UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations 1-1-1993 Ethics and foreign policy decisions: Iran-Contra United States-Iraq interaction, 1988-1991 Maureen Stephanie Carroll University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/rtds Repository Citation Carroll, Maureen Stephanie, "Ethics and foreign policy decisions: Iran-Contra United States-Iraq interaction, 1988-1991" (1993). UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations. 319. http://dx.doi.org/10.25669/ymif-0jyx This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. 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UMI 300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48106 ETHICS AND FOREIGN POLICY DECISIONS: IRAN-CONTRA UNITED STATES-IRAQ INTERACTION, 1988-91 by Maureen S. Carroll A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Ethics and Policy Studies Department of Ethics and Policy Studies University of Nevada, Las Vegas December 1993 ©1994 Maureen S. Carroll All Rights Reserved The Thesis of Maureen S. Carroll for the degree of Master of Arts in Ethics and Policy Studies is approved. Chairperson,, CraigCraig j/alton,'Pn.D. Examining Committee Member, Barbara Brents, Ph.D. cq ;_________________ ExamlMng (CommitteesM^mber’ |ay Coughtry, Ph.D. C j ~ * Graduate Faculty Representative, Satish Sharma, Ph.D. Dean of the Graduate College, Ronald Smith, Ph.D. University of Nevada, Las Vegas December 1993 ABSTRACT As industrialized nations, particularly the United States, continue to rely on oil to support their standard of living and production, the Middle East increases as a strategic location. Ethics and Foreign Policy Decisions: Iran-Contra - United States-Iraq Interaction, 1988-91 explores the ethics of policy making which employ the 'many hands' and 'dirty hands' approach. The Iran-Contra affair and United States-Iraq interaction from 1988-91 are used as case studies. Suggestions for counteracting the usage of the 'many hands' and 'dirty hands' practices are discussed. These suggestions include real communication and accountability for the many players involved in decision making and reflection and critique of possible institutional coercive actions, among others. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT i i i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS....................................................................................... vi INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1 RECENT HISTORY OF THE MIDDLE EAST................... 3 CHAPTER 2 ROSEMARIE TONG'S ETHICS OF POLICY DECISIONS AND MODELS OF RESPONSIBILITY................................ 2 0 Dirty H ands...................................................................... 2 0 Many Hands................................................................... 2 3 The Hierarchical Model of Responsibility............................................................ 2 5 The Collective Model of Responsibility 26 The Personal Model of Responsibility 27 CHAPTER 3 CASE STUDY ONE: THE IRAN-CONTRA AFFAIR 3 6 Many Hands................................................................... 3 6 Dirty H ands.................................................................... 3 8 Responsibility Models: Hierarchical, Collective, Personal.................................................... 4 0 Excuses: Causal, Volitional and Coercion.......................................................................... 4 2 CHAPTER 4 CASE STUDY TWO: UNITED STATES-IRAQ INVOLVEMENT, 1988-91 .................................................... 4 6 Background .................................................................... 4 6 Many Hands.................................................................... 4 9 Dirty H ands.................................................................... 5 0 Responsibility Models: Hierarchical, Collective, Personal.................................................... 5 4 Excuses: Causal, Volitional and i v Coercion 5 5 CHAPTER 5 A CONCLUDING SYNTHESIS AND SUGGESTIONS.... 5 9 Conclusion...................................................................... 5 9 Iran-Contra Affair........................................................ 5 9 United States Involvement with Iraq: 1988-91 ........................................................................... 6 2 Suggestions................................................................... 6 7 Many Hands................................................................... 6 7 Dirty H ands.................................................................... 6 8 Iran-Contra: Review the National Security Council........................................................... 6 9 United States Policy Decisions with Iraq: 1988-91 ............................................................... 7 0 Democratic Tax Allocations................................... 7 0 Human Rights ............................................................... 7 3 BIBLIOGRAPHY .......................................................................................... 7 8 v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First, I want to express my thanks to my thesis committee. Dr. Jay Coughtry encouraged me to look at the material I had to see the connections available for this project. He definitely got me started on this final work. I greatly appreciate his help and support. Dr. Barbara Brents skillfully edited my earliest drafts and gave valuable suggestions for tightening up my ideas. Dr. Craig Walton shared valuable thoughts concerning the direction of policy suggestions and a surprising, to me, suggestion for additional information for me to consider, the movieJudgment at Nuremberg. When I saw that movie in 1961 at the age of 13, my life's journey began. Dr. Satish Sharma expanded my knowledge of M.K. Gandhi and his life - his experiments with truth; God is truth; truth is God (or Goddess, I imagine). I appreciate Dr. Sharma's constant pacific supportive care which I carry in my spirit always. Shannon Nadeau, who is in charge of command central at the Institute of Ethics and Policy Studies, has been particularly helpful, but most of all, she has been cheerful, kind and understanding in her dealings with me. Thanks so much, Shannon. I would like to thank some of my friends in my justice community: Erynne Ansel, Peg Bean, Joan Brown, Joan Cutuly, Phyllis Hallam, Mary Lehman, Richard Lewnau, Sydney Minckler, Tobia Minckler, Alain Richard, Rob Rosenthal, Mary Ann Smith, Denise Stevenson, Susie Taylor and Erik Thompson. You are there for me to share insightful conversations and to listen to me complain when I become stuck. I especially want to thank Ken Butigan and Julia Occhiogrosso for reading one of the later drafts of my thesis and assuring me that it was "hot". The presence of all of you during the Gulf War secured my broken heart. I would also like to mention my cute little mother, Lydia Nobs. As I continue with my own experiments with truth, she finds me more and more amusing. Thanks, Mom. And in memory, I thank my father, Ken Nobs, who had an intense sense of right and wrong. He passed on to me this awareness of justice, along with a diy sense of humor. My high school students offer me insights into