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From Normalization Of Relations To War: United States-Libya Relations 2001-2011, Kelly Gosa

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the fluctuating United States-Libya relations from September 11th, 2001 to the 2011 international military intervention in the Libyan conflict. Both world events critically shaped the course of U.S.-Libya relations in conflicting courses and therefore raise important questions on the economic, strategic and political incentives for both the U.S. and Libya behind the normalization of U.S.-Libya relations. This study uses theoretical (neorealism, liberal internationalism and neo-Gramscian analysis) and qualitative research methods in order to investigate the rationale for the U.S. government’s decision to support the 2011 international military intervention in the Libyan conflict. …