The date September 11, 2001 has changed the way in which the entire world started to perceive threats and their own security related to these threats. Concerning the security and approach of the U.S., the White House has published its new ‘National Security Strategy’ in 2002 setting a guideline for its eventual war on terrorism. This is the primary text that will be mainly dealt with in this writing because it is the official source showing U.S. plans of action. The 35 page long document alongside other issues mainly refers to the supremacy of the U.S. concerning its military power in which Bush’s policy of preemptive wars is justified as a necessity to fight terrorism. My argument in this paper is that when one analysis the U.S. national security plan after the attacks of September 11, the National Security Strategy is flawed, especially regarding certain points, first of all the threats are set too broadly in which it gives the U.S. the right to attack any state which is seen as a possible threat rather then mainly focusing on the most crucial terrorist groups alarming the USA such as al-Qai‘da. In addition to this the U.S. foreign policy in my opinion is one, which rather than solving the problem of terrorism will create more enemies and in addition increase the vulnerability of America itself because of the wrong type of actions taken in the military sense and the high level of involvement in regions with Islamic character.
The attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the possible failed attack on the White House, has shown the world that threats are no longer only states however different groups of terrorists operating through complicated networks in numerous countries. In addition it demonstrated that such terrorist organizations were indeed both capable and fearless of constituting a huge threat to even a great military power such as the U.S. In this sense the fact that these groups do not
Cited: Barber, Benjamin R. Fear’s Empire, War, Terrorism, and Democracy. Norton & Company, Inc, New York, 2003 Halliday, Fred. Two Hours that Shook the World.Saqi Books, London, 2002 Pillar, Paul. Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy. Brookings Institution Press, Washington D.C. 2003 The National Securtiy Strategy of the United States of America.