WEST POINT, NY (Reuters) – President Barack Obama  declared yesterday the United States cannot act alone in the  world and pledged to shape a new “international order” as part  of a national security strategy to seal his break with Bush-era  policies.

Setting out his vision for keeping America safe as it  fights wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Obama stressed  international engagement over predecessor George W. Bush’s  “cowboy diplomacy” and signalled his likely repudiation of  Bush’s justifications for pre-emptive war.

“The burdens of this century cannot fall on our soldiers  alone, it also cannot fall on American shoulders alone,” Obama  told graduating cadets at the US Military Academy at West  Point. “Our adversaries would like to see America sap its  strength by overextending our power.”

Obama’s speech previewed his new National Security Strategy  — required by law of every US president — to be released  next week. His words suggested it would deviate sharply from  Bush’s go-it-alone approach that placed US power over  diplomacy in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Bush in 2002 laid out the “Bush Doctrine” asserting the  right to wage pre-emptive war against countries and terrorist  groups deemed a threat to the United States, part of a policy  he called a “distinctly American internationalism.”

What followed was the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq  despite the lack of formal UN authorization.

Since taking office last year, the Obama administration has  fuelled speculation that the president’s new strategy will  officially back away from that controversial concept.

Though Obama did not explicitly revoke the Bush Doctrine at  West Point, he emphasized the need to prevent attacks through  multilateral cooperation with intelligence agencies “working  seamlessly with their counterparts to unravel plots.”

He also asserted that the only reason US forces continued  fighting in Afghanistan was because “plotting persists to this  day” there by al Qaeda militants behind the Sept. 11 attacks on  the United States.

Obama said the United States must strengthen existing  alliances, build new partnerships and promote human rights  worldwide as it pursues a strategy of global leadership.

“We are clear-eyed about the shortfalls of our  international system,” he said. “But America has not succeeded  by stepping out of the currents of cooperation.”

“We have to shape an international order that can meet the  challenges of our generation,” he said.

Obama’s call for global cooperation was also a message to  NATO allies in Afghanistan to stiffen their resolve when  questions are being raised about their commitment to the war.

Obama kept up his outreach to the Muslim world. While  accusing al Qaeda of distorting Islamic values, he avoided  using terms like “war on terror” and “Islamo-fascists” that  Bush employed regularly and which alienated many Muslims.