Striking First: The Pre-Emption and Preventive War Doctrines and the Reshaping of Us Foreign Policy Hardcover - 2005

First line

On March 19, 2003, President George W. Bush ordered U.S. military forces to invade Iraq in the hope of uncovering a vast terrorist network and seizing weapons of mass destruction (WMD) the United States believed were in violation of United Nations resolutions.

From the jacket flap

"Preemption and prevention are age-old instruments of statecraft that have acquired new relevance after 9/11 and the U.S. war in Iraq. "Striking First" provides a variety of expert perspectives on the role of preemption and prevention in the evolution of U.S. strategic doctrine, the internal political struggles that shaped that doctrine, the impact of these changes on American presidential power and legal processes, and their ramifications for the international order and the limits of American power. One cannot comprehend our rapidly changing world without understanding these international and domestic processes, and "Striking Firs"t provides timely and penetrating insights on these critical subjects."
--Jack S. Levy, Rutgers University
"The alarmed contributors to this book recognize that America's strategic doctrine stands at a critical turning point with far-reaching future implications. One need not agree with all the arguments advanced by the authors to this most timely volume to recognize they tap into vital questions on preemptive war. The volume should contribute importantly to the needed public debate among everyone concerned with thre role of the United States in world affairs."--Charles F. Hermann, Texas A&M University