In case you missed it: 'Preemptive Strikes' now official policy

[G_j]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-031905defense_lat,0,5377772.story?coll=la-home-nation

'Preemptive Strikes' Become Policy
National defense now extends beyond U.S. borders to include acts of 'active deterrence.'



WASHINGTON — A new "National Defense Strategy" for the first time makes the kind of preemptive strike used in Iraq part of the nation's military policy in dealing with rogue nations, Pentagon officials said today.

The plan that specifies the Bush administration's goals in protecting the nation describes a muscular policy of "active deterrence."

Under it, the United States will seek to expand its relationships with allies and "act with others when we can" to prevent growing regional problems from erupting into wars, according to an unclassified version of the document outlined at the Pentagon by Douglas Feith, the Defense Department's undersecretary for policy. The policy also reserves the right for the United States to act on its own when necessary.

"The president has the obligation to protect the country," Feith said. "And I don't think that there's anything in our Constitution that says that the president should not protect the country unless he gets some non-Americans' participation or approval of that."

..more..

[Hissyspit]

1. "You're going to attack us preemptively? You and what army?"

"Oh, the one that's all tied up in Iraq..."

Guess they mean we'll be dropping lots of bombs and shotting lots of cruise missiles on whomever we happen to need as an enemy at the time.

[wtmusic]

2. Doug Feith is a fucking nitwit who should read the UN Charter

If there is justice in this world, Feith (like the others) will hang one day for war crimes.

[NMDemDist2]

3. kicked and nominated

good grief, they aren't even trying to hide it any more

[CanuckAmok]

4. (AP) Government changes meaning of "rogue" in dictionary.

Rogue will now mean any entity which is primarily dark-skinned and/or rich in natural resources. The ammendment will appear in the NewSpeak Dictionay, due out immediatly after the chocolate ration is lifted. DoublePlusGood!

[GreenPoet64]

5. What if

individuals decide "preemptive strike" is the best way to deal with possible threats?

Oh, that's right, we have prisons for people who think like that.

[Anakin Skywalker]

8. Damn, G! GMTA

:)

[wtmusic]

12. We could teach kids how to be pre-emptive

Beat the crap out of anyone who looks at 'em funny

[GreenPoet64]

13. Do unto others . . .

what you think they might do unto you. And what's the definition of paranoid?

[MissB]

6. National Offensive Strategy

indeed.

[Erika]

7. So Much For Christ's Golden Rule

And so much for Bush calling himself Christian.

[ginnyinWI]

9. Preemptive strike is doublespeak

for what it really is--a war of aggression, which is the worst crime a country can commit, according to international law. So aren't we lucky--we are citizens of the worst criminal country in the world. Yup, freedom's on the march, all right.

[wtmusic]

11. 9 Nazis were hanged for it in 1945

http://www.bringhonorback.org

[gumby]

10. "Active Deterrence"

Ding..Ding..Ding..we have a Winner!! Active Deterrence beats
collateral damage
compassionate conservative
clear skies initiative
healthy forest initiative
domino theory
lone assassin

that's right up there with..... we had NO IDEA that those planes were going to be used as weapons.

[G_j]

15. 'Active Deterrence', what a clever way to say

'crimes against peace'

[magellan]

14. Might makes right

I wish they'd decided this was acceptable behavior when I was a little girl. Instead of reporting the school bully I would have shot him.

[deminks]

16. Strategy of the weak statement

The article that appeared yesterday contained the following statement reportedly from the document:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2026&ncid=716&e=30&u=/latimests/20050319/ts_latimes/policyoksfirststriketoprotectus

<snip>

Our strength as a nation-state will continue to be challenged by those who employ a strategy of the weak using international , judicial processes and terrorism," the document states.

The concern, Feith explained, was that some nations would try to criminalize American foreign policy by challenging it in international courts.

They are equating judicial processes and terrorism!

I nominate your post also. Thank you for posting!

[G_j]

17. yes, quite a strange (and frightening) statement

equating "judicial processes and terrorism"
International courts & judicial processes are "the strategy of the weak".

And people have a problem with comparing these ppl with Nazis?

[inchhigh]

25. They are equating judicial processes and terrorism!

speechless...........

[ComerPerro]

18. Pre-emptive strike? Deterrance? But, I thought the reason we went to Iraq

was to liberate the Iraqi people...

[indepat]

19. It only Repugs would go to such lengths to protect the Constitution

[paineinthearse]

20. Friday afternoon LBN post contains the DoD press release.

It has hit "greatest" twice, both times with 4 votes.

See first post from Friday afternoon - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1323795&mesg_id=1323795

That post was based on the pentagon's own press release.

[G_j]

23. thanks for the link! n/t

[paineinthearse]

24. Sometimes I wonder about DU

On Friday, this issue took 5-6 hours to start sinking in. I first posted it about 5PM in LBN, immediately after the pentagon put it on their website.

About 10PM the Washington Post picked it up and someone else started a LBN thread; the mods combined the two and between them they got 4 "greatest" endorsements.

It was on the "greatest" page, by policy, for 24 hours.

This issue is not getting much MSM press. We need to spread it ourselves.

I'm glad to see this new thread has 5 "greatest" nominations. Hopefully the admins will feature one or both on the home page.

[salin]

21. Not even pre-emptive.... "First strike" unprovoked.. per bush

himself during the campaign. When asked if he would order the invasion even if he knew the wmds didn't exist and saddam wasn't working with al qeada - he said yes, it was the right thing to do. Thus, there needs to be nothing to preempt in order to go to war. Frightening - but perhaps not as frightening as not one mention in the press of what his statement implied (that no threat was needed to justify going to war.)

[TWiley]

22. Bush announced this policy the day after his first inauguration.

He was being interviewed by an national reporter (Sam Donaldson?) and several hundred thousand protesters were outside the White House holding signs like "Hiel to the Thief"

The question was concerning these protesters, and george announced his "fire back strongly" policy. Stunned, the reporter asked "what exactly does this mean Mr presi-rodent?" Well, he replied, It means exactly what it sounds like." He then went on to name the "Sierra Club" as a target because they screwed up one of his business deals when he was governor of Texas.

This was the day the bushtapo declared war on the American people. It was on a Sunday, just after the inauguration, and just after the church service the rodent attended with his dad and mom.

[sunnystarr]

26. and for some strange reason

I thought only Congress could declare war. I also thought it was written in the Constitution. Forgive me for being so dumb.

[Wilms]

27. .

[deminks]

28. Kick.

[spanone]

29. So I guess that 911 was an Al Qaeda pre-emptive strike. Okie Dokie.

What's good for the goose......