Weapons, cash, and interests : an analysis of UK foreign policy towards Iraq, 1979 to 2001

This thesis argues that the current literature on UK policy towards Iraq, whether favourable or unfavourable to the policy pursued, gives insufficient attention to the economic motivations behind UK policy. By examining the Thatcher government's policy towards Iraq within the framework of its domestic energy and arms sales policy and its overall Persian Gulf policy, this thesis elucidates the economic benefits which the government and its transnational arms and oil companies derived from the policy. But it also gives emphasis to the impact of the UK government's policy on both regional tensions and the rights of Iraqi civilians. By showing that the Major/ Blair governments' post-invasion domestic and regional arms sales and energy policy did not significantly change from that of the Thatcher government, this thesis concludes that economic factors continued to influence U policy towards Iraq Evidence is provided to suggest that the Major/Blair governments' needs/desires to protect UK transnational oil and arms companies necessitated the continued coordinaton of US/UK policy. Indications are also given of growing cooperation/collaboration between the government and its arms and oil companies the purpose of identifying markets for arms exports and for controlling oil prices.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo