If this were correct, the United States was right to wage war on Iraq on the basis of the threat posed by Saddam Hussein’s regime. But it is now widely accepted that the way in which the US negotiated its way into war was a mistake – one that has cost it enormous credibility as a negotiating partner.
有人会说，成功的谈判者只需要机智的手段——利用原则隐藏其真正利益的能力。如果这是正确的话，基于萨达姆•侯赛因构成的威胁，美国对伊拉克发动战争就是正确的了。但是现在人们普遍认为，美国发动战争的谈判方式是一个错误——这一错误使美国作为谈判一方失去了大量的信誉。