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United States Strategic Plan
First Revision. Released by the Office of Resources,
For International Affairs
Plans, and Policy, U.S. Department of State,
Washington, DC, February 1999
STRATEGIC GOAL: TRAVEL AND IMMIGRATION
Manage fairly and effectively the entry of foreign visitors, immigrants, and refugees into the United States.
NATIONAL INTEREST:
The United States has been a beacon of freedom and opportunity throughout its history. Immigrants make important contributions to the nation, and visitors contribute directly to U.S. prosperity. The large numbers of people seeking to enter the U.S. illegally present major law enforcement, border security, and socio-economic problems.
STRATEGIES:
- Administer immigration laws, the visa process, and inspection at ports of entry fairly and effectively to facilitate travel of eligible foreign nationals and impede travel of ineligible foreign nationals to the United States.
- Inform foreign publics of U.S. entry regulations and the dangers of trying to enter the country illegally, while building understanding of U.S. immigration policy.
- Coordinate among federal agencies to increase border security and improve customer service. Employ techniques and technologies, such as machine-readable documents, biometric indicators, and sophisticated namechecks to expedite lawful entry, identify criminals and terrorists, and inhibit illegal immigration. Establish database links among posts abroad, U.S. ports-of-entry, INS offices, and other law enforcement agencies.
- Combat fraud by increasing the security features of U.S. passports and visas, and investigating aggressively cases of passport and visa fraud. Secure a permanent Visa Waiver Program and concentrate resources where workload is growing the most and border security threats are the highest.
- Address the underlying causes of large-scale illegal immigration by promoting regional stability, democracy, and broad-based growth, particularly in Central America and the Caribbean.
- Administer U.S. asylum policies and refugee admission programs fairly, humanely, and equitably in accordance with U.S. and related international law.
EXTERNAL FACTORS AND ASSUMPTIONS:
- The United States will remain a desirable destination for visitors and immigrants from throughout the world.
- Regions of political, social, and economic unrest frequently generate migratory pressure.
- Applications for non-immigrant visas will continue to increase by 3-5% per year.
- Many would-be immigrants unable to qualify under U.S. immigration laws will resort to illegal methods to enter the country.
INDICATORS:
- Estimated number of illegal immigrants in the U.S.
- Waiting times for visa, immigration, and customs services.
- Efficiency and effectiveness of immigration enforcement efforts.
STRATEGIC GOAL: INTERNATIONAL CRIME
Minimize the impact of international crime on the United States and its citizens.
NATIONAL INTEREST:
Transnational crime represents a growing threat to the prosperity and well-being of American citizens. International criminal organizations have become increasingly global and sophisticated, particularly after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the advent of the information revolution. Their prevalence and resilience also affects other U.S. interests in stability, immigration, and democracy.
STRATEGIES:
- Focus law enforcement efforts on international criminal organizations principally from the former Soviet Union, Nigeria, and East Asia. Give priority to combating money laundering and other financial crimes, information crime, arms trafficking, alien smuggling, trafficking in women, trafficking in stolen vehicles, and corruption.
- Increase bilateral and multilateral cooperation to combat international crime. Negotiate mutual legal assistance and other agreements, update extradition treaties, establish task forces, and make international agencies, including INTERPOL, more effective.
- Deploy U.S. law enforcement abroad to collaborate with foreign law enforcement and judicial authorities in identifying and dismantling transnational criminal organizations, seizing assets, disrupting safe havens, and prosecuting, convicting and incarcerating offenders.
- Provide assistance and training, and encourage support by other donors to improve law enforcement and criminal justice institutions in emerging democracies and developing countries.
- Collect, analyze and disseminate information worldwide regarding money laundering, other financial crimes, alien smuggling, trafficking in stolen vehicles and other contraband, illegal firearms trafficking, and other forms of transnational crime.
- Enlist the private sector and NGOs to control contraband, financial and information crime, and corruption. Build international understanding of U.S. policies on crime.
EXTERNAL FACTORS AND ASSUMPTIONS:
- Criminal organizations will continue to expand and globalize, and the United States will remain a principal target of their activities.
- Criminal organizations will strive to maintain a technological edge and use corruption to obtain advantages over law enforcement agencies and governments.
INDICATORS:
- Crime statistics and intelligence estimates indicating extent of domestic criminal activity linked to international criminal groups.
Reduce the entry of illegal drugs into the United States.
NATIONAL INTEREST:
Most illegal drugs consumed in the United States come from abroad. Reduction of this foreign supply must complement efforts to reduce drug use and its harmful consequences in the United States and elsewhere. As with other forms of crime, narcotics trafficking can affect other U.S. interests through the impact of corruption on political stability and security in some countries, or providing finance for terrorism.
STRATEGIES:
- By 2002, reduce outflow of illegal drugs from source countries by 15 % compared to 1996. Use crop eradication, information programs, and other methods to significantly reduce cultivation of coca, opium, and marijuana, particularly when destined for the United States. Limit illegal production of methamphetamine and other drugs and pharmaceuticals. Set specific targets for reducing or eliminating worldwide the cultivation, production, and commercial-scale trafficking of illicit drugs.
- By 2002, reduce entry of illegal drugs into the U.S. by 10 % compared to 1996. Increase efforts to protect U.S. air, sea, and land borders from importation of illegal narcotics.
- Improve coordination of USG counternarcotics operations and build internal USG agreement on counternarcotics goals.
