<nettime> The best defence is to give no offense

["felipe rodriquez" <felipe@xs4all.nl>]

The Cato Institute published a report in 1998 under the name 'protecting the
homeland, the best defense is to give no offense. The Cato Institute is a
nonpartisan public policy research foundation headquartered in Washington,
D.C.

The report can be found can be found at
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-306.pdf

In light of the recent attacks in New York, it is an almost prophetic
analysis of USA foreign policy, and its likely effects. It recommended that
the United States should adopt a policy of military restraint.


Here are two paragraphs from the first page:

"A study completed for the U.S. Department of Defense notes that historical
data show a strong correlation between U.S. involvement in international
situations and terrorist attacks against the United States. Attacks by
terrorist groups could now be catastrophic for the American homeland.
Terrorists can obtain the technology for weapons of mass terror and will
have fewer qualms about using them to cause massive casualties. The
assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs maintains that such
catastrophic attacks are almost certain to occur. It will be extremely
difficult to deter, prevent, detect, or mitigate them."

"As a result, even the weakest terrorist group can cause massive
destruction in the homeland of a superpower. Although the Cold War ended
nearly a decade ago, U.S.  foreign policy has remained on autopilot. The
United States continues to intervene militarily in conflicts all over the
globe that are irrelevant to American vital interests. To satisfy what
should be the first priority of any security policy--protecting the
homeland and its people--the United States should adopt a policy of
military restraint.  That policy entails intervening only as a last resort
when truly vital interests are at stake.  To paraphrase Anthony Zinni, the
commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, the United States should avoid
making enemies but should not be kind to those that arise."


Regards

	Felipe Rodriquez


---
Felipe Rodriquez	http://www.xs4all.nl/~felipe

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