Deterrence and Systemism: A Diagrammatic Exposition of Deterrence-Related Processes Leading to the War in Iraq

This article explores deterrence, a time-honoured concept in International Relations (IR), through the application of systemism, a concept borrowed from the philosophy of science. The purpose of this study is to provide a diagrammatic exposition that establishes the “value added” from systemism vis-à-vis the research on deterrence. A series of exchanges involving US-led efforts to deter Saddam Hussein, from the aftermath of the Gulf War of 1991 to the brink of the Iraq War of 2003, will be used to reveal the insights that systemism can bring over and above existing approaches to the study of deterrence.