President Bush released his National Security Strategy on September 17, 2002. “The document came to be known as the Bush doctrine. In essence, the foreign policy of George W. Bush had three main elements. First, the United States claimed the right to take unilateral military action to preempt any perceived threat to its security. Second, America declared its intention to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. And third, it would replace hostile regimes with democratic and friendly governments, by force if necessary, in strategically important regions like the Middle East. The overriding objective was evidently to establish America as the dominant power forever. The document said that ‘our forces will be strong enough to dissuade potential adversaries from pursuing a potential military build-up in hopes of surpassing or equaling the power of the United States.’ ”
– Deepak Tripathi, Overcoming the Bush Legacy in Iraq and Afghanistan, Page 24