons, the mass killing of Kurds in Iraq, and other atrocities. Following the Iraqi invasions of Kuwait there was long overdue response: stationing enough troops in Saudi Arabia to avert an attack and international sanctions. According to many observers the sanctions had a good chance of success in forcing Iraq, with its one-product economy, to withdraw from Kuwait. Real talks with Iraq may have provided Saddam Hussein the cover he needed to withdraw. Success in accomplishing this without war would have set an example for future behavior by the community of nations and discouraged future aggression.

Instead, the U.S. leadership put massive additional forces into Saudi Arabia and promoted a UN resolution that both authorized the use of force to expel Iraq from Kuwait and set a deadline for Iraq to leave.