The Foreign Service Journal, October 2005

O C T O B E R 2 0 0 5 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 25 F O C U S O N “ R O G U E ” S T A T E S T HE B USH D OCTRINE AND “R OGUE ” S TATES he lovable rogue is one of the most enduring archetypes of literature. From Robin Hood to Rhett Butler, some renegades who operate outside the bounds of acceptable behavior are nevertheless embraced as heroes because their intentions are good. In other words, they break the rules for good reasons and, in the process, win both admiration and affection. Nation-states saddled with the “rogue” moniker, however, are neither admired nor loved. And, since the 9/11 attacks, President Bush has communicated a clear message that rogue regimes are marked for destruction — one way T B USH ADMINISTRATION POLICY AIMS TO TAME “ ROGUE ” STATES OR , FAILING THAT , DESTROY THEM . W ILL IT BE JUDGED A SUCCESS ? B Y C HRISTOPHER P REBLE PJ Loughran