- Increase foreign political will, promote the adoption of policies and laws, and build the institutional capabilities of governments and multilateral organizations to combat all aspects of illicit drug production and trafficking, as well as the associated problems of corruption and money laundering. Use the certification process and other means to increase pressure on foreign governments to take effective action and comply with their own laws.
- Increase the attention foreign governments and institutions give to the negative effects of drug abuse on their societies, and strengthen their abilities to conduct demand reduction efforts.
- Collaborate with foreign governments and international organizations, mounting flexible law enforcement operations to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations, and investigate, arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate their leaders.
- Collect, analyze, and disseminate information worldwide regarding drug production, trafficking organizations, and the availability and abuse of illegal drugs. Stigmatize illegal drugs and build understanding of U.S. counternarcotics policies through public diplomacy.
EXTERNAL FACTORS AND ASSUMPTIONS:
- Reducing foreign production is a cost-effective means of reducing the entry of illegal drugs into the United States.
- The supply of illegal narcotics from abroad responds to demand from the United States.
- Although foreign governments have an interest in counternarcotics cooperation with the United States, limited institutional capacity, along with social, political, and economic factors, including corruption, will remain major constraints.
- The Western Hemisphere will remain the major foreign source of illegal drugs for the U.S. market, with the Mexican-U.S. border the major entry point.
INDICATORS:
- Quantity of illicit drugs available in the U.S.
- Rate at which illegal drugs enter the U.S. from transit and arrival zones.
- Outflow rate of illicit drugs that leave source zones.
STRATEGIC GOAL: COUNTERTERRORISM
Reduce the number and impact of international terrorist attacks, especially on the United States and its citizens.
NATIONAL INTEREST:
International terrorism has entered more directly into the lives of all Americans, and continues to threaten U.S. interests around the world. Threats to American citizens, facilities, and interests, as well as the potential for use of weapons of mass destruction, makes terrorism a national security as well as a law enforcement challenge.
STRATEGIES:
- Make significant and well-coordinated use of diplomatic, intelligence, law enforcement, and military assets to deter, warn against, respond promptly to, and defeat all terrorist threats or attacks on U.S. interests at home and abroad. Emphasize disruption of terrorist mobility, access to weapons, and financing.
- Defend against threats or the use of weapons of mass destruction and cyber-warfare by terrorists. Protect critical U.S. infrastructure.
- Continue the USG policy of making no concessions to terrorists.
- Maintain pressure on and isolate state and non-state sponsors of terrorism. Advocate universal adherence to anti-terrorism conventions and encourage governments to adopt anti-terrorism legislation.
- Investigate and prosecute terrorist suspects. Work with friendly foreign governments to share intelligence, facilitate investigations, and extradite terrorists. Strengthen domestic and international law; and combat terrorist funding.
- Intensify intelligence collection and analysis. Provide training to foreign governments in counterterrorism, including communications, aviation, and maritime security. Maintain the readiness of U.S. counterterrorism personnel, and increase R&D in counterterrorism technology.
EXTERNAL FACTORS AND ASSUMPTIONS:
- U.S. officials, facilities, and citizens will remain high-priority targets of terrorists.
- State support for terrorism will continue to decline, but the number of unaffiliated and ad hoc terrorists will increase. Religiously motivated and sectarian terror will grow.
- The number of international terrorist incidents will continue to decline, but terrorists will seek to increase casualties and damage by using more lethal weapons.
- The danger that terrorists will employ chemical, biological, or nuclear materiel will grow.
- Terrorists will attack less-protected targets, including vulnerable communications systems and infrastructure.
INDICATORS:
- Trends in international terrorism worldwide, including attacks against American targets, extent of damage, and the number of casualties.
STRATEGIC GOAL: DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Open political systems and societies to democratic practices, the rule of law, good governance, and respect for human rights.
NATIONAL INTEREST:
Democracy is the best guarantor of universal human rights and the fundamental right of all people to have a say in their government. Democracies produce long-term economic growth, as well as social and political stability. In supporting the spread of democracy, the United States is simultaneously promoting American values while helping create a more stable, secure, and cooperative global arena in which to advance all U.S. interests.
STRATEGIES:
- Support democratic transitions and help consolidate new democracies, especially in regions and countries of importance to the United States.
- Advocate respect for human rights globally, deter human rights abuses, spotlight gross violators, and intervene in selected human rights cases. Support freedom of religion.
- Advance core labor standards, strengthen independent trade union movements, and promote labor human rights.
- Build, strengthen, coordinate with, and employ international organizations, NGOs, the academic community, and national institutions to secure democratic transitions, prevent conflict, and promote human rights.
- Support transitions and consolidation of democracy through bilateral and multilateral assistance, exchanges, and information programs. Establish and consolidate competitive political processes, including free and fair elections. Help build politically active civil societies, including enhanced women's participation, freedom of the press, representative labor movements, and other pluralistic organizations.
- Support good governance and the rule of law through programs to establish and consolidate transparent and accountable institutions at all levels of government, including neutral and professional law enforcement, an independent judiciary, and a professional military under civilian direction.
EXTERNAL FACTORS AND ASSUMPTIONS:
- The international environment will increasingly favor democracy, but democratic practices will vary from country to country, depending in particular on the will and intentions of leaders and the nature of the regime in power.
- U.S. pursuit of democratic transitions in certain countries and circumstances will be subject to countervailing influences and interests.
INDICATORS:
Next section
- The number of countries classified as free, partly free, and not free as defined by Freedom House.
- Country status of human rights.
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