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Irak ve İran: Irak-İran Savaşının Poliheuristik Teori Çerçevesinde Değerlendirilmesi

Year 2025, Volume: 15 Issue: 1, 78 - 93, 07.03.2025

Abstract

Irak-İran krizi dünyanın en karmaşık çatışmalarından biridir. Bu makale, Irak-İran krizi sırasında Irak’ın karar alma sürecini analiz etmek için poliheuristik (PH) teoriyi kullanıyor. Araştırma, Mintz’in (1993, 2004) PH modelini kullanarak, Irak liderlerinin erişebildiği başlıca politika boyutlarını ve seçeneklerini inceleyerek bu dönemdeki karar alma süreçlerini ve sonuçlarını ortaya çıkarmayı amaçlamaktadır. Ayrıca, Ortadoğu siyasetinde yükselen bir güç olan Irak’ın, Pehlevi İranı ile başlatılan diplomasi çabalarını sürdürmek yerine neden devrim sonrası İran›a savaş açtığı sorusuna bir cevap aramaktadır. Bulgular, mevcut PH literatürüyle uyumludur ve Iraklı karar vericilerin kriz sırasında iki aşamalı bir karar alma yaklaşımı izlediğini ortaya koymaktadır. İlk aşamada, Irak liderleri telafi edici olmayan prensibine bağlı kalarak kayıplara yol açabilecek seçenekleri bir kenara bıraktılar. İkinci aşamada, beklenen fayda maksimizasyonu Irak Devlet Başkanı Saddam Hüseyin’in kararlarını yönlendirdi.

