To: JohnM who wrote (47910 ) 9/30/2002 4:48:18 AM From: D. Long Respond to No one is arguing we are in a court of law. You moved a discussion of rights of self defense to a generic case, away from international relations. Now you wish to move it back. Okay. All countries have enemies -- should they all smash them or is this strictly a policy for exclusive use by the US? 1. A doctrine of preemption offers other nations a language and very powerful precedent to do the same. Pakistan or India in Kashmir is the most obvious example but there are many others that could be advanced. 2. Such a doctrine without a reasonably careful stipulation of the conditions under which it could be applied makes the precedent even worse. It then does become an argument that the US can do it whenever it decides to do so. And, in the very bald form put forth in the Bush papers, can do so without some sort of multilateral agreement. Forget the UN, since it seems to be such a bogey in your mind. Just to advocate the government of any country can do it whenever it so decides without some sort of shared agreement, leaves the international scene without any checks and balances.
