Preemptive Strikes

The rhetoric of the Bush administration about American might and rights may have greatly changed the balance of the international system. In an interview with the BBC, North Korea's Foreign Ministry deputy director, Ri Pyong-gap, says that if more US troops move into Northeast Asia, Pyongyang could make a preemptive strike. "A preemptive attack is not something only the United States can do," he said. "We can also do that, when it is a matter of life or death." – YaleGlobal