On January 29th, 2002, American President George W. Bush delivered his annual State of the Union address. At the time, the United States was still reeling from the aftereffects of the 9/11 terrorist attacks just four months before, and the world’s eyes eagerly descended upon the White House in anticipation of President Bush addressing the next phase of the government’s response to the acts of terrorism. The public searched for tangible goals and promises from the government, anything to quell the widespread fear which had by now gripped America as a whole. For all these reasons, the 2002 State of the Union was under extreme scrutiny, a highly publicised spectacle truly unlike any such address before it. By the end of the night, President Bush
…show more content…
Bush, after the “Axis” speech, even threatened to wage war with Iraq alone at one point, showing his commitment to a war. If Bush was indeed signaling that the US planned to attack one of the “Axis” countries, then it is clear in looking back that Iraq was the intended target. The US had implemented an aggressive foreign policy towards Iraq since the first Gulf War in 1991, claiming that it had a right to “attack Baghdad at will.” America has been hailed as a “guardian” of global peace, and Iraq, which had in 1998 been declared a “rogue state,” a country which presents a threat to the world, seemed at first glance to be a prime target to strike against post 9/11. However, President Bush’s outright public provocation in declaring the nation to be part of an “Axis of Evil” amounted to a sudden declaration of aggression, something he likely would not have done without the presence of value and purpose behind it. However, what exactly those were was left to speculation, as not even US congress, whose approval is needed for any military action, knew of Bush’s intentions in publicly portraying an “Axis” at the time. Nevertheless, what was clear to the world was that George W. Bush had identified and presented three nations which had long been perceived as threats, even before the speech, based on their histories of hostility towards the US and affiliation with Weapons of Mass Destruction
Bush, after the “Axis” speech, even threatened to wage war with Iraq alone at one point, showing his commitment to a war. If Bush was indeed signaling that the US planned to attack one of the “Axis” countries, then it is clear in looking back that Iraq was the intended target. The US had implemented an aggressive foreign policy towards Iraq since the first Gulf War in 1991, claiming that it had a right to “attack Baghdad at will.” America has been hailed as a “guardian” of global peace, and Iraq, which had in 1998 been declared a “rogue state,” a country which presents a threat to the world, seemed at first glance to be a prime target to strike against post 9/11. However, President Bush’s outright public provocation in declaring the nation to be part of an “Axis of Evil” amounted to a sudden declaration of aggression, something he likely would not have done without the presence of value and purpose behind it. However, what exactly those were was left to speculation, as not even US congress, whose approval is needed for any military action, knew of Bush’s intentions in publicly portraying an “Axis” at the time. Nevertheless, what was clear to the world was that George W. Bush had identified and presented three nations which had long been perceived as threats, even before the speech, based on their histories of hostility towards the US and affiliation with Weapons of Mass Destruction