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Revision as of 16:34, 22 September 2002 by Fredbauder (talk | contribs) (a try for intended scope)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Bush Doctrine, first announced on September 4, 2002 by George W. Bush, the President of the United States during the national debate in the United States over the U.S. plan to invade Iraq is the proclamation of the right of the United States to wage pre-emptive war should it be threatened by terrorists or rogue states that are engaged in the production of weapons of mass destruction such as Iraq is alleged to be doing.
It is doubtful that the United States is proposing the doctrine of use of pre-emptive force as a general principle of international law for use by all nations as possible mischief is easily imaginable. Rather it reflects an asymetrical viewpoint of the one remaining super power. Critics might point out that Military domination of the world, which this doctrine emphasises, has been a stated objective of the United States at least since the Joint Vision 2020.
On September 20, 2002 an article in the New York Times described a document prepared by the office of the President to be submitted shortly to the Congress of the United States entitled, "The National Security Strategy of the United States" which outlines the doctrine.
The Doctrine interpreted broadly would appear to violate Article 51 of the United Nations Charter which restricts the unilateral use of force to self-defense against "armed attack."
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