Security Threats, Challenges, Vulnerabilities and Risks in US National Security Documents (1990–2010)

Abstract

Since the end of WWII and since the adoption of the US National Security Act of 1947 (Czempiel 1966; Brauch 1976; Yergin 1977) issues of defence were framed, formulated and legitimated as issues of US national security. Thus, issues of international and regional (hemispheric, European, Asian and Middle East) security were perceived through the perspective of United States national security reflecting US national military, political and economic interests. In most official documents the specific meaning of ‘national security’ remains undefined or was defined to serve the specific purposes of the respective organization.