| Bush administration initiated “war on terror” and launched Afghan war and Iraq war after “9/11” attack,which trapped the Unites Stated in dilemma. Under this background, Obama adjusted U.S. counterterrorism strategy and issued the “National Strategy for Counterterrorism” to concentrate resources to combat al-Qaeda based in Afghanistan and Pakistan by shifting strategy focus eastward. In 2013, Obama won second term but faced a new threat-“ISIS”. Obama’s strategies have deeply influenced homeland, China and even the whole world.This thesis tries to analyze and explore Obama administration’s counterterrorism strategy from four chapters. The first chapter begins with analysis of strategy background. At home, counterterrorism strategy over Bush years dragged U.S economy which can’t afford such huge expenditure into deficits. Besides, preemption doctrine and unilateralism over Bush years damaged American image in international community and weakened its soft power. Then, the thesis analyzes the changes of U.S strategy during Obama’s presidency. Obama administration put forward a whole new theory which guided anti-terrorism actions, updated channels in practice and raised various counterterrorism strategies in line with flexibility, positioning and effectiveness, manifesting features like rational recognition of counterterrorism, pluralistic approach and multilateral cooperation. In Chapter three, it analyzes influences brought by the strategy. It brings deep influence on America, international community and even to China. American damaged image has been improved and the domestic stress has been relieved due to adjustment of the U.S. counterterrorism strategy. In last part, it evaluates Obama administration’s strategy. Though Obama pledged to make his counterterrorism policies more nimble, more transparent, and more ethical than the ones pursued by Bush administration, his steps to an improvement over Bush years in many ways is marked by continuity as much as by change. |
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