27 Rationales for War in Iraq

"If it seems that there have been quite a few rationales for going to war in Iraq, that’s because there have been quite a few –- 27, in fact, all floated between Sept. 12, 2001, and Oct. 11, 2002, according to a new study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. All but four of the rationales originated with the administration of President George W. Bush" (Andrea Lynn, "Bush Administration Has Used 27 Rationales for War in Iraq, Study Says," May 10, 2004). The study in question is available online: Devon M. Largio, “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,” Senior Honors Thesis, University of Illinois, 2004, www.pol.uiuc.edu/news/largio.htm.