Table Of ContentAmerican National
Security
2
American National
Security
Seventh Edition
MICHAEL J. MEESE
SUZANNE C. NIELSEN
RACHEL M. SONDHEIMER
Foreword by
GENERAL JOHN P. ABIZAID, US
ARMY (RETIRED)
Johns Hopkins University Press
Baltimore
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Meese, Michael J., author. | Nielsen, Suzanne C., author. | Sondheimer,
Rachel M., author.
Title: American national security / Michael J. Meese, Suzanne C. Nielsen, Rachel
M. Sondheimer.
Description: Seventh edition. | Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, [2018]
| Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018007463 | ISBN 9781421426938 (hardcover : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9781421426778 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781421426785 (electronic) |
ISBN 1421426935 (hardcover : alk. paper) | ISBN 1421426773 (pbk. : alk. paper) |
ISBN 1421426781 (electronic)
Subjects: LCSH: National security—United States. | United States—Military
policy.
Classification: LCC UA23 .J66 2018 | DDC 363.340973—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018007463
A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library.
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To
Amos A. Jordan and William J. Taylor Jr.
Two exceptional scholars, educators, mentors, policy makers, and US
Army officers, who taught and inspired generations of national security
professionals
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Contents
Foreword, by General John P. Abizaid, US Army (Retired)
Preface
Abbreviations and Acronyms
I National Security Policy: What Is It, and How Have
Americans Approached It?
1. The International Setting
2. Traditional American Approaches to National Security
3. The Evolution of American National Security Policy
II National Security Policy: Actors and Processes
4. Presidential Leadership and the Executive Branch
5. Congress
6. Homeland Security
7. Intelligence and National Security
8. The Role of the Military in the Policy Process
9. Planning, Budgeting, and Management
10. Putting the Pieces Together: National Security Decision Making
III Ways and Means of National Strategy
11. Diplomacy and Information
12. Economics
13. Military Power
14. Conventional War
15. Irregular Threats: Terrorism, Insurgencies, and Violent Extremist
Organizations
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16. Counterterrorism, Counterinsurgency, and Stability Operations
17. Nuclear Policy
IV International and Regional Security Issues
18. East Asia
19. South Asia
20. The Middle East
21. Sub-Saharan Africa
22. Russia
23. Europe
24. Latin America
V Current and Future Issues in American National Security
Policy
25. Looking Ahead
Index
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Foreword
A successful approach to the challenges and opportunities that we face in a
dynamic and complex world must be based on an informed discussion of
the issues that is open, clear, and unambiguous. This book, American
National Security, provides an impressive, comprehensive discussion of
the issues, actors, policies, and history that have influenced national
security policy in the past and will shape its direction in the future. Just as
America and the world are continuously evolving, the authors have
significantly revised this edition based on recent US history, some of the
initial policy approaches of the Trump administration, and changing global
dynamics.
A comprehensive approach to American national security policy is
necessary to avoid the strategic myopia that can often afflict policy
makers. It is not sufficient to conduct a “soda straw” examination of issues
using a country-by-country or issue-by-issue approach. It is important to
look at regions and strategies holistically to understand trends and to
anticipate how actions in one area will reverberate throughout the world.
For example, in the Middle East, the world is facing a number of
challenges that have affected and will continue to have implications for US
national security. First, Sunni Islamic extremism, which is embodied in al-
Qaeda, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and their affiliates,
continues to motivate and support violent attacks that foment instability.
Second, Shia Islamic extremism, as led by Iran and its proxy forces
fighting throughout the Middle East, exacerbates conflicts in the region
and exploits state weakness to further Iran’s strategic ends. Third, the
Arab-Israeli conflict remains salient throughout the region, in spite of
significant efforts of the United States and others to achieve a long-term
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solution. Finally, in spite of recent increases in US energy production, the
world remains dependent on energy resources from the region, which is
why the Middle East will continue to be strategically important. These
trends are difficult to discern if one only examines particular incidents, but
they become clearer through a more comprehensive review of the issues.
Circumstances are changing in the Middle East and opportunities abound,
but considerable strategic dangers remain.
The information revolution is affecting security and political stability
throughout the Middle East, as well as the broad array of US national
security interests in that region and beyond. More individuals throughout
the world have greater access to information, which compresses
decisionmaking cycles and accelerates the effects of any particular action,
either by the United States or by those who would oppose US policy.
Individuals and organizations are networked globally and have the ability
to see beyond the local areas in which they live, which can be positive, as
it opens opportunities, but also negative, as it raises expectations and
enhances perceptions of relative deprivation. Moreover, ubiquitous
technology empowers and connects individuals, corporations, and others in
ways that can be extremely unpredictable and potentially harmful to
American interests and to the ability of states to influence the trajectory of
events.
The United States led the West during the Cold War, and US policy
was the driving force behind many global issues, especially after the
attacks of September 11, 2001. Today, American leadership remains
essential to global security and to developing and executing strategies to
confront challenges. That does not mean that the United States should have
policies that only employ American assets, but it does mean that there
should be an American commitment to lead so that other countries
understand there are some enduring policies that the United States will
continue to support over time. To manage costs, the United States will
need to demonstrate its sustained commitment to allies and to international
peace and security through means that do not always include a large-scale
deployment of US forces. The Trump administration’s National Security
Strategy recognizes the continuing challenges in the Middle East but also
clearly points to the growing strength of America’s near-peer competitors,
China and Russia. When these issues are considered alongside persistent
and emerging security challenges in places such as North Korea and parts
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of Africa, it becomes clear that the United States will face an extremely
complex security environment for the foreseeable future.
It is important to understand the perspectives and approaches that
provide the context for American national security policy making. As
discussed in part I of this book, “National Security Policy: What Is It, and
How Have Americans Approached It?,” one of the strengths that the
United States brings to policy making is its values. Those values are
represented both by the ideals enshrined in the Constitution and
Declaration of Independence and by the strength and dedication of the
American people to do the hard work necessary to make the United States
and the world a stronger, safer, and better place for future generations. A
successful and sustainable approach to national security will rest on these
values, which should continue to influence policy choices in the future.
With national security policy, it is sometimes difficult to understand all
the players involved, which is addressed in part II, “National Security
Policy: Actors and Processes.” During my career as a military leader, I
worked with all the actors discussed, often engaging with the White House
and Congress. With the intelligence, diplomatic, and homeland security
communities as partners with the military, the challenge was to integrate
our efforts in support of shared strategies. Understanding the proper role of
the military, the vital importance of the budget process, and the intricacies
of national security decision making are crucial to the effective
formulation of security policy. There is no substitute for learning about all
of these actors and agencies firsthand, but studying their history, culture,
organization, and practices is a great first step toward understanding their
important roles in American national security.
Recently, the United States seems to have had an overreliance on the
military element of power. As this book describes in part III, “Ways and
Means of National Strategy,” it is critical to understand and incorporate all
elements of power when developing a successful long-term strategy. Our
overreliance on the hammer of military power has created a dynamic that
makes every problem look like a nail. While military action can gain time
for political activity to take place, it is vital that we incorporate economic,
diplomatic, informational, educational, intelligence, law enforcement, and
other aspects of power in the development of a sustainable strategy. All
elements of national power need to be adequately resourced so that we can
most effectively advance American interests in the world.
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