Preemptive Strategy: The New Era of American National Security

In The National Security Strategy of the United States of America, George W. Bush begins by introducing the change in the United States government’s strategy from deterring terrorism and rogue states to a preemptive strategy by acting early before the national security of the United States or its allies is under immediate threat. Through making a reference to the conflict between liberty and totalitarianism in the twentieth century and how it ended in the victory of the forces of freedom, Bush emphasizes that the twenty-first century is a time where human rights and political and economic freedoms are the basis to guarantee future prosperity in countries that share the same principles of liberty. Bush also points out that the Unites States

This threat to “American democratic values and way of life” prompted Bush’s preemptive National Security Strategy as the security environment is changing and terrorist groups and rogue sponsor states ability to use weapons such as weapons of mass destruction are becoming an increasing threat to the American people, American interests, and the allies of the Unites States. Finally, Bush’s National Security Strategy and preemptive doctrine are based on American values and national interests and its objectives are spreading political and economic freedoms, peaceful relations with other states, and respect for human dignity.
On the other hand, in The Slippery Slope to Preventive War, Neta Crawford questions the arguments put forward by the Bush administration and the National Security Strategy in regard to preemptive action and war. Crawford also criticizes the Bush administration as they have failed to define rogue states and terrorists as they have “blurred the distinction” between “the terrorists and those states in which they reside”. In Crawford’s point of view, taking the battle to the terrorists as self-defence of a preemptive nature along with the failure to distinguish between terrorist and rogue states is dangerous as “preventive war