In the aftermath of the Iraq War of 2003, when it became clear that the major public justification for the war, Saddam Hussein’s possession of weapons of mass destruction, had no basis in fact, the Bush Administration quickly emphasized a new public justification for the war. Post-Saddam Iraq would become a democratic beacon in the Middle East, leading to more open politics throughout the region. It is very tempting to assume that this change of message is simply public relations, an insincere effort to sell a policy to both American public opinion and to the world. Undoubtedly, at least in the public presentation element, there is some truth to this assumption. However, it would be a mistake to see the American “democratization” initiative in the Middle East as merely a cover for other, more traditional great power motivations
