Political India: Engaging America

From The Hindu

The Obama administration will pursue a different national security strategy to that of the earlier administrations by focusing more on cooperative alliances with foreign powers rather than adopting a unilateralist approach, according to the just-released National Security Strategy document.

In the document, a key statement of intentions by the White House, President Obama said, “We will be steadfast in strengthening those old alliances that have served us so well, while modernising them to meet the challenges of a new century.”

Speaking to The Hindu Lisa Curtis, Senior Research Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, however said, “Aside from differences in tone and emphasis, the overall thrust of the Obama national security doctrine does not stray significantly from that of the Bush administration. The focus on building alliances is good but the key will be in the implementation of this strategy.”

Integrated approach

In an earlier speech addressing cadets at the West Point military academy the President made similar references to working with allies through a more integrated approach that did not rely so heavily on purely military engagements. At the academy he had said, the U.S. had to build and integrate the capabilities that could advance its interests.

He noted, “America’s armed forces are adapting to changing times, but your efforts have to be complemented.” Mr. Obama argued that the U.S. needed the renewed engagement of its diplomats, from “grand capitals to dangerous outposts”. He said it also needed development experts to “support Afghan agriculture and help Africans build the capacity to feed themselves”.

Mr. Obama stressed the need for intelligence agencies that “work seamlessly with their counterparts to unravel plots that run from the mountains of Pakistan to the streets of our cities. We need law enforcement that can strengthen judicial systems abroad, and protect us here at home. And we need first responders who can act swiftly in the event of earthquakes and storms and disease,” he pointed out.

“Damaging reference”

Yet in terms of blunting the U.S.’ use of military power, Ms. Curtis observed that the National Security Strategy document’s firm language on the need to succeed in Afghanistan was “coupled with a tremendously damaging reference to a commitment to begin reducing U.S. troop levels in July 2011”.

She noted that President Obama needed to understand that “continuing to highlight the withdrawal of U.S. troops at such an early date is itself severely undermining the U.S. ability to achieve success in Afghanistan as it sends a signal to the Afghans and others in the region that the U.S. is not truly committed to prevailing over the Taliban”.

Speaking earlier, John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism argued, “The President’s strategy describes how this effort will require a broad, sustained, and integrated campaign that harnesses every tool of American power – military and civilian, kinetic and diplomatic, and, indeed, the power of our values and partnerships with other nations and institutions.” He said this strategy exemplified a multi-departmental, multinational multi-generational effort.

Labels: Barack Obama, National Security Strategy, U.S. security measures