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Containment Succeeded, Pre-emption Failed—Time For A New National Strategy?
Article

Containment Succeeded, Pre-emption Failed—Time For A New National Strategy?

From the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 to the fall of the Twin Towers in 2001, and even now, after the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, the United States has not had a consistent national security strategy that enjoyed the support of the American people and our allies. This situation is markedly different from the Cold War era, when our nation had a clear, coherent, widely supported strategy that focused on containing and deterring Soviet communist expansion. The tragic events of September 11, the increase in terrorism, threats from countries such as North Korea and Iraq, and the advent of a new administration create an imperative once again to fashion and implement a coherent national security strategy that will safeguard our national interests.

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From the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 to the fall of the Twin Towers in 2001, and even now, after the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, the United States has not had a consistent national security strategy that enjoyed the support of the American people and our allies. This situation is markedly different from the Cold War era, when our nation had a clear, coherent, widely supported strategy that focused on containing and deterring Soviet communist expansion. The tragic events of September 11, the increase in terrorism, threats from countries such as North Korea and Iraq, and the advent of a new administration create an imperative once again to fashion and implement a coherent national security strategy that will safeguard our national interests.

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Authors

Lawrence J. Korb

Senior Fellow