If Mr Bush had a doctrine it was his belief in pre-emptive war, enunciated in the National Security Strategy of 2002 and enacted in Iraq the next year.

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Even before it had time to implement its price cutting strategy, its rivals launched a pre-emptive series of price promotions of their own.

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Officials say the doctrine of pre-emptive action will be formally embodied in a document called the National Security Strategy Report, which the administration must present to Congress soon.

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