American Use of War Pretext Events

A Canadian group, the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade, offers a publication titled Press for Conversion. In its 59 issues, Press for Conversion has explored a wide range of topics; of particular interest is Issue 50 (January 2003) which was devoted to exploring the history of US War Pretext events. Following is a description:

#50 (January 2003): Going to War: The American use of War Pretext Incidents. "This issue contains original research revealing that U.S. war planners have repeatedly used elaborate webs of deceit to con the public into rallying behind major wars whose real purposes involved building vast profits for small corporate elites. There has long been a specific pattern of trickery and propaganda that has been used to generate the much-needed domestic support for aggressive U.S. wars. This issue looks at seventeen case studies that occurred between 1846 and 2003. In each case, there were dramatic pretext incidents that aroused widespread sympathy and thus garnered much-needed public support for wars that would have otherwise have been unpopular. These incidents were either deliberately provoked, allowed to occur, completely fabricated or exploited after the fact. The real, largely economic, functions of these wars would not be accepted. Case studies include:1846: The Mexican-American War; 1898: The Spanish-American War; 1915: World War I; 1941: World War II; 1950: The Korean War; 1954: The Covert War Against Guatemala; 1962: Plans to Create Pretexts for War with Cuba; 1964: The Vietnam War; 1979: The Covert War in Afghanistan; 1983: The Invasion of Grenada; 1986: The Bombing the Libya; 1989: The Invasion of Panama; 1991: The Gulf War; 1999: NATO's War Against Yugoslavia; 2001: The Afghan War and the "War Against Terror;" 2003: The New Iraq War."

In addition, COAT is working on a documentary project about US War Pretext Events which includes case studies, common characteristics of pretext incidents, and underlying analysis. To learn more about project, visit the link noted above.