>>This is the first time we have pre-emptively invaded a nation like this.
>And
>>what kind of precedent are we setting? What's to stop China now from saying
>>"We think Taiwan is a potential threat to our interests, so we're going in
>>after them"? Iran's firing up its nuclear program in violation of prior
>>agreements, so are they next in line?
>
>Preemptive military action has a number of historical precedents -- including
American ones.

Note that you've just changed the subejct. I was speaking to invading a
nation. Not to generic "military action." Further to the point, none of your
examples, offered below, address this question, none of them constitute
invasions of a sovereign nation.

>In 1962 we instituted a naval blockade of
>Cuba to prevent Soviet weapons technology from reaching the island.

1) Not an invasion. 2) This represented a direct threat against the US. But
despite point 2, it still doesn't address the issue I raised concerning
invading another nation.

>n
>1967, Israel struck first at the Arab armies converging on their
>border.

1) I wasn't talking about Israel. I was specifically referring to the first
time in US history that we had pre-emptively invaded somebody. Stay with the
subject, don't pettifog. 2) This was also not an invasion, so it's further
irrelevant to the discussion.

>And in 1981 Israel destroyed Iraq's French-built nuclear
>reactor at Osirak,

See 1 and 2 above.

My point remains. Your comments only help to reinforce it.

jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
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