her ed ▁to ▁such ▁a ▁doctrine . ▁Instead , ▁earlier ▁administr ations ▁had ▁discussed ▁their ▁intent ions ▁within ▁el ite ▁circles ▁which ▁were ▁known ▁only ▁to ▁special ists ▁or ▁readers ▁of ▁diss ident ▁literature . ▁Thus , ▁where ▁once ▁only ▁the ▁so cio - e conom ic ▁el ite ▁and ▁their ▁left - wing ▁critics ▁knew ▁of ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Grand ▁Str ategy , ▁now ▁the ▁entire ▁American ▁popul ace ▁are ▁potentially ▁aware ▁of ▁it . ▁He ▁cons iders ▁this ▁a ▁" sign ific ant ▁difference ." ▁ ▁In ▁Ch om sky ' s ▁view , ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁Ira q ▁by ▁a ▁U . S . ▁and ▁U . K . ▁coal ition ▁must ▁be ▁seen ▁in ▁the ▁wider ▁context ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁government ' s ▁Imperial ▁Grand ▁Str ategy . ▁He ▁claims ▁that ▁the ▁Ira q ▁invasion ▁fits ▁the ▁three ▁criteria ▁that ▁he ▁has ▁highlight ed ▁for ▁being ▁class ified ▁as ▁a ▁U . S . ▁target ▁for ▁prevent ative ▁war . ▁Consider ing ▁the ▁country ▁" virt ually ▁def ens eless " ▁against ▁the ▁superior ▁might ▁of ▁the ▁western ▁armed ▁forces , ▁he ▁also ▁notes ▁that ▁se cur ing ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁would ▁be ▁an ▁important ▁move ▁for ▁the ▁U . S . ▁so cio - e conom ic ▁el ite , ▁gain ing ▁un limited ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁country ' s ▁luc r ative ▁oil ▁resources ▁and ▁as ser ting ▁their ▁own ▁military ▁might ▁to ▁int im id ate ▁other ▁nations ▁into ▁comp liance . ▁He