A National Security Strategy that Meets the Challenges of Our Time

Defending our nation against its enemies is the first and fundamental commitment of the federal government. On September the 11th, 2001, America learned that oceans will no longer protect us from the threats of a new era. On that day, the President set in motion a relentless worldwide campaign against terrorists, in order to secure our homeland and to make the world a more peaceful place.

In September 2002, the President defined and sent to Congress the National Security Strategy of the United States of America. In it he offers a bold vision for protecting our Nation that realizes today’s new realities and new opportunities. It calls on America to use our position of unparalleled strength and influence to create a balance of power that favors freedom. The strategy has three pillars:

• We will defend the peace by opposing and preventing violence by terrorists and outlaw regimes.
• We will preserve the peace by fostering an era of good relations among the world’s great powers.
• And we will extend the peace by seeking to extend the benefits of freedom and prosperity across the globe.

As the world’s most powerful nation, President Bush believes that the United States has a special responsibility to help make the world more secure.

• Read Complete Issue Brief