Frustration-Aggression Theory: US Involvement in Iraq

Frustration is defined as a sentiment brought about by inability to achieve what one wants leading to the development of anger and resentment. Aggression is an angry feeling that makes someone want to attack and defeat someone else, usually accompanied by some form of violence. The frustration aggression theory is a combination of these two definitions. The hypothesis states that the occurrence of feelings of frustration leads to aggression towards someone or something. The aggression may or may not be deserved or not depending on the specific situation.

Application of the Theory on the Iraq America War

President George .W Bush declared war on Iraq from March 20th 2003. The president of Iraq at the time was Saddam Hussein. The war can be explained by the frustration theory with America being frustrated and the aggression being directed towards Iraq.

The main reason for the Bush administration being frustrated was due to a need to protect its citizens, which is one of the ultimate roles of any solid sane government. The country of Iraq through its president Saddam Hussein was seen to be implementing measures to frustrate the Bush administration’s ability to ensure this protection and this eventually resulted in the aggression observed in the administration declaring war against Iraq. Below I have analyzed some reasons put forward for the declaration of war and how each of these reasons relates to the frustration aggression theory.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

The detrimental effects of 9/11 were still fresh in the minds of the Americans and the administration which is ultimately charged with ensuring protection of the American people. The attacks resulted in 2998 deaths and 2977 victims. The Bush administration could not take the chance of ignoring these potential facts and risk any potential devastation to its people of such proportions caused by the use of these weapons against its citizens. The Iraqi government under Sadam was not willing to fully cooperate and undergo full inspections to prove their innocence with regard to this accusation. Frustrating a government that had already been exposed to terrorist attacks, and not willing to take the chance of exposing its citizens to the detrimental effects of being exposed to damages caused by use of these weapons, leading to the American invasion of Iraq.

Saddam Hussein Harboring and Support of Terrorist Groups

This was a point of great concern for the Bush government. One of the groups he was accused of harboring was Al Qaeda, a group which claimed responsibility for causing the September 11 attacks in America. The Bush administration had no choice but to react with aggression. This terrorist group is a cause of great frustration to the Americans due to its open hatred for its religious beliefs, culture, alignment and support for Israel and its citizens. Al Qaeda was responsible for bombings of American Embassy’s worldwide. The fall of Saddam would reduce both funding and support to this terrorist organization that had been more like a permanent headache for the American government and its people.

Purchase of Aluminum Tubes

To frustrate the Bush administration further it was discovered that Saddam Hussein was purchasing Aluminum tubes used to separate Uranium. This uranium is used for the development of atomic bombs, which are one of the most destructive weapons ever developed by man. This was seen as an open sign of aggression against the American government and became one of the vital reasons behind America’s military invading Iraq.