National Security Strategy of the United States
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The National Security Strategy of the United States of America is a document prepared periodically by the executive branch of the government of the United States for congress which outlines the major national security concerns of the United States and how the administration plans to deal with them. The legal foundation for the document is spelled out in the Goldwater-Nichols Act(1). The document is purposely general in content (contrast with the National Military Strategy) and its implementation relies on elaborating guidance provided in supporting documents (including the NMS).
The National Security Strategy of the United States were once classified information, with the documents being kept secret until their declassification years after their release. In more recent years, however, the United States government has changed its policy and now the National Security Strategy documents are released publicly as soon as they are completed.
[edit] Previous National Security Strategies
The National Security Strategy issued on September 17, 2002 was released in the midst of controversy over the Bush doctrine of pre-emptive war which is contained therein. It also contains the Hertz doctrine of military pre-eminence as well as a new initiative to provide substantial foreign aid to countries that are moving towards Western-style democracy, "freedom", as it is styled in the document.
The Bush doctrine emerges in the context of moving from the old Cold War doctrine of deterrence to a pro-active attempt to adjust polity to the realities of the current situation where the threat is just as likely to come from a terrorist group such as al-Qaeda as from a nation state such as Iraq or Iran¹.
The document also treats AIDS as a threat to national security, promising substantial efforts to combat its spread and devastating effects.
[edit] The current National Security Strategy
On March 16, 2006, the latest National Security Strategy was issued. It is a return to the more multilateral approach of previous administrations. It restates America's commitment to supporting democracies and defeating terrorism, puts forth a plan to restructure institutions related to national security, and discusses the challenges of globalization.
¹ - see External Links reference to H.R. 282.
