An Analysis of the National Security Strategy of the United States of America: Is the Administration Effectively Harnessing International Power?
Abstract
The National Security Strategy of the United States of America, September 2002, clearly identifies the necessity for pooling international resources, across all elements of power, to achieve national objectives in the Global War On Terrorism (GWOT). The national strategy is broad in scope, and requires collective international power to accomplish all the Bush administration has set out to do. Failure to achieve significant international cooperation has unbalanced ends, ways and means, and increased risk to achieving the stated strategic objectives. The international community should be able to harness far more resources for combating terrorism than one nation can alone. There is much debate as to the administration's effectiveness in this endeavor. This paper assesses the performance of the Bush administration in applying means, through ways, to achieve GWOT ends, and identifies imbalances in the strategy that have increased strategic risk in Iraq; finds failure by the U.S. to adequately invest in improving its other elements of power to a level that matches its strategic dominance in military power, and to effectively harness international power; and recommends actions the U.S. should take to improve its strategic balance, unite international efforts in the GWOT, and achieve success in reaching national objectives.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 18, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA434873
Entities
People
- David C. Weston
Organizations
- United States Army War College