National security By N.M.Ghimire For officer preparing students National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic power, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States after World War II. Initially focusing on military might, it now encompasses a broad range of facets, all of which impinge on the non military or economic security of the nation and the values espoused by the national society. Accordingly, in order to possess national security, a nation needs to possess economic security, energy security, environmental security, etc. Security threats involve not only conventional foes such as other nation-states but also non-state actors such as violent non-state actors, narcotic cartels, multinational corporations and non-governmental organisations; some authorities include natural disasters and events causing severe environmental damage in this category. Measures taken to ensure national security include: • using diplomacy to rally allies and isolate threats • marshalling economic power to facilitate or compel cooperation • maintaining effective armed forces • implementing civil defense and emergency preparedness measures (including anti-terrorism legislation) • ensuring the resilience and redundancy of critical infrastructure • using intelligence services to detect and defeat or avoid threats and espionage, and to protect classified information • using counterintelligence services or secret police to protect the nation from internal threats Definitions • There is no single universally accepted definition of national security. • The variety of definitions provide an overview of the many usages of this concept. • The concept still remains ambiguous, having originated from simpler definitions which initially emphasised the freedom from military threat and political coercion to later increase in sophistication and include other forms of non-military security as suited the circumstances of the time. Origin The origin of the modern concept of "national security" as a philosophy of maintaining a stable nation state can be traced to the Peace of Westphalia, wherein the concept of a sovereign state, ruled by a sovereign, became the basis of a new international order of nation states. It was Thomas Hobbes in his 1651 work Leviathan who stated that citizens yield to a powerful sovereign who in turn promises an end to civil and religious war, and to bring forth a lasting peace, and give him the right to conduct policy, including wage war or negotiate for peace for the good of the "commonwealth", i.e., a mandate for national security. National Security Act of 1947 The concept of national security became an official guiding principle of foreign policy in the United States when the National Security Act of 1947 was signed on July 26, 1947 by U.S. President Harry S. Truman.[1]:3 As amended in 1949, this Act: • created important components of American national security, such as the precursor to the Department of Defense); • subordinated the military branches to the new cabinet level position of Secretary of Defense; • established the National Security Council and the Central Intelligence Agency; Current American views • Security: The security of the United States, its citizens, and U.S. allies and partners. • Prosperity: A strong, innovative, and growing U.S. economy in an open international economic system that promotes opportunity and prosperity. • Values: Respect for universal values at home and around the world. • International Order: An international order advanced by U.S. leadership that promotes peace, security, and opportunity through stronger cooperation to meet global challenges. Each of these interests is inextricably linked to the others: no single interest can be pursued in isolation, but at the same time, positive action in one area will help advance all four."
Posted on: Mon, 19 Aug 2013 09:56:59 +0000
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