National Security Strategy September 2002

The National Security Strategy of September 2002 was the formal promulgation of the Bush Doctrine which the president had earlier introduced in his 1 June 2002 speech at West Point. Many of the ideas propounded therein have their origins in the Defence Policy Guidance of 1992, and the Project for the New American Century's 'Rebuilding America's Defences'.

Content Analysis

In the document the word 'terrorist' appears 47 times, 'freedom' 46 times, 'liberty' 11 times, 'WMD' 9 times, and 'free market' 8 times.

Historical Antecedents

The document is an inventory of neoconservative ideas propounded over the past two decades. Most of its key tenets have unmistakable antecedents in neoconservative writings.

‘The great struggles of the twentieth century between liberty and totalitarianism ended with a decisive victory for the forces of freedom—and a single sustainable model for national success: freedom, democracy, and free enterprise.’ (Origins: Francis Fukuyama's 'The End of History')

'And America will hold to account nations that are compromised by terror, including those who harbor terrorists' (Origis: This line was inserted into Bush's 11 September 2001 speech by David Frum at Richard Perle's suggestion)

'We will build defenses against ballistic missiles and other means of delivery.' (Origins: Albert Wohlstetter)

Resources

• The National Security Strategy, The White House, September 2002