References

  • Abdelsalam, E. A. (1984). Pan-Arabism and Charismatic Leadership: A Study of Iraq’s Foreign Policy Behavior Towards the Arab Region: 1968-1982 [Doctoral dissertation, Northwestern University].
  • Aburish, S. K. (2001). Saddam Hussein: The politics of Revenge. Bloomsbury.
  • Acharya, A. (1989). U.S. Military Strategy in the Gulf. Routledge.
  • Al-Marashi, I., & Salama, S. (2008). Iraq’s Armed Forces. Routledge.
  • Astorino-Courtois, A., & Trusty, B. (2000). Degrees of Difficulty: The Effect of Israeli Policy Shifts on Syrian Peace Decisions. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 44(3), 359-377. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022002700044003004
  • Bakhash, S. (2004). The Troubled Relationship: Iran and Iraq, 1930–1980. In L. G. Potter & G. G. Sick (Eds.), Iran, Iraq, and the Legacies of War (pp. 11-27). Palgrave Macmillian.
  • Batatu, H. (1978). The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of Iraq. Princeton University Press.
  • Belmonte, M. L. (2012). Foreign Relations of the United States, Iran; Iraq, 1973–1976. 1969–1976, Volume XXVII. https://static.history.state.gov/frus/frus1969-76v27/pdf/frus1969-76v27.pdf.
  • Below, A. (2008). US Presidential Decisions On Ozone Depletion And Climate Change: A Foreign Policy Analysis. Foreign Policy Analysis 4(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-8594.2007.00055.x
  • Brands, H. (2011). Why Did Saddam Invade Iran? New Evidence on Motives, Complexity, and the Israel Factor. The Journal of Military History, 75(3), 861–885.
  • Brands, H. (2012). Saddam Hussein, The United States, And The Invasion Of Iran: Was There A Green Light? Cold War History, 12(2), 319–343.
  • Brulé, D. J. (2005). Explaining and Forecasting Leaders’ Decisions: A Poliheuristic Analysis of the Iran Hostage Rescue Decision. International Studies Perspectives 6(1), 99-113.
  • Chubin, S., & Tripp, C. (1988). Iran and Iraq at War. Westview Press.
  • Cleveland, W. L., & Bunton, M. P. (2013). A History of the Modern Middle East. Westview Press.
  • Clare, J. (February 2003). Loss Aversion and Patterns of Israeli-Palestinian Interactions: A Noncompensatory Perspective [Conference Session]. The International Studies Association, Portland, OR, United States.
  • CIA. (1984). Iran-Iraq: Buying Weapons for War. Director of Intelligence, United States. https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP85T00283R000500120005-5.pdf
  • Cordesman, A. H., & Wagner, A. R. (1990). The Lessons of Modern War: The Iran-Iraq War. Westview Press.
  • Dawisha, A. (1980). Iraq: The West’s Opportunity. Foreign Policy, 41, 134–153. https://doi.org/10.2307/1148177
  • Dacey, R., & Carlson, L. J. (2004). Traditional decision analysis and the poliheuristic theory of foreign policy decision making. Journal of conflict resolution 48(1), 38-55.
  • DeRouen, K. (2003). The Decision Not to Use Force at Dien Bien Phu: A Poliheuristic Perspective. In A. Mintz (Eds.), Integrating Cognitive and Rational Theories of Foreign Policy Decision Making: The Polyheuristic Theory of Decision (pp. 11-28), Palgrave Macmillan.
  • DeRouen, K. 2001. Politics, Economics, and Presidential Use of Force Decision Making. Edwin Mellen Press.
  • Dougherty, K. (2013). Military Decision-Making Processes: Case Studies Involving the Preparation, Commitment, Application and Withdrawal of Force. McFarland.
  • Fukuyama, F. (1980). The Soviet Union and Iraq. RAND Corporation.
  • Gause, F. G. (2002). Iraq’s Decisions to Go to War, 1980 and 1990. Middle East Journal, 56(1), 47–70.
  • Gause, G. (2010). The International Relations of the Persian Gulf. Cambridge University Press.
  • Helms, C. M. (1984). Iraq: Eastern Flank of the Arab World. The Brookings Institution.
  • Henderson, S. (1991). Instant Empire: Saddam Hussein’s Ambition for Iraq. Mercury House.
  • Holden, S. E. (2012). A Documentary History of Modern Iraq. Glatfelter Natures Book.
  • Hiro, D. (1991). The Longest War: The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict. Routledge.
  • Hurst, S. (2009). The United States and Iraq Since 1979: Hegemony, Oil and War. Edinburgh University Press.
  • İpek, F. O. (2023). The Impact of Domestic Actors on Iraq’s Foreign Policy Formulation: Structural Autonomy, Foreign Policy Coalition, and Domestic Balance of Political Power [Doctoral Dissertation, Sakarya University].
  • Jabar, F. A. (2003). The Shi’ite Movement in Iraq. Saqi.
  • James, P., & Zhang, E. (2005). Chinese choices: A poliheuristic analysis of foreign policy crises, 1950–1996. Foreign Policy Analysis, 1(1), 31-54.
  • Karsh, E. (1990). Geopolitical Determinism: The Origins of the Iran-Iraq War. Middle East Journal, 44(2), 256–268.
  • Kelidar, A. (1975). Iraq: The Search for Stability. Institute for the Study of Conflict.
  • Khadduri, M. (1978). Socialist Iraq. The Middle East Institute.
