NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY
Secure U.S. Borders
and Territory
Priority Actions
ENHANCE MISSILE DEFENSE:
State and non-state actors place the safety of the
focused on North Korea and Iran to defend our
American people and the Nation’s economic
homeland against missile attacks. This system
vitality at risk by exploiting vulnerabilities
will include the ability to defeat missile threats
across the land, air, maritime, space, and cyber-
prior to launch. Enhanced missile defense is
space domains. Adversaries constantly evolve
not intended to undermine strategic stabil-
their methods to threaten the United States and
ity or disrupt longstanding strategic relation-
our citizens. We must be agile and adaptable.
ships with Russia or China.
DETECT AND DISRUPT WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION:
Defend Against Weapons
of Mass Destruction (WMD)
At our borders and within our territory, we will
bolster efforts to detect nuclear, chemical, radiological, and biological agents and keep them from
The danger from hostile state and non-state actors
being used against us. We will also better inte-
who are trying to acquire nuclear, chemical, radio-
grate intelligence, law enforce-
logical, and biological weapons is
ment, and emergency manage-
increasing. The Syrian regime’s
use of chemical weapons against
ment operations to ensure that
its own citizens undermines
Strengthening control
internationa l norms against
over our borders and
these heinous weapons, which
immigration system is
may encourage more actors to
pursue and use them. ISIS has
The United States
is deploying a layered missile defense system
central to national security,
used chemical weapons in Iraq
economic prosperity, and
and Syria. Terrorist groups con-
the rule of law.
frontline defenders have the
right information and capabilities to respond to WMD threats
from state and non-state actors.
ENHANCE COUNTERPROLIFERATION
MEASURES:
Building on decades
of i n it i at ive s , we w i l l au g -
tinue to pursue WMD-related
ment measures to secure,
materials. We would face grave
el i m i n at e , a n d pr event t he
danger if terrorists obtained
spread of W M D a nd related
inadequately secured nuclear,
materials, their delivery systems, technologies, and knowledge to reduce
rad iologica l, or biologica l materia l.
the chance that they might fall into the hands
As missiles grow in numbers, types, and effec-
of hostile actors. We will hold state and non-
tiveness, to include those with greater ranges,
state actors accountable for the use of WMD.
they are the most likely means for states like
We will direct coun-
North Korea to use a nuclear weapon against
TARG ET WM D TE R RORISTS:
the United States. North Korea is also pursuing
terterrorism operations against terrorist WMD
chemical and biological weapons which could
specialists, financiers, administrators, and facilita-
also be delivered by missile. China and Russia
tors. We will work with allies and partners to detect
and disrupt plots.
are developing advanced weapons and capabilities that could threaten our critical infrastructure and our command and control architecture.
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