US President Barack Obama laid out his foreign policy vision in a major speech Wednesday. Speaking to the graduating class at the West Point military academy, he made it clear that the United States still wants to be the leader in the world. Obama told the crowd that good leadership requires "military might", along with strong alliances and diplomacy. These remarks come at a time when Obama has come under criticism for being weak.
U.S. President Barack Obama arrives for a commencement ceremony at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, May 28, 2014.
The seeds of Wednesday’s speech were sewn in Syria. Five months after Syrians started protesting their government in March of 2011, U-S President Barack Obama called for President Bashar al-Assad to step down. A year later, he uttered these words:
"...a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized. That would change my calculus." Obama said.
When it became apparent that chemical weapons *were in fact*, being used in Syria...Obama did *not* order military action. That pull-back on his threat became a weapon for critics...and a concern for American allies. Wednesday, Obama defended his decision.
"As frustrating as it is, there are no easy answers - no military solution that can eliminate the terrible suffering anytime soon." Obama said.
Against expectations -- Obama also did not announce an effort to arm the moderate Syrian opposition.
At the same time, a senior administration official //confirm/i/ied, the White House does support legislation allowing the Pentagon to equip and train vetted members. It is a more calibrated and multilateral approach to foreign policy. But the American president was clear: the U.S. will use military force when its core interests are threatened or to defend the security of its allies.
And more than once, Obama referred to the ongoing maritime disputes in the South China Sea between China and its neighbours.
"Regional aggression that goes unchecked - in southern Ukraine, the South China Sea, or anywhere else in the world - will ultimately impact our allies, and could draw in our military." Obama said.
It’s a military drawing closer to Japan’s self-defense forces. Just this week, the Chief of US naval operations - Admiral Jonathan Greenert met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss closer military cooperation.