  • Khadduri, M. (1988). The Gulf War: The Origins and Implications of the Iraq-Iran Conflict. Oxford University Press.
  • Kinne, B. J. (2005). Decision making in autocratic regimes: A poliheuristic perspective. International Studies Perspectives 6(1), 114-128.
  • Makiya, K. (1998). Republic of Fear: The Politics of Modern Iraq. University of California Press.
  • Marr, P. (2012). The Modern History of Iraq. Westview Press.
  • Maleki, A. (2002). Decision Making in Iran’s Foreign Policy: A Heuristic Approach. Journal of Social Affairs 73, 39–53.
  • McDowall, D. (2000). A Modern History of the Kurds. I.B. Tauris.
  • Mintz, A. (1993). The Decision to Attack Iraq: A Noncompensatory Theory of Decision Making. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 34(4), 595–613.
  • Mintz, A. (1995). The ‘Noncompensatory Principle’ of Coalition Formation. Journal of Theoretical Politics 7.
  • Mintz, A. & Mishal, S. (February 2003). Decision matrixes and outcomes: Explaining Arafat and Sharon’s policy alternatives and dimensions during the intifada [Conference Session]. The Gilman Conference on New Directions in International Relations. New Haven, CT, United States.
  • Mintz, A. (2004). How Do Leaders Make Decisions? A Polyheuristic Perspective. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 48(1), 3–13.
  • Mintz, A. (2005). Applied Decision Analysis: Utilizing Poliheuristic Theory to Explain and Predict Foreign Policy and National Security Decisions. International Studies Perspectives, 6(1).
  • Mintz, A. (2016). Integrating Cognitive and Rational Theories of Foreign Policy Decision Making. Palgrave Macmillan. In A. Mintz (Eds.), Integrating Cognitive and Rational Theories of Foreign Policy Decision Making: The Polyheuristic Theory of Decision (pp. 1-9), Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Mintz, A., & DeRouen Jr, K. (2010). Understanding Foreign Policy Decision Making. Cambridge University Press.
  • Mufti, M. (1996). Sovereign Creations: Pan-Arabism and Political Order in Syria and Iraq. Cornell University Press.
  • Ye, M. Poliheuristic Theory, Bargaining, and Crisis Decision Making. Foreign Policy Analysis 3(4), 317-344. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-8594.2007.00053.x
  • Nelson, C. E. (2018). Revolution and War: Saddam’s Decision to Invade Iran. Middle East Journal, 72(2), 246–266.
  • Özdamar, Ö. & Erciyas, O. (2020). Turkey and Cyprus: A Poliheuristic Analysis of Decisions during the Crises of 1964, 1967, and 1974. Foreign Policy Analysis, 16(3), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1093/fpa/orz016
  • Parasiliti, A. T. (2003). The Causes and Timing of Iraq’s Wars: A Power Cycle Assessment. International Political Science Review, 24(1), 151–165. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192512103024001010
  • Perlmutter, A. (1977). The Military and Politics in Modern Times: On professionals, praetorians, and revolutionary soldiers. Yale University Press.
  • Ramazani, R. K. (1988). Revolutionary Iran: Challenge and Response in the Middle East. Johns Hopkins University Press.
  • Redd, S. B. (2000). The effect of advisors on strategy and choice in foreign policy decision making [Doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University]
  • Sathasivam, K. (2003). No Other Choice: Pakistan’s Decision to Test the Bomb. In A. Mintz (Eds.), Integrating Cognitive and Rational Theories of Foreign Policy Decision Making: The Polyheuristic Theory of Decision (pp. 55-76), Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Sluglett, P. (2016). The Cold War in the Middle East. In L. Fawcett (Eds.), International Relations of the Middle East (pp. 62–78). Oxford University Press.
  • Smolansky, O. M., & Smolansky, B. M. (1991). The USSR and Iraq: The Soviet Quest for Influence. Duke University Press.
  • Stein, E. (2021). International Relations in the Middle East: Hegemonic Strategies and Regional Order. Cambridge University Press.
  • Tahiri, H. (2007). The Structure of Kurdish Society and the Struggle for a Kurdish State. Mazda Publishers.
  • Taylor-Robinson, M.M. & Redd, S.B. (2003). Framing and the Poliheuristic Theory of Decision: The United Fruit Company and the 1954 U.S.-Led Coup in Guatemala. In A. Mintz (Eds.), Integrating Cognitive and Rational Theories of Foreign Policy Decision Making: The Polyheuristic Theory of Decision (pp. 77-100), Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Tripp, C. (2003). Iraq. In Y. Sayigh & A. Shalim (Eds.), The Cold War and the Middle East (pp. 186–215). Oxford University Press.
  • Tripp, C. (2007). A History of Iraq. Cambridge University Press.
  • Walt, S. M. (1990). The Origins of Alliances. Cornell University Press.
  • Workman, W. T. (1994). The Social Origins of the Iran-Iraq War. Lynne Rienner.
  • World Bank (1983). World Tables: Economic Data. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Iraq and Iran: A Poliheuristic Assessment of the Iraq-Iran War

