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Subject: Re: And So It Begins...
Date: 29 Mar 2003 00:09:01 GMT
From: jmsatb5@aol.com (Jms at B5)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated

>>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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