It was a rather amazing speech. Who knew it was even possible to declare the War on Terror over? Since 2001 it was always described as a more or less eternal struggle, one that apparently we would be involved with as long as we're here.
Who knew it was even possible to just say we were in a War on Terror that's required Eternal Vigilance but we have now been sufficiently Eternally Vigilant to declare success? Again, amazing speech, and I feel the President hit a home run.
""We have now been at war for well over a decade," Obama said near the start of his address. Toward the end, he added: "But this war, like all wars, must end."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/24/us-usa-obama-speech-idUSBRE94M04Y20130524
He makes the crucial point that it's not possible to tatally annhilate terror from teh world as George W. Bush believed.
"“Neither I, nor any president, can promise the total defeat of terror,” Obama said in remarks at the National Defense University. “What we can do — what we must do — is dismantle networks that pose a direct danger, and make it less likely for new groups to gain a foothold, all while maintaining the freedoms and ideals that we defend.”
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/obama-defends-drone-strikes-but-says-no-cure-all.php?ref=fpa
We've seen a lot of success in tracking al Qaeda and depleting their forces in the last 5 years and it's time for more modest, realizable ambitions.
"With al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden killed in a U.S. raid in 2011, a number of the group's top members taken out in drone strikes, and the U.S. military role in Afghanistan winding down, Obama made clear it was time for a policy shift."
The President also provided clarity on the much decried drone program and renewed a push to close Guantanamo Bay and he lifted the ban on sending prisoners back to Yemen.
The ACLU liked some of the speech though not all. He did defend the use of the drone program and is not promising to end it but do it in a context of more public transparency which is opening up a very interesting experiment if nothing else.
http://www.aclu.org/national-security/aclu-comment-presidents-national-security-speech
The Human Rights Watch Steven Roth liked the speech in terms of a statement of principles but is taking a Show Me attitude to see how far the President goes in closing down Guantanamo
" Four years ago this week, Obama gave a lengthy speech at the National Archives outlining his vision for detention policy. He called the issue a national security priority, and vowed: “As President, I refuse to allow this problem to fester.”
Who knew it was even possible to just say we were in a War on Terror that's required Eternal Vigilance but we have now been sufficiently Eternally Vigilant to declare success? Again, amazing speech, and I feel the President hit a home run.
""We have now been at war for well over a decade," Obama said near the start of his address. Toward the end, he added: "But this war, like all wars, must end."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/24/us-usa-obama-speech-idUSBRE94M04Y20130524
He makes the crucial point that it's not possible to tatally annhilate terror from teh world as George W. Bush believed.
"“Neither I, nor any president, can promise the total defeat of terror,” Obama said in remarks at the National Defense University. “What we can do — what we must do — is dismantle networks that pose a direct danger, and make it less likely for new groups to gain a foothold, all while maintaining the freedoms and ideals that we defend.”
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/obama-defends-drone-strikes-but-says-no-cure-all.php?ref=fpa
We've seen a lot of success in tracking al Qaeda and depleting their forces in