NEW YORK TIMES: …Speaking at the commencement of the United States Military Academy, [President] Obama disputed critics who say his cautious response to crises like Syria’s civil war and Russian aggression toward Ukraine had eroded America’s leadership in the world. Those critics, he said, were “either misreading history or engaged in partisan politics.”…
In the only new policy announcement of the speech, he called on Congress to finance what he called a Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund, with up to $5 billion to provide training in these operations to vulnerable countries like Iraq, Lebanon and Turkey, all neighbors of Syria.
“We have to develop a strategy that matches this diffuse threat; one that expands our reach without sending forces that stretch our military too thin, or stirs up local resentments,” Mr. Obama declared. “We need partners to fight terrorists alongside us.”… (more)
EDITOR: We hope that readers will find time to watch the entire video of the President’s speech. We find both the reports in the New York Times and the editorial in the Washington Post to poorly cover what was said.
If we had to capsulize what the President said, it amounted to the USA no longer will go to war every time something undesirable breaks out in another part of the world, just because some misguided politicians cry for military action. Rather we would work with other nations and friendly forces to help redress the situation.
Many Americans consider the USA as God’s gift to the world. More realistic citizens understand that we don’t have all the answers and we are but one powerful nation among many others. Except when our national interest is directly endangered, we need to collaborate and share the challenges. Lastly, to achieve our goals doesn’t mean doing so withing a week, a month or a year. Know when time is on our side. That’s the situation with the Ukraine.
