NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY destabilizing cyber capabilities. Th rough modern- tests will inf luence the political, economic, and ized forms of subversive tactics, Russia interferes military strength of the United States and our in the domestic political affairs of countries around allies and partners. the world. The combination of Russian ambition To prevail, we must integrate all elements of and growing military capabilities creates an unsta- America’s national power—political, economic, and ble frontier in Eurasia, where the risk of conflict military. Our allies and partners must also con- due to Russian miscalculation is growing. tribute the capabilities, and demonstrate the will, The scourge of the world today is a small group of to confront shared threats. Experience suggests rogue regimes that violate all principles of free that the willingness of rivals to abandon or forgo and civilized states. The Iranian regime spon- aggression depends on their perception of U.S. sors terrorism around the world. It is developing strength and the vitality of our alliances. more capable ballistic missiles and has the poten- The United States will seek areas of cooperation tial to resume its work on nuclear weapons that with competitors from a position of strength, fore- could threaten the United States and our part- most by ensuring our military power is second ners. North Korea is ruled as a ruthless dictator- to none and fully integrated with our allies and ship without regard for human dignity. For more all of our instruments of power. A strong mili- than 25 years, it has pursued nuclear weapons tary ensures that our diplomats are able to oper- and ballistic missiles in defiance of every commit- ate from a position of strength. In this way we can, ment it has made. Today, these missiles and weap- together with our allies and partners, deter and if ons threaten the United States and our allies. The necessary, defeat aggression against U.S. interests longer we ignore threats from countries deter- and increase the likelihood of managing competi- mined to proliferate and develop weapons of mass tions without violent conflict and preserving peace. destruction, the worse such threats become, and the fewer defensive options we have. Renew America’s Competitive Advantages The United States continues to wage a long war against jihadist terrorist groups such as ISIS and al-Qa’ida. These groups are linked by a common radical Islamist ideology that encourages vio- The United States must consider what is endur- lence against the United States and our partners ing about the problems we face, and what is new. and produces misery for those under their control. The contests over inf luence are timeless. They Although the United States and our partners have have existed in varying degrees and levels of inten- inflicted defeats on ISIS and al-Qa’ida in Syria and sity, for millennia. Geopolitics is the interplay of Iraq, these organizations maintain global reach these contests across the globe. But some condi- with established branches in strategic locations. tions are new, and have changed how these com- The threat from jihadist terrorists will persist, petitions are unfolding. We face simultaneous even as we intensify efforts to prevent attacks on threats from different actors across multiple are- Americans, our allies, and our partners. nas—all accelerated by technology. The United States must develop new concepts and capabili- Protecting American interests requires that we ties to protect our homeland, advance our pros- compete continuously within and across these perity, and preserve peace. contests, which are being played out in regions around the world. The outcome of these con- 26