Comments on the National Security Strategy Report of the Obama Administration—— Sa Benwang, Yu Shuman

Sa Benwang, senior advisor of International Strategic Institute of China

 Yu Shuman, associate researcher and doctor of International Strategic Institute of China

On May 27, 2010, the Obama Administration issued the National Security Strategy Report, clearly pointing out the new national security strategy of “Renew America, Lead the World”, which marks the formation of the National Security Strategy framework of the Obama Administration. It aims to renew America and lead the world and focuses on strengthening the construction of power within the United States. It is embodied by enhancing the comprehensive engagement with all kinds of power centers around the world and supported by the integrated use of various means. It is another major adjustment made to the American National Security Strategy after the 9.11 event. It continues the strategic ambitions of all American administrations to seek global hegemony, and meanwhile reflects the moderate and pragmatic governing idea and style of Obama.

1. The Report is the result of profound introspection on the strategic mistakes of the Bush Administration based on the current situation by the Obama Administration.

After coming into power, confronted with the relatively declined American position of power, the international situation of the rapid rise of emerging powers and the political reality that unilateralism is difficult to implement due to the desire of American people to change, Obama proposed a new national security strategy after 16 months of deliberation and adjustment. The Report reflects the criticism of Bush policy of unilateralism and militarism everywhere in between the lines, claiming that “the United States rejects the false choice between the narrow pursuit of our interests and an endless campaign to impose our values.” and emphasizing that “America will not seek to impose these values through force.” Some international media have commented that “the core objective of the report is to break from the 9 ? 11 ideology of the Bush Administration.”

In general, the Report not only reflects the traditional liberalism of the Democratic Party of the United States, but also reflects the moderate and pragmatic governing style of Obama, and meanwhile it is also a helpless action to rid America of realistic dilemma as soon as possible. The Report also reflects from one side that America still has strong capabilities to self-regulate, respond to emergencies and correct errors, being able to search for new strategic track after straying into the wrong strategic path.

2. The Report exposes that America is unwilling to abandon the strategic ambitions to expand the seeking of hegemony and attaches much importance to the new strategic idea of seeking security through cooperation.

The Report emphasizes the global leadership of the United States in many places. “Renew America and Lead the World” has become the general objective and new label of the National Security Strategy of the Obama Administration, reflecting America’s anxiety to maintain its dominant position in the midst of domestic and foreign dilemma. The Report proposes the strategic policy to ensure and promote the American global interests from the four aspects of safeguarding national security, boosting economic prosperity, popularizing the American values and shaping international order. The National Security Strategy Report of the three previous administrations  all emphasize on  safeguarding national security, boosting economic prosperity and promoting democracy as three major pillars. The new Report apposes shaping international order to the first three aspects, making it the fourth major pillar.

The Report points out, “We have an interest in a just and sustainable international order... This international order will support our efforts to advance security, prosperity, and universal values, but it is also an end that we seek in its own right.” The international order shall be built through the comprehensive engagement with international community, especially all kinds of power centers around the world: Firstly, strengthen the traditional alliance; secondly, build partnerships with the 21^st century centers of influence; thirdly, reinforce the cooperation institution and mechanism. It is notable that the Report changes the wording that Russia and China as potential competitors pose threats to the United States, reducing the tone of criticism towards Russia and China, which indicates that the Obama Administration has commenced to seek to build a new international order dominated by the US.

3. The Report demonstrates that the Obama administration attaches more importance to the comprehensive national strength for its important role in safeguarding national security.

The Report points out that the United States must renew its leadership in the world by both “Building at Home” and “Shaping Abroad”. The Report emphasizes that building at home is the source of the American strength, influence and the foundation of national security. “Our strength and influence abroad is derived from the domestic behavior.” The strategic goal of “Renew America and Lead the World” reflects the significant change of the concepts of security. “Renew America” comes first and “Lead the World” comes after. “Renew America” is the foundation and premise of “Lead the World”. The Report puts forward three measures to reinforce the building at home: First, rebuild the economy; Second, strength the homeland security, aiming at “moving beyond traditional distinctions between homeland and national security”; third, strengthen the American function of model. The Report criticizes the Bush Administration’s practice to do harm to the American values in order to obtain security and highlights that America is to win “the good reputation against tyranny” and provide “the guiding lamp” for people around the world by adhering to the principle of democracy and fulfilling the American values.

Thus it can be seen that the connotation of national security concepts of the Obama Administration has gone beyond the scope of the American traditional national security strategy. It possesses a deeper understanding of the dialectic relations between comprehensive national strength and national security, hoping to enhance the position of the US power and lay the foundation of the US hegemony by strengthening the building at home.

