National Security Strategy Reaffirms U.S. Security Assistance Role
Released in early February, the Obama Administration’s new National Security Strategy for 2015 reaffirms U.S. foreign security assistance as a key part of U.S. efforts to address counterterrorism and prevent conflict abroad. Compared to the last U.S. National Security Strategy from 2010, however, there are some notable differences, some of which may indicate a narrower U.S. security assistance focus.
In both the 2015 and the 2010 strategy, the White House notes the importance of supporting foreign security forces to combat terrorism, but the new strategy highlights slightly different aspects. The 2015 strategy, for instance, says it will support the “most vulnerable states and communities to defeat terrorists locally” by training and equipping “local partners and provid[ing] operational support to gain ground against terrorist groups.” In order to address Al-Qaeda, the 2010 strategy emphasizes U.S. support to partners to disable Al-Qaeda networks, “disrupt terrorist operations before the mature” and address potential safe havens, but there is no mention of communities or operational support.
Unlike the 2010 strategy, the new strategy leaves out the crime-terror nexus in combatting terrorists. According to the 2010 strategy, “the crime-terror nexus is a serious concern as terrorists use criminal networks for logistical support and funding.” Although the 2015 strategy mentions the importance of dealing with organized crime and transnational organized crime, it does not connect organized crime with terrorist networks, which may indicate a reduced focus on this nexus.
Both the 2010 and 2015 strategies describe the importance of using U.S. security assistance to help foreign countries address threats to its security, but the 2015 strategy appears narrower in the types of threats and types of assistance. According to the 2010 strategy, the United States will undertake “sustained efforts to strengthen the capacity of security forces to guarantee internal security, defend against external threats, and promote regional security and respect for human rights and the rule of law.”
In comparison, the 2015 strategy says the United States will help foreign countries address violent non-state actors from rising up and conflict from overtaking state structures. To do this, the new strategy states that U.S. assistance will focus on “proven areas of need and impact” such as “reforming security and rule of law sectors” and “combatting corruption and organized crime,” and that it “prefers to partner with those fragile states that have a genuine political commitment to establishing legitimate governance….”
As the Obama Administration begins to implement this new strategy, it will be interesting to see how it plays out in practice for U.S. security assistance. Looking solely at the State Department’s new budget request for FY 2016, it’s possible to see some increased funds for security sector reform such as $16.9 million for the Security Governance Initiative, but the overall security assistance request includes many countries where the political commitment to legitimate governance is questionable.
Colby Goodman is a Senior Research Associate at Security Assistance Monitor and covers a range of U.S. security assistance issues.