The release of President George W. Bush's national security strategy raised questions (and eyebrows). Immediate questions arose as to the legality of his new preemptive doctrine. Did the policy pass the scrutiny of international law and were there precedents that might lend legitimacy to it? But a more compelling question is whether a preemptive strategy is viable—can it be executed? And to answer that, we must assess whether the United States has the requisite power, political will, and popular support to undertake such a strategy.
