Summary
The President of the United States, relying upon the National Security Council, is required to produce a National Security Strategy each year. This requirement is met in a variety of ways, most importantly by attempting to integrate information from various agencies of the government. The result is a consensus document that is intended to inform citizens, guide executive branch policy-makers and signal allies and opponents of US intentions in security matters. It is one of many related documents, which should be, but are not always tightly aligned. The current NSS is activist in orientation and assumes that the US is at war with transnational terrorism motivated primarily by a perversion of Islam. The proliferation of WMD, including the possibility that terrorist groups might control such weapons is a primary threat. Promoting democracy and countering proliferation are key responses. The NSS is adjusted over time to account for problems encountered in the process of implementing it in the international security environment.
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