The classified version of NSPD-17, as reported by the Washington Times on January 31, 2003, included this controversial sentence: "The United States will continue to make clear that it reserves the right to respond with overwhelming force — including potentially nuclear weapons — to the use of against the United States, our forces abroad, and friends and allies."

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NSPD-17 / HSPD 4 : National Strategy to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction
December 2002
"The gravest danger our Nation faces lies at the crossroads of radicalism and technology. Our enemies have openly declared that they are seeking weapons of mass destruction, and evidence indicates that they are doing so with determination. The United States will not allow these efforts to succeed. ... History will judge harshly those who saw this coming danger but failed to act. In the new world we have entered, the only path to peace and security is the path of action."

President Bush
The National Security Strategy of the United States of America
September 17, 2002