Suchergebnisse

The first article of a roundtable discussion on evaluating the preemptive use of force examines distinctions between preemptive & preventive war. Preemption has traditionally been based on perceptions of immediate threat, making the right to preempt an extension of the right of self-defense. Preventive war is considered illegal because it is based on perceptions of future threats that could be responded to in other ways. Historical examples of the difference between preemption & prevention are described to point out difficulties that arise from the distinction. President George W. Bush's assumption that possession of weapons of mass destruction by potential enemies is justification for a preventive war is discussed, along with the implications of not having an international political framework capable of restraining states; the illusion of absolute security; & the notion of humanitarian intervention. The fact that sanctions against Iraq have unintentionally imposed suffering on innocent citizens that the regime has made no attempt to alleviate is seen as possible justification for a more active policy. J. Lindroth