4. The Report reflects the Obama Administration’s strategic vision of focusing on the reality and concerning about the future.

The Report points out that the realistic threats the United States face currently are still the challenge brought to the national security by the financial crisis and two wars. The two main tasks of the current American national security are promoting economic recovery and ending the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. Internally, “at the center of our efforts is a commitment to renew our economy … to ensure that our recovery is broad and sustained”. Externally, end the battle tasks in Iraq before August, 2010 and withdraw the troops in Iraq by the end of 2011; From July 2011, withdraw the troops under the premise that the Afghanistan security situation takes a favorable turn.

The Report proposes a greater long-term planning and conception. First, promote the economic restructuring and balance the sustainable growth. The Report extensively deals with the long-term development plan of American economy. The main conceptions include transforming the way energy is produced and used, making new domestic and international rules, reforming international mechanism, considering G20 as the premier forum for promoting the international economic cooperation, creating new overseas market, etc. Second, embark on coping with the challenges of global diversification, especially nuclear proliferation. Significant changes take place in the judgments of the Obama Administration towards the threats. The Report relinquishes the concept of “anti-terrorism war”, no longer exaggerates the “Islamic terrorism”, and abandons the wording of the Bush Administration that “the terrorism is the primary realistic threats of the American national security”. The Report points out that the threats that the United States face are “diversified challenges”, highlights the threats and risks brought by nuclear weapons and nuclear proliferation, and points out that “there is no greater threat to the American people than weapons of mass destruction, particularly the danger posed by the pursuit of nuclear weapons.”

5. The Report reveals that the comprehensive use of various means to advance the American national interests has become a prominent feature of the American National Security Strategy.

The Report fully reflects the idea of “smart power” of the Obama Administration, emphasizing that America “must balance and integrate all elements of American power and update the national security capacity” to deal with the multiple threats and challenges in the 21^st century.

Firstly, give prominence to the cornerstone status of the military forces. The military forces are required to maintain its conventional superiority and nuclear deterrents, and enhance its capacity to defeat asymmetric threats. The Report points out that “the United States must reserve the right to act unilaterally if necessary”. Secondly, emphasize the vital importance of diplomacy. It proposes to strengthen the diplomatic power, perfect the appropriate diplomatic authorities and mechanisms, improve the capability to carry out folk activities overseas, and enhance the communication and cooperation between diplomatic personnel and the other government officials, experts, scholars, international organizations and other nongovernmental actors. Thirdly, consider the economy as a crucial component. It requires close cooperation between and among developed nations and emerging markets to develop and maintain mutual economic interests. Fourthly, attach importance to the development assistance. It proposes to assist developing countries and their people to manage security threats, develop their economies, and set in place responsible democratic institutions. Fifthly, realize the seamlessly information exchanging of the homeland and national security departments. It emphasizes on destroying the enemies’ ability to operate within the US, effectively controlling the border, and ensuring the national recovery capability after suffering from the dangers. Sixthly, develop the capability to access information. It proposes to integrate the Intelligence Community, strengthen the partnerships with foreign intelligence services, and increase the investment in the Intelligence Community. It shows that the Obama Administration tries to ensure security and seek development internally, and promote engagement and seek cooperation externally in order to support the American interests. In the coming period, the integrated use and mutual complement of various powers will become a bright spot of the American National Security Strategy.

The implementation of the Obama Administration’s National Security Strategy will be confronted with many restricting factors. From the political perspective, the battles between the Democratic and Republican Parties within the U.S. revolving around the patterns of economic development, health care reform, Afghanistan war and other major issues are increasingly intensified. It is predicted that after the 2010 mid-term elections, the superiority Obama and Democratic Party possess in the congress will be undermined, and the government’s administrative capability will be restrained to a greater degree. From the economic perspective, though the American economy has achieved certain recovery, the unemployment rate remains high, the social livelihood has not been improved remarkably, and the institutional source triggering the financial crisis is yet to be eliminated. The financial deficit and debt burden of the American government are extremely heavy, becoming the bottleneck to restrain the healthy economic development. From the diplomatic perspective, the effect of the Obama “smart power” diplomacy is poor, which is under heavy attack of the hard-line conservative forces within the United States. The Report highly advocates enhancing the comprehensive engagement with all kinds of power centers around the world, which will surely encounter greater opposition. From the strategic concept, the Report brings economy, technology, education, health care, homeland security and other elements into the vision of national security, which will aggravate the conflicts between the unlimited expansion of the American strategic objective and the relatively limited resources.