234 Journal of the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies N. 3 / 2014 and cultural differences; genocide and outbursts of violence in Africa and the Middle East, as well as wars such as the Kosovo War and the Gulf War7. Spain’s Defence White Paper (2000) starts with the premise of the globalisation of the strategic environment, the low probability of large-scale wars occurring in the foreseeable future and outlines the guidelines of the Spanish strategic conception, whose principles are: the universalistic perception of Spain’s world presence, protection of Spanish interests and a firm commitment to shared security and collective defence. It defines the country’s vital national security interests: the mainland and islands; populations; constitutional order; sovereignty and independence. It also sets out the country’s strategic interests, which it defines as those interests which provide security to our environment and whose protection contributes decisively to the defence of vital interests, and other national interests, namely interests that stem from its position in the international community, its sense of solidarity, its contribution to the cause of peace and freedom, and its relations with the nations of its historical and cultural community8. Spain’s National Defence Directive (DDN) 1/20009 stated that the strategic environment was characterised by an absence of a clear and defined threat to the territory but, nevertheless, by the emergence of asymmetrical threats, crises and conflicts that compromise peace, security and stability in many parts of the world and which could affect our own security and, therefore, require a response from Spain. The September 11 attacks in 2001 marked a turning point in the strategic landscape and ushered in a period of uncertainty in relation to transnational crime and te-rrorism, highlighting the European countries’ dependence in relation to the provisioning of resources10. In this context, the Strategic Defence Review addressed conflicts such as that of the former Yugoslavia, which fuelled a new conscience that tended towards international intervention, and there was a new feeling of vulnerability11 in the aftermath of the dramatic events of 9/11. Since then, terrorism has been regarded as a key element in the strategy of security and defence organisations. The aforementioned Document 7 Vid. Libro blanco de la Defensa, 2000, Secretaría General Técnica del Ministerio de Defensa, Madrid, pp. 27-29. 8 Ibid. pp. 29-36 and 68-71. 9 Dictated on 1 December 2000, http://www.gees.org/documentos/Documen-007.pdf. 10 DURÁN ROS, Manuel María: “Redefinición de los europeos frente a las nuevas amenazas: los riesgos del nuevo orden-desorden mundial”, in La seguridad europea y las incertidumbres del 11 de septiembre, SEGENTE del MINISDEF, Madrid, Monografías del CESEDEN, no. 69, 2003, pp. 71 and 72. 11 MARQUINA BARRIO, Antonio: “Estudio introductorio”, in Comentarios de estrategia y política militar, Cuadernos de Estrategia, Secretaría General Técnica del Ministerio de Defensa, Madrid, no. 128, 2004, p. 41.
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