U.s. Anti-terrorism Policy Research

In the effort of anti-hijacking and anti-kidnapping of diplomats, the anti-terrorism policy of US was forged in the end of 1960s. Because of the objective circumstances and subjective cognation, its major content was various defensive measures and it maintained a strategic defensive posture. In the Reagan Administration, it became more proactive and began to take a strategic offensive posture. This period also witnessed the forming of the conception of combating terrorism militarily through preemptive action. But being limited by the international security environment, during the Cold War, the anti-terrorism policy did not develop into an important element of US national security strategy.In the post-Cold War era, following the change in international security environment, national security strategy of US and terrorism, the anti-terrorism policy of US evolved steadily.Before the terrorism attack of Sep. 11, 2001, the anti-terrorism policy of US experienced the following changes: the fields and measures to combat terrorism had been enlarged and some policy conceptions had changed significantly. But as nontraditional threat, terrorism was still not taken as a main threat to US security.After the terrorism attack of Sep. 11, 2001, anti-terrorism was put on the top of US security agenda and was integrated closely with homeland security and anti-proliferation effort. At the same time, US developed the comprehensive strategy to combat terrorism. The Bush administration put forward and interpreted the strategic conception of Preemption that aims at the threat of terrorism and rogue state.