Interview: Professor John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago Discusses the Case for Invading Iraq

Morning Edition: September 20, 2002

BOB EDWARDS, host:

President Bush meets with Russia's foreign minister at the White House today to lobby Russia to support a new, stronger UN Security Council resolution on disarming Iraq. Russian officials have said they don't believe a new resolution is necessary, that existing ones are all the weapons inspectors required to return to Iraq and carry out their mission. Secretary of State Powell, who'll be participating in the White House session, told Congress yesterday, `Sending weapons inspectors back to Iraq without the authority of a new resolution is a recipe for failure.' The president's campaign against Saddam Hussein and the anniversary of the September 11th attacks have boosted his ratings in recent public opinion surveys. President Bush's approval rating has jumped 10 percentage points in the past month to 70 percent, but there are those who believe his focus on Iraq is misguided. John Mearsheimer is a political science professor at the University of Chicago.

You're among those who believe the Bush administration should have declared war on al-Qaeda, not on terrorism. Why?

Professor JOHN MEARSHEIMER (University of Chicago): Well, I think that the principal threat to the United States is al-Qaeda, not Saddam Hussein. I think Saddam Hussein is definitely a threat to the region and to United States' interests, but I think the United States can contain Saddam Hussein, as it's done for the past 11 years, with relative ease and there's no need to go to war against him. With al-Qaeda, on the other hand, it's imperative that we not take our eye off the ball and we focus virtually all our attention and all of our resources on destroying that deadly threat. I think if we go into Iraq and open up a two-front war, it'll detract from that endeavor.

EDWARDS: Well, how did the war on terrorism get shifted from al-Qaeda to Iraq?

Prof. MEARSHEIMER: For some reason, the Bush administration has an obsession with Iraq and with Saddam Hussein, in particular, and it's determined not simply to win the war against al-Qaeda, but to topple Saddam Hussein from power as well.

EDWARDS: So is this just some sort of military adventure, in your opinion?

Prof. MEARSHEIMER: No, I think to characterize it as a military adventure would be unfair to the Bush administration. I do think, however, it would be a mistake for the United States to attack Iraq at this point in time. Now there are two problems associated with going to war against Iraq. First of all, the United States would end up occupying the country for decades, and at this point in time, the United States doesn't need another long-term occupation. But more importantly, it would detract from the war on terrorism and it would make it less likely that we would successfully win that war in the short term.

EDWARDS: And yet it seems the Congress is about ready to pass a resolution giving the president wide latitude in Iraq.

Prof. MEARSHEIMER: I think there's no question that the administration has done a brilliant job of effectively steamrolling the Congress and getting senators and representatives to vote in favor of attacking Iraq.

EDWARDS: So what should the US response be in its war on terrorism?

Prof. MEARSHEIMER: Well, the United States response should be to focus almost exclusively on al-Qaeda and to continue to contain Iraq the way it has over the past 11 years. There's no question that Saddam Hussein is a threat to the United States and that the United States has to pay very careful attention to him, but it's not necessary at this point in time to topple him from power. We can successfully contain him and we should do that. And instead, we should focus on getting al-Qaeda.

EDWARDS: John Mearsheimer is a professor of political science at the University of Chicago.

The time is 19 minutes past the hour.

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