Abstract
This paper deals with the Danish participation in the US lead invasion in Iraq 2003. The subject of the analysis is “Why did Denmark participate in the Iraq war in 2003?”. The subject is analyzed using the neorealist approach and the unipolar model by associate professor Birthe Hansen. Pending on the theory four different hypotheses are offered in order to explain the Danish participation in the war. First, Denmark participated in the war, because the US requested NATO allied countries to support the “War on Terror”, which also meant supporting the US line against Iraq. Secondly, Denmark participated in the war because it saw the Iraqi regime as a threat to the peace. Thirdly, Denmark participated in the war because it was a logic outcome due to the change in Danish Foreign and Security Policy which has been going on since the end of The Cold War. The fourth hypothesis is that Denmark participated in the war, because it could harvest relative gains compared to those countries who did not participate. The concluding remarks states that all of the hypotheses above are possible parts of the complex answer to why Denmark decided to participate in the Iraq war 2003.