The Bush Doctrine: from theory to practice

Abstract

In 2002, the United States asserted that, as part of its national security strategies, it was to invoke the controversial right of unilateral pre-emptive self-defence when it decided that it was necessary. This was to become known as the Bush Doctrine. The purpose of this article is to give a brief analysis of the theory underlying this doctrine of pre-emption and how it has been translated into practice thus far. In particular, the way in which the requirements for self-defence in light of the Bush Doctrine were utilised in the recent Iraq conflict and the possible future targets utilising this strategy will be examined. The article emphasises the need for collective security and a multilateral approach in combating global terrorism and weapons of mass destruction and therefore the issue of whether reform of the United Nations is required so as to enable effective action against these current threats to international peace and security is also addressed.