Summing up America’s defenses following 9/11: “For the last decade, the use of American might has been shaped by several principles: emphasizing air power and long-range precision arms, avoiding ground combat whenever possible and using overwhelming ground forces when it is not. The use of American military force has also been reactive. Pre-emptive action was ruled out, partly because American law prohibits assassination as state policy.”
– James Risen and Don Van Natta Jr., “U.S. Force vs. Terrorists: From Reactive to Active,” The New York Times, Sep. 14, 2001