Year 2025, Volume: 15 Issue: 1, 78 - 93, 07.03.2025

Abstract

The Iraq-Iran crisis stands as one of the most intricate conflicts in the Middle East. This study employs the poliheuristic (PH) theory to scrutinize Iraq’s decision-making throughout the crisis. Utilizing Mintz’s (1993, 2004) PH model, the research aims to uncover the decision-making processes and outcomes during this period by scrutinizing the major policy dimensions and options accessible to Iraq’s leadership. In addition, it seeks an answer to the question of why Iraq, as a rising power in Middle Eastern politics, waged war against revolutionary Iran rather than sustaining diplomacy efforts initiated with Pehlevi Iran. The findings align with existing PH literature, revealing that Iraqi decision-makers followed a two-stage decision-making approach during the crisis. In the first stage, Iraqi leaders discarded options that could lead to losses, adhering to a non-compensatory rule. In the second stage, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s decisions were guided by expected utility maximization.

References

  • Abdelsalam, E. A. (1984). Pan-Arabism and Charismatic Leadership: A Study of Iraq’s Foreign Policy Behavior Towards the Arab Region: 1968-1982 [Doctoral dissertation, Northwestern University].
  • Aburish, S. K. (2001). Saddam Hussein: The politics of Revenge. Bloomsbury.
  • Acharya, A. (1989). U.S. Military Strategy in the Gulf. Routledge.
  • Al-Marashi, I., & Salama, S. (2008). Iraq’s Armed Forces. Routledge.
  • Astorino-Courtois, A., & Trusty, B. (2000). Degrees of Difficulty: The Effect of Israeli Policy Shifts on Syrian Peace Decisions. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 44(3), 359-377. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022002700044003004
  • Bakhash, S. (2004). The Troubled Relationship: Iran and Iraq, 1930–1980. In L. G. Potter & G. G. Sick (Eds.), Iran, Iraq, and the Legacies of War (pp. 11-27). Palgrave Macmillian.
  • Batatu, H. (1978). The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of Iraq. Princeton University Press.
  • Belmonte, M. L. (2012). Foreign Relations of the United States, Iran; Iraq, 1973–1976. 1969–1976, Volume XXVII. https://static.history.state.gov/frus/frus1969-76v27/pdf/frus1969-76v27.pdf.
  • Below, A. (2008). US Presidential Decisions On Ozone Depletion And Climate Change: A Foreign Policy Analysis. Foreign Policy Analysis 4(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-8594.2007.00055.x
  • Brands, H. (2011). Why Did Saddam Invade Iran? New Evidence on Motives, Complexity, and the Israel Factor. The Journal of Military History, 75(3), 861–885.
  • Brands, H. (2012). Saddam Hussein, The United States, And The Invasion Of Iran: Was There A Green Light? Cold War History, 12(2), 319–343.
  • Brulé, D. J. (2005). Explaining and Forecasting Leaders’ Decisions: A Poliheuristic Analysis of the Iran Hostage Rescue Decision. International Studies Perspectives 6(1), 99-113.
  • Chubin, S., & Tripp, C. (1988). Iran and Iraq at War. Westview Press.
  • Cleveland, W. L., & Bunton, M. P. (2013). A History of the Modern Middle East. Westview Press.
  • Clare, J. (February 2003). Loss Aversion and Patterns of Israeli-Palestinian Interactions: A Noncompensatory Perspective [Conference Session]. The International Studies Association, Portland, OR, United States.
  • CIA. (1984). Iran-Iraq: Buying Weapons for War. Director of Intelligence, United States. https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP85T00283R000500120005-5.pdf
  • Cordesman, A. H., & Wagner, A. R. (1990). The Lessons of Modern War: The Iran-Iraq War. Westview Press.
  • Dawisha, A. (1980). Iraq: The West’s Opportunity. Foreign Policy, 41, 134–153. https://doi.org/10.2307/1148177
