Well, It Worked So Well The Last Time

Proving once again that Bush and his administration are unable to learn the simplest lessons, our nations new security strategy embraces preemption as one of it's cornerstones.

President Bush is reaffirming one of his most controversial policies: reserving the right to launch a pre-emptive strike that is, an attack on another country which has not attacked the U.S. if it is deemed necessary to halt the spread of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

The policy - which President Bush first outlined in 2002 before the U.S. attacked Iraq in what the administration said then was a mission to curb weapons of mass destruction - is at the heart of a new 49-page National Security Strategy policy

This policy, aside from being a probable violation of international law, is also simply stupid. As our history with Iraq shows, preemption has a great number of risks, and few if any rewards.

One of the biggest reasons this is a flawed policy is spelled out right here.

we do not rule out the use of force before attacks occur - even if uncertainty remains as to the time and place of the enemy's attack.

We reserve the right to attack, not based on upon the actual threat a nation presents, but based upon the degree of fear and paranoia that Bush feels toward the other nation.

This is one deeply flawed idea of defense. Remember, we attacked Iraq because the Bush administration was sure that Saddam was ready to attack US. The truth was, Saddam had no means and no will to attack the US.

Preemption failed us then, and will again if it is allowed to stand as policy.

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Defense Policy