Making the Case for Preemption: International Law, Sovereignty, and Legitimacy in the Global Pursuit of Al Qaeda

Abstract

The events of September 11th have brought forth much debate as to how the US should best deal with the asymmetrical threat posed by Al-Qaeda a non-state terrorist organization with global reach. Dialogue as how to best preempt Al-Qaeda attacks has focused on such issues as rescinding Executive Order 12333 (assassination ban) and whether Al-Qaeda should be dealt with as criminals or combatants. As this war is being fought on a global battlefield international law both conventional and customary national sovereignty and the ability of the US leadership to develop a shared vision of a compelling legitimate preemptive strategy all impact efforts to garner international support in developing the strategic maneuver necessary to target Al-Qaeda.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 18, 2005
Accession Number
ADA432816

Entities

People

  • Robert P. Ashley

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Education
  • Foreign Policy
  • Foreign Relations
  • Governments
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Law
  • International Relations
  • Law
  • National Security
  • Second World War
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • Treaties
  • United States
  • Urban Areas
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.
  • Strategic Security Studies