Striking First Preemptive and Preventive Attack in U.S. National Security Policy

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Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2006-10-12
Publisher(s): RAND Corporation
List Price: $32.41

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Summary

RAND Project AIR FORCE studied the post-9/11 shift in U.S. defense policy emphasis toward preemptive and preventive attack, asking under what conditions preemptive or preventive attack is worth considering as a response to perceived threats. It considered the role such first-strike strategies are likely to play in future U.S. national security policy. Finally, it identified implications these conclusions have for military planners and policymakers as they prepare to deal with national security threats in the next decade.

Table of Contents

Prefacep. iii
Figures and Tablep. ix
Summaryp. xi
Acknowledgmentsp. xxvii
Glossaryp. xxix
Striking First: Preemptive and Preventive Attacksp. 1
Introductionp. 1
The Doctrine of Preemption and the U.S. National Security Strategyp. 3
Preemption and Preventionp. 6
Preemptive Attackp. 6
Preventive Attackp. 8
Anticipatory Attackp. 10
Anticipatory Attack Versus Operational Preemptionp. 14
Studying Preemptive and Preventive Attackp. 15
The Best Defense? When and Why States Strike Firstp. 19
Introductionp. 19
Prevention and Preemption in International Politicsp. 20
Preemptive War and First-Strike Advantagep. 22
Preventive War and the Balance of Powerp. 29
The Costs, Benefits, and Risks of Anticipatory Attackp. 32
The Advantage of Striking Firstp. 33
The Certainty of the Threatp. 36
Weighing the Pros and Cons of Anticipatory Attackp. 38
Attacking in Self-Defense: Legality and Legitimacy of Striking Firstp. 43
The United States' View of Anticipatory Attackp. 43
International Lawp. 48
Legal Use of Forcep. 50
Force Authorized by the Security Councilp. 51
Self-Defensep. 52
Proportionalityp. 54
Necessityp. 55
Alternative Standards for Anticipatory Self-Defensep. 59
Anticipatory Attack Against Nonstate Actorsp. 66
Entering Other States to Attack Nonstate Actorsp. 61
The Significance of Legalityp. 71
The U.N. Security Councilp. 74
The International Court of Justicep. 74
The International Criminal Courtp. 75
Legitimacyp. 86
Conclusionp. 89
Preemptive and Preventive Strategies in Future U.S. National Security Policy: Prospects and Implicationsp. 91
Striking First: Rhetoric and Realityp. 92
Changing Perceptions of Power and Threatsp. 93
Persistent Obstacles to Striking Firstp. 94
Anticipatory Attacks After Operation Iraqi Freedomp. 96
Anticipatory Attack in Future National Security Strategiesp. 98
Leading Scenarios for U.S. Anticipatory Attackp. 99
Foiling or Blunting Cross-Border Aggressionp. 99
Striking Violent Nonstate Actors to Avert Terrorismp. 101
Attacking States to Limit the Spread of Weapons of Mass Destructionp. 103
Political Consequences of Anticipatory Attackp. 105
Anticipatory Attack and Future U.S. Defense Planningp. 107
Anticipatory Attack as a Niche Contingencyp. 107
Intelligence Requirements for Striking Firstp. 109
Other Military Capabilities for Anticipatory Attackp. 112
The Importance of Operational Preemptionp. 114
Dangers of Relying on Preemptive and Preventive Attackp. 115
Preemptive Attack as a Threat to the United Statesp. 116
The Nexus of Politics and Warp. 118
U.S. Preventive Attack Casesp. 121
U.S. Consideration of Preventive War Against the USSRp. 121
U.S. Consideration of Preventive Attack Against Chinap. 152
The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962p. 171
The Invasion of Grenada, 1983p. 182
Israeli Preemptive and Preventive Attack Casesp. 189
Introductionp. 189
The Sinai Campaign, 1956p. 191
The Six-Day War, 1967p. 198
The October War, 1973p. 206
The Osirak Raid, 1981p. 211
Counterterrorist Anticipatory Attack Casesp. 219
Introductionp. 219
The Israeli Assassination Attempt Against Khaled Mishal, 1997p. 220
The Tirana Raids, 1998p. 229
Hellfire Strike in Yemen, 2002p. 241
The Jordanian Crackdown in Ma'an, 2002p. 256
NSS Statements on Preemptive and Preventive Attackp. 267
Referencesp. 271
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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