Law Practice
Sep. 24, 2026
The case for thinking like a lawyer before going to war
Legal reasoning can help presidents test assumptions, confront historical precedent and determine whether military force can actually achieve clearly defined political objectives before going to war.
Robert L. Bastian Jr.
Partner
Law Offices of Bastian & Dini
Penthouse Suite 9025 Wilshire Blvd
Beverly Hills , CA 90211
Phone: (310) 789-1955
Fax: (310) 822-1989
Email: robbastian@aol.com
Whittier Law School
Before a president commits the United States to war, the case for military action should be tested much as a lawyer would test a case: against the evidence, the likely consequences and, above all, the closest precedents. In Iran, those precedents were impossible to miss. To its west lies Iraq; to its east, Afghanistan--two countries where overwhelming American military power quickly defeated or displaced existing regimes but failed to produce a limited engagement, a durab...
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