ABSTRACT
A major development affecting US-Asian relations after September 11, 2001 is the new American strategic doctrine of "pre-emptive" strikes. Some Asian critics, especially Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir, have viewed the Bush Doctrine as a dangerous approach. The doctrine, its critics argue, gives Washington a blank cheque to strike any regime deemed unfriendly to the US, and which can be linked to terrorism or some other pretext. The doctrine would lead to hasty military action without exhausting all possible diplomatic means. Also important is its flouting of the sovereignty principle. Furthermore, critics see the doctrine as a clear example of the US turn towards unilateralism, giving America the right to use force without authorization from the UN Security Council. It is seen against the backdrop of a long and growing list of US actions against multilateral institutions, including the International Criminal Court, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM). Moreover, critics see the doctrine as a pretext for the US to pursue its other strategic and economic interests through military force. For example, an occupation of Iraq, ostensibly to eliminate weapons of mass destruction and human rights abuses, will also put under American control one of the world's largest proven reserves of oil.
