What is Preemptive war?
[[File:6 Day War-Amos.jpg |thumb|right|350px|{{Center|[[Israel]]i soldiers on the [[Golan Heights]] during the 1967 [[Six-Day War]]}}]] A '''preemptive war''' is one in which a country takes military action against another country or group that [[wikt:pose|pose]]s a real [[wikt:threat|threat]] of waging a war against them.<ref name=psBBC>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/war/just/preemptive.shtml |title=Pre-emptive strikes |website=Ethics Guide |publisher=BBC |access-date=31 August 2016}}</ref> The purpose is to stop the threat before the country or group has a chance to strike.<ref name=psBBC/> This is an old philosophy of war or of preventing a war. [[Sun Tzu]], the [[Ancient China|ancient Chinese]] [[General officer|general]], military [[wikt:expert|expert]] and [[philosopher]], said a supreme country would break resistance in its enemies without needing to fight them, but if fighting is needed, then a country should consider attacking first if doing so would gain them an advantage (since that increases their chance of ending the conflict quickly).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.artofwarsuntzu.com/SunTzuQuotes.htm |title=Quotes Pertaining to the Iraq Insurgency Situation |author=Robert Cantrell |publisher=Understanding Sun Tzu on the Art of War |access-date=31 August 2016 |archive-date=26 June 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060626092627/http://www.artofwarsuntzu.com/SunTzuQuotes.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> A [[declaration of war]] may or may not come before the preemptive first strike.<ref name=Flynn1>Matthew J. Flynn, ''First Strike: Preemptive War in Modern History'' (London; New York: Routledge, 2008), pp. 1–2</ref> Preemptive war is thought of as a [[wikt:defend|defensive]] act.<ref name=Flynn1/> This is true when it is clear an enemy is threatening an attack and that attack will do great harm.<ref name=Flynn1/> Also, a country which preemptively attacks another to defend itself can claim it was a [[Morality|moral]] act and avoid the label of an [[Aggression|aggressor]].<ref n