The right of self defense is understood by all. The right to kill/attack someone who is attacking someone other than yourself is hazy and predicated by different laws. International law is NOT local but the problem of extending self defense to another person or country, in this case Isreal, is not the issue we ever gave for attacking Iraq. We always said Iraq was going to Nuke the USA any minute. Yes it was a lie as big as the Kuwait baby incubator lie as told in the Congress of the United States.

Premptive attack was viewed as the supream USSR evil we were on guard against through out the cold war. Pre emptive attack was the psychosis we battled against in the movie Dr. Strangelove. With out a cold war the defense industry was in need of conflict. That is why we prosecuted a war instead of justice against individual acts of terrorism.
Premptive attack is now the US calling card. It is still psychotic and evil.