In Bush's National Security Strategy in 2002 he remarked that "We must be prepared to stop rogue states and their terrorist clients " one of the biggest fears for a nuclear Iran is that, somehow, nuclear weapons would fall into the hands of terrorist, he goes on to say "before they are able to threaten or use weapons of mass destruction against the United States and our allies and friends"

             This, in essence, sums up America's current thinking on Iran. The question of the first strike has since been legitimated by a large amount of politicians and intellectuals who believe that it is better to deal with the consequences of a preventive war than a nuclear Iran. In the end, it is this callous and fearful thinking that can bring states to the precipice of international destruction.

             The Moral Reality of Preventive War.

             In "Just and Unjust Wars" Michael Waltzer introduces the idea of the moral reality of war. In this he states "the moral reality of war is not fixed by the actual activities of soldiers but by the opinions of mankind "1. The moral reality of preventive war is a question that American decision makers should consider. In what Waltzer was saying one can see the making of preventive warfare. For the past centuries leaders have justified preventive war as away to ensure their national security. The shift in the balance of power poses as an existential threat to a states national security. However, the threat is based on unfounded fears on what could happen. This is the case for Iran. Waltzer says that the balance of power is often seen as a safeguard to keep the peace 2. Yet, he goes on to say that if that was true then why does the balance rely on force to keep the peace?3. Violence begets violence and war is hell. So, how can preventive war bring about peace to America, Israel and Iran's other Middle Eastern neighbors? The answer is it cannot. The opinions of man in this case reason that a nuclear Iran could be one of the most dangerous states in our international system.