Bush sets out aggressive national security strategy

Declaring that "America is now threatened less by conquering states than by failing ones," President George Bush yesterday laid…

Declaring that "America is now threatened less by conquering states than by failing ones," President George Bush yesterday laid out a national security strategy for the post-September 11th era notable for its aggressive approach to potential world rivals.

Underlying the new Bush doctrine is the maintenance of the United States as the dominant power in the world and a blunt refusal to tolerate any other country building up its forces to the US level, a policy which seems aimed at China which is expanding its conventional and nuclear capacity.

Mr Bush said he had no intention of allowing any foreign power to catch up with the huge lead the United States has opened since the fall of the Soviet Union more than a decade ago.

"Our forces will be strong enough to dissuade potential adversaries from pursuing a military build-up in hopes of surpassing or equalling the power of the United States," Mr Bush said.

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He also outlined the policy he first enunciated at West Point during the summer of shifting US strategy from Cold War deterrence to pre-emptive strikes against hostile countries and terrorist groups.

"The United States can no longer solely rely on a reactive posture as we have in the past. We cannot let our enemies strike first," Mr Bush wrote. "As a matter of common sense and self-defence, America will act against such emerging threats before they are fully formed.

"While the United States will constantly strive to enlist the support of the international community, we will not hesitate to act alone, if necessary, to exercise our right of self-defence by acting pre-emptively against such terrorists to prevent them from doing harm against our people and our country."

The "Bush Doctrine" is outlined in a 33-page booklet entitled The National Security Strategy of the United States, published by the White House. Mr Bush worked on the document for months with his National Security Adviser, Ms Condoleezza Rice.

Every US president outlines strategic American goals at some time in office, but this is the most radical departure from the past since Harry Truman outlined the Truman Doctrine in 1947, which guided US foreign policy for more than four decades.

The enemy is now no longer ideological, Mr Bush said. "The enemy is not a single political regime or person or religion or ideology. The enemy is terrorism: premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against innocents."

Responding to international criticisms of growing American military assertiveness, the President promised to exploit US military and economic power to encourage "free and open societies".

Mr Bush outlined his stated position on the Middle East, saying that Israeli settlement activity in the occupied territories must stop and that he supported a Palestinian state if they "embrace democracy and the rule of law, confront corruption and firmly reject terror."