A geopolitical analysis of The Clinton Administration's 1995 National Research Paper

A geopolitical analysis of The Clinton Administration's 1995 National Security Strategy - Research Paper Example The national security strategy of 1995 Clinton administration was listed out in a document titled, A National Security Strategy of Engagement and Enlargement, published by the White House in February 1995 (The White House, 1995). The new strategy had its attention more focused on the â€Å"ethnic conflicts† which were on the rise all over the world and also the challenges raised by the so-called â€Å"rogue states† (The White House, 1995, p.1 of preface). Another major aspect of the change that was reflected in the NSS 1995 was the shifting of attention of the US from the communist nations, towards a wider geopolitical realm, to say, the whole world. Geo-politically, the two major concerns, which have prompted the formulation of a new security strategy for the US, had been â€Å"the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction† and the â€Å"political instability in many countries and regions† caused by population explosion and â€Å"environmental degrada tion† (The White House, 1995, p.1 of preface). It was evident that the US was redefining its national security concerns on geo-political lines rather than the previous practice of seeing national security in relation with the ideological realm, especially communism. The immediate yet indirect threats to global political stability from certain regions and nations based on geopolitical issues like ethnicity, and environment were seriously accounted for, the first time in US history. The new National Security Strategy was prepared â€Å"in accordance with Section 603 of the Goldwater- Nichols Defense Department Reorganization Act 1986 (The White House, 1995, p.1 of preface). The declared key objectives of this strategy document had been, â€Å"to sustain our [America’s] security with military forces that are ready to fight, to bolster America's economic revitalization [and] to promote democracy abroad† (The White House, 1995, p.1 of preface). The first two objectiv es represented the natural security concerns of any nation but the third objective was specific to America with its long history of intervening in the matters of other nations with a vision of a global super power. And the attention imparted to link the economic development of the nation with the security aspect is again unique to the US. This is an indicator of the geo-political stand that this country has been adopting ever since its establishment as a rich and powerful nation. The dependence of the US economy on weapon trade, oil, and other natural resources (scarce inside the nation and available in plenty in the third world and the Middle East) can be one reason why concepts of security become entangled with internal matters of foreign countries and regions for this nation, thus giving national security a distinct global geopolitical edge. For example Saudi Arabia has been â€Å"the largest customer for US military hardware† (Cohen, 2003, p.356). Similarly, the greatest labor force that America has to run its industries has been flowing from Mexico (Cohen, 2003, p.135). And â€Å"the United States invaded Haiti in 1915 to protect U.S. investments and properties in a military occupation that lasted until 1934† (Cohen, 2003, p.107). Making of the NSS The National Security Strategy document is prepared by the US government administration beginning the process with a â€Å"preferred approach to national security† (Bartolotto, 2004, p.6). The â€Å"process of initiating, controlling, developing, writing, and publishing the NSS† is entrusted with the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, who also is the head of