MADRID — Time and again in our Nation's history, Americans have risen to meet — and to shape — moments of transition. This must be one of those moments.
So begins the U.S. National Security Strategy, presented before Congress on May 27. As with the politics pursued in the Obama administration's 16 months of office — dialogue, international commitment, nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament — the document's strength lies in the position that it takes. It is a clear departure from that of its predecessor and offers a wider conception of what national security represents for U.S. President Barack Obama.
In the face of the major challenges of our times, Obama has taken a stand with a comprehensive doctrine. Indeed, the Security Strategy is almost a "National" Strategy. Its thinking goes beyond the dominant, unilateral paradigm of its predecessor and includes a defense of international law. This is particularly noteworthy, given that none of the great treaties to create an international criminal court and a permanent war-crimes tribunal was signed by the United States during George W. Bush's presidency.