Terrorism: Commentary on Security Documents Volume 147 Assessing the 2017 U.S. National Security Strategy

Terrorism: Commentary on Security Documents is a series that provides primary source documents and expert commentary on various topics relating to the worldwide effort to combat terrorism, as well as efforts by the United States and other nations to protect their national security interests. Volume 147, Assessing the 2017 U.S. National Security Strategy, evaluates the changes in U.S. national security policy indicated in the National Security Strategy published by the Trump administration in 2017, as well as the U.S. National Defense Strategy, a summary of which was made available to the public in 2018. The volume also takes a close look at the comparable strategy documents of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China (PRC), the two greatest competitors of the U.S. in the global power structure, in addition to considering the U.S. security posture in the broader international context.

In addition to including the text of the 2017 U.S. National Security Strategy and the 2018 U.S. National Defense Strategy, this volume also includes the Russian Federation's Foreign Policy Concept, National Security Strategy, and Military Doctrine, and China's national defense, military strategy, and Asia-Pacific cooperation documents, as well as Chinese President Xi Jinping's October 2017 speech to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China outlining the way forward for the PRC. Two 2017 CRS reports examining U.S. security strategy in the international context are also included: U.S. Role in the World: Background and Issues for Congress and A Shift in the International Security Environment: Potential Implications for Defense-Issues for Congress.

Douglas C. Lovelace, Jr., is the Director of the Strategic Studies Institute at the U.S. Army War College. Earlier in his military career, he worked on national security directives. He holds an MBA degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a J.D. from Widener School of Law.

Introduction

A. THE 2017 U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY

Commentary by Douglas C. Lovelace, Jr.

DOCUMENT NO. 1: National Security Strategy of the United States of America, Washington, D.C., December 2017

DOCUMENT NO. 2: Summary of the 2018 National Defense Strategy of the United States of America: Sharpening the American Military's Competitive Edge, Jim Mattis, The Pentagon, January 19, 2018

B. THE RUSSIAN CONTEXT

Commentary by Douglas C. Lovelace, Jr.

DOCUMENT NO. 3: Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation, Moscow, November 30, 2016

DOCUMENT NO. 4: National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation, Russian Federation Presidential Edict 683, Moscow, December 31, 2015

DOCUMENT NO. 5: The Military Doctrine of the Russian Federation, No. Pr.-2076, Moscow, December 25, 2014

C. THE CHINESE CONTEXT

Commentary by Douglas C. Lovelace, Jr.

DOCUMENT NO. 6: China's National Defense in 2008, Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Beijing, January 20, 2009

DOCUMENT NO. 7: China's Military Strategy, Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Beijing, May 2015

DOCUMENT NO. 8: China's Policies on Asia-Pacific Security Cooperation, Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Beijing, January 2017

DOCUMENT NO. 9: Secure a Decisive Victory in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects and Strive for the Great Success of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Speech by Xi Jinping delivered at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, October 18, 2017

D. THE INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT

Commentary by Douglas C. Lovelace, Jr.

DOCUMENT NO. 10: U.S. Role in the World: Background and Issues for Congress, CRS Report No. R44891, Ronald O'Rourke and Michael Moodie, October 20, 2017

DOCUMENT NO. 11: A Shift in the International Security Environment: Potential Implications for Defense--Issues for Congress, CRS Report No. R43838, Ronald O'Rourke, December 12, 2017