  • Dacey, R., & Carlson, L. J. (2004). Traditional decision analysis and the poliheuristic theory of foreign policy decision making. Journal of conflict resolution 48(1), 38-55.
  • DeRouen, K. (2003). The Decision Not to Use Force at Dien Bien Phu: A Poliheuristic Perspective. In A. Mintz (Eds.), Integrating Cognitive and Rational Theories of Foreign Policy Decision Making: The Polyheuristic Theory of Decision (pp. 11-28), Palgrave Macmillan.
  • DeRouen, K. 2001. Politics, Economics, and Presidential Use of Force Decision Making. Edwin Mellen Press.
  • Dougherty, K. (2013). Military Decision-Making Processes: Case Studies Involving the Preparation, Commitment, Application and Withdrawal of Force. McFarland.
  • Fukuyama, F. (1980). The Soviet Union and Iraq. RAND Corporation.
  • Gause, F. G. (2002). Iraq’s Decisions to Go to War, 1980 and 1990. Middle East Journal, 56(1), 47–70.
  • Gause, G. (2010). The International Relations of the Persian Gulf. Cambridge University Press.
  • Helms, C. M. (1984). Iraq: Eastern Flank of the Arab World. The Brookings Institution.
  • Henderson, S. (1991). Instant Empire: Saddam Hussein’s Ambition for Iraq. Mercury House.
  • Holden, S. E. (2012). A Documentary History of Modern Iraq. Glatfelter Natures Book.
  • Hiro, D. (1991). The Longest War: The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict. Routledge.
  • Hurst, S. (2009). The United States and Iraq Since 1979: Hegemony, Oil and War. Edinburgh University Press.
  • İpek, F. O. (2023). The Impact of Domestic Actors on Iraq’s Foreign Policy Formulation: Structural Autonomy, Foreign Policy Coalition, and Domestic Balance of Political Power [Doctoral Dissertation, Sakarya University].
  • Jabar, F. A. (2003). The Shi’ite Movement in Iraq. Saqi.
  • James, P., & Zhang, E. (2005). Chinese choices: A poliheuristic analysis of foreign policy crises, 1950–1996. Foreign Policy Analysis, 1(1), 31-54.
  • Karsh, E. (1990). Geopolitical Determinism: The Origins of the Iran-Iraq War. Middle East Journal, 44(2), 256–268.
  • Kelidar, A. (1975). Iraq: The Search for Stability. Institute for the Study of Conflict.
  • Khadduri, M. (1978). Socialist Iraq. The Middle East Institute.
  • Khadduri, M. (1988). The Gulf War: The Origins and Implications of the Iraq-Iran Conflict. Oxford University Press.
  • Kinne, B. J. (2005). Decision making in autocratic regimes: A poliheuristic perspective. International Studies Perspectives 6(1), 114-128.
  • Makiya, K. (1998). Republic of Fear: The Politics of Modern Iraq. University of California Press.
  • Marr, P. (2012). The Modern History of Iraq. Westview Press.
  • Maleki, A. (2002). Decision Making in Iran’s Foreign Policy: A Heuristic Approach. Journal of Social Affairs 73, 39–53.
  • McDowall, D. (2000). A Modern History of the Kurds. I.B. Tauris.
  • Mintz, A. (1993). The Decision to Attack Iraq: A Noncompensatory Theory of Decision Making. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 34(4), 595–613.
  • Mintz, A. (1995). The ‘Noncompensatory Principle’ of Coalition Formation. Journal of Theoretical Politics 7.
  • Mintz, A. & Mishal, S. (February 2003). Decision matrixes and outcomes: Explaining Arafat and Sharon’s policy alternatives and dimensions during the intifada [Conference Session]. The Gilman Conference on New Directions in International Relations. New Haven, CT, United States.
  • Mintz, A. (2004). How Do Leaders Make Decisions? A Polyheuristic Perspective. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 48(1), 3–13.
  • Mintz, A. (2005). Applied Decision Analysis: Utilizing Poliheuristic Theory to Explain and Predict Foreign Policy and National Security Decisions. International Studies Perspectives, 6(1).
