" ▁such ▁as ▁Gren ada ▁and ▁Ira q . ▁He ▁differenti ates ▁this ▁" prevent ative ▁war " ▁from ▁" pre empt ive ▁war ", ▁which ▁he ▁arg ues ▁can ▁be ▁just ifiable ▁under ▁international ▁law ▁in ▁cases ▁of ▁self - def ence . ▁Ex am ining ▁examples ▁of ▁prevent ative ▁war ▁w aged ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁he ▁notes ▁that ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁nations ▁that ▁have ▁been ▁attacked ▁have ▁shared ▁the ▁same ▁three ▁characteristics : ▁ 1 ) ▁they ▁are ▁" virt ually ▁def ens eless ", ▁ 2 ) ▁they ▁are ▁" important ▁enough ▁to ▁be ▁worth ▁the ▁trouble " ▁and ▁ 3 ) ▁there ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁port ray ▁them ▁as ▁" the ▁ult imate ▁evil ▁and ▁an ▁im min ent ▁threat ▁to ▁our ▁surv ival ." ▁ ▁The ▁Bush ▁administration ▁and ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁Ira q ▁Ch om sky ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁Republican ▁ne o con serv ative ▁administration ▁of ▁President ▁George ▁W . ▁Bush , ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁presiden cy ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁differ ed ▁from ▁earlier ▁administr ations ▁in ▁one ▁key ▁respect : ▁it ▁was ▁open ▁about ▁ad her ing ▁to ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Grand ▁Str ategy , ▁out right ▁declaring ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁willing ▁to ▁use ▁force ▁to ▁ensure ▁U . S . ▁global ▁h eg em ony ▁despite ▁international ▁condem n ation . ▁Ch om sky ▁sees ▁this ▁as ▁being ▁in ▁contrast ▁to ▁previous ▁administr ations , ▁who ▁had ▁never ▁explicitly ▁informed ▁the ▁public ▁that ▁they ▁ad