Irakkrigen og den historiske legitimering

Political use of history played a pivotal role in legitimizing the war in Iraq, and by taking a closer look at the use of history one can get closer to understanding the reasons for the decision to go to war. The first part of the article argues that former Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and the Liberal and Conservative parties legitimized war participation by writing it into a particular interpretation of history. Many historians have criticized Fogh Rasmussen’s interpretation and his use of history to legitimize the purpose of going to war, and this raises the question: to whom does history belong? The second half of the article defends the view that Fogh Rasmussen had every right to use the history to promote his cause. This does not mean, however, that his use of history cannot be criticized by historians, who consider his interpretation of history misleading and biased.