GOVT 2305. Module 16 Defense Policy

Deterrence During the Cold War, the organizing principle of American defense policy was deterrence, which was the ability of a nation to prevent an attack against itself or its allies by threat of massive retaliation, which is the concept that the United States will strike back against an aggressor with overwhelming force.

“Peace Through Strength” Weaker nations would be deterred from attacking the United States because America enjoyed military superiority. In the meantime, the United States and the Soviet Union would be deterred from attacking each other because both countries possessed nuclear arsenals capable of destroying the other.

Mutual Assured Destruction Many defense theorists believe that nuclear weapons promoted world peace during the Cold War because no national leader acting rationally would risk initiating a nuclear holocaust. This concept was formalized in the doctrine of mutual assured destruction (MAD), which was the belief that the United States and the Soviet Union would be deterred from launching a nuclear assault against each other for fear of being destroyed in a general nuclear war.

September 11, 2001 Why didn’t deterrence work to prevent the terror attack on September 11, 2001?

When deterrence fails Deterrence is an imperfect defense strategy in the post-Cold War world because of rogue states and, especially, terrorist organizations.

Rogue States A rogue state is a nation that threatens world peace by sponsoring international terrorism and promoting the spread of weapons of mass destruction. The United States considers North Korea and Iran to be rogue states.

Weapons of Mass Destruction Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) are nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons that are designed to inflict widespread military and civilian casualties.

Israel worries that Iran would give nuclear weapons to Hezbollah. Iran and Hezbollah For example, Iran supports international terrorism by providing arms and money to Hezbollah, an Islamic organization based in Lebanon that has carried out terrorist attacks against Israel. Israel worries that Iran would give nuclear weapons to Hezbollah.

Terrorist Organizations Terrorist organizations are unlikely to be deterred by threat of massive retaliation because they lack a home base that the United States could attack.

Military Preemption President George W. Bush responded to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 by announcing that the United States had adopted the policy of military preemption, which is the defense policy that declares that the United States will attack nations or groups that represent a potential threat to the security of the United States.

War with Iraq The American attack against Iraq to overthrow the regime of Saddam Hussein was the first application of the doctrine of military preemption. The United States went to war not because Iraq posed an immediate threat to national security, but because of the possibility that Iraq could give weapons of mass destruction to terrorists.

Iran and Military Preemption The United States and its allies believe that Iran is trying to build a nuclear weapon. American policymakers worry that an Iran armed with nuclear weapons would bully its neighbors, perhaps setting off regional arms races with other nations rushing to acquire nuclear weapons themselves to counter the Iranian threat. Should the United States strike preemptively?

Defense Spending & Force Structure

Global Defense Spending

Asymmetric Warfare No nation is capable of challenging the United States in terms of air power, naval power, or ground power, at least not in direct conflict. Instead, the United States sometimes faces enemies employing guerrilla tactics in asymmetric warfare, which is conflict between belligerents whose military capabilities differ significantly.

Strategic (Nuclear) Forces The United States has 5,200 nuclear weapons. More than half are currently active and deployed, ready to be carried to their targets by planes or launched from submarines, ships, or from silos.

Conventional (Non-Nuclear) Forces For decades, the United States maintained a large standing army in order to defend against a possible conventional arms attack by the Soviet Union in Western Europe. Today, U.S. armed forces rely on speed, mobility, and firepower rather than a large army.

Drone Warfare The United States is using armed drones to take out suspected terrorists in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula. Why is drone warfare controversial?

What You Have Learned What is the difference between deterrence and preemption? What is Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD)? Why do some observers believe it helped preserve peace during the cold war? What are rogue states and failed states? Why are they threats to American national security?