1. In President Obama’s speech at West Point, he announced that 30,000 additional troops would be sent to Afghanistan. He made this decision because he said it was vital to the United States’ national interest. The vital national interest at risk in President Obama’s address is the security and safety of the American people as well as the “security of our allies and the common security of the world.” By involving the military and increasing the troop strength, President Obama can achieve the objectives of his strategy. His objectives are to keep the Taliban from becoming powerful, prevent them from government rule, improve Afghanistan security forces and government so they can manage their own country and prevent Al Qaeda from …show more content…

The NDS focuses on the lessons learned from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Department of Defense must use both “hard and soft” powers to continue to improve the modernization of the U.S. military and to be able to respond to irregular warfare tactics. Some of the irregular warfare tactics described in the NDS are nuclear and missile proliferation, chemical and biological threats, and electronic and cyber warfare. In order to be successful there must be a strategy that protects the U.S., wins the conventional war, but at the same time prevents and stops terrorists who threaten our way of life. However, in order to make all this possible, the U.S. cannot do this by itself. The NDS states we must work with our allies to help them to improve and stabilize their governments and protect their borders. By doing so, this will prevent terrorists from establishing safe havens.
National Defense Strategy. 2008, http://www.defense.gov.

3. The U.S. Strategy towards Somalia has several associated ends, ways, and means and can be described in this way. There are three ends in the U.S. Strategy. First, the United States wants to eliminate the terrorist threat in Somalia. This objective is outlined in the National Security Strategy and cannot be accomplished without the successful completion of the two other ends. In order for the terrorist threat in Somalia to be eliminated, the Somali people must not allow terrorists to operate in their country.