Once such powers of IW are unleashed in a preemptive attack, the ability to control and calibrate forces becomes extremely difficult.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center for Security Policy | Chinese Information Warfare: A Phantom Menace or Emerging Threat? | Page: 14

The ships are movable and thus less subject to preemptive attack.

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For example, if a preemptive attack on the German war machine had succeeded in preventing World War II, we would never know the enormity of the evil it prevented.

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As reported earlier this week in the New York Times, the IOM report was the subject of a preemptive attack by the medical device industry before the report was even released.

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However, if the administration does have knowledge of the timing of an Israeli attack, a preemptive release from the SPR could tip its hand.

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The President of the United States even has the authority to green-light preemptive strikes against a credible, impending cyber-attack, according to the NYT article.

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