Assessing America’s National Security Threats
About this book
The United States faces significant dangers and opportunities in the coming century. Malicious actors have harnessed new technologies such as drones, missiles, and offensive cyber weapons to threaten and, in some cases, attack America and its allies. Jihadist terrorist organizations are pursuing more destructive capabilities and are growing in strength as the United States disengages from protracted counterterrorism operations abroad. Since the end of the Cold War, US foreign policy and national security strategy have suffered from strategic narcissism—the tendency to define complex challenges and opportunities abroad only in relation to the United States—and to underappreciate the interests, emotions, and aspirations that drive and constrain rivals, adversaries, and enemies.Former US National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster designed and delivered the 12 lectures of Assessing America’s National Security Threats. A retired US Army lieutenant general; military historian; and expert in international relations, international security, and diplomacy H. R. McMaster packed this course with compelling histories, striking firsthand accounts, and contemporary case studies. Together, you will examine the risk of nuclear proliferation on the Korean peninsula. You will investigate the threats in new security domains like space and cyberspace and discover how hostile actors like Russia and China operate within them. You will explore how Afghanistan and Pakistan sit at a global epicenter of jihadist terrorism. You will dive into the ideologies that drive Iran’s theocratic dictatorship and its aggression towards the United States, Israel, and its Arab neighbors. And so much more. Ultimately, this course is designed to help restore strategic competence through the study of history, deepen understanding of the challenges and opportunities we face, and emphasize the policies and strategies needed to secure a peaceful and prosperous future.