  • Mintz, A. (2016). Integrating Cognitive and Rational Theories of Foreign Policy Decision Making. Palgrave Macmillan. In A. Mintz (Eds.), Integrating Cognitive and Rational Theories of Foreign Policy Decision Making: The Polyheuristic Theory of Decision (pp. 1-9), Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Mintz, A., & DeRouen Jr, K. (2010). Understanding Foreign Policy Decision Making. Cambridge University Press.
  • Mufti, M. (1996). Sovereign Creations: Pan-Arabism and Political Order in Syria and Iraq. Cornell University Press.
  • Ye, M. Poliheuristic Theory, Bargaining, and Crisis Decision Making. Foreign Policy Analysis 3(4), 317-344. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-8594.2007.00053.x
  • Nelson, C. E. (2018). Revolution and War: Saddam’s Decision to Invade Iran. Middle East Journal, 72(2), 246–266.
  • Özdamar, Ö. & Erciyas, O. (2020). Turkey and Cyprus: A Poliheuristic Analysis of Decisions during the Crises of 1964, 1967, and 1974. Foreign Policy Analysis, 16(3), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1093/fpa/orz016
  • Parasiliti, A. T. (2003). The Causes and Timing of Iraq’s Wars: A Power Cycle Assessment. International Political Science Review, 24(1), 151–165. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192512103024001010
  • Perlmutter, A. (1977). The Military and Politics in Modern Times: On professionals, praetorians, and revolutionary soldiers. Yale University Press.
  • Ramazani, R. K. (1988). Revolutionary Iran: Challenge and Response in the Middle East. Johns Hopkins University Press.
  • Redd, S. B. (2000). The effect of advisors on strategy and choice in foreign policy decision making [Doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University]
  • Sathasivam, K. (2003). No Other Choice: Pakistan’s Decision to Test the Bomb. In A. Mintz (Eds.), Integrating Cognitive and Rational Theories of Foreign Policy Decision Making: The Polyheuristic Theory of Decision (pp. 55-76), Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Sluglett, P. (2016). The Cold War in the Middle East. In L. Fawcett (Eds.), International Relations of the Middle East (pp. 62–78). Oxford University Press.
  • Smolansky, O. M., & Smolansky, B. M. (1991). The USSR and Iraq: The Soviet Quest for Influence. Duke University Press.
  • Stein, E. (2021). International Relations in the Middle East: Hegemonic Strategies and Regional Order. Cambridge University Press.
  • Tahiri, H. (2007). The Structure of Kurdish Society and the Struggle for a Kurdish State. Mazda Publishers.
  • Taylor-Robinson, M.M. & Redd, S.B. (2003). Framing and the Poliheuristic Theory of Decision: The United Fruit Company and the 1954 U.S.-Led Coup in Guatemala. In A. Mintz (Eds.), Integrating Cognitive and Rational Theories of Foreign Policy Decision Making: The Polyheuristic Theory of Decision (pp. 77-100), Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Tripp, C. (2003). Iraq. In Y. Sayigh & A. Shalim (Eds.), The Cold War and the Middle East (pp. 186–215). Oxford University Press.
  • Tripp, C. (2007). A History of Iraq. Cambridge University Press.
  • Walt, S. M. (1990). The Origins of Alliances. Cornell University Press.
  • Workman, W. T. (1994). The Social Origins of the Iran-Iraq War. Lynne Rienner.
  • World Bank (1983). World Tables: Economic Data. Johns Hopkins University Press.
There are 68 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Political Science (Other)
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Fatih Oğuzhan İpek 0000-0002-8216-6287

Publication Date March 7, 2025
Submission Date June 5, 2024
Acceptance Date October 24, 2024
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 15 Issue: 1

Cite

APA İpek, F. O. (2025). Iraq and Iran: A Poliheuristic Assessment of the Iraq-Iran War. İnsan Ve Toplum, 15(1), 78-93. https://doi.org/10.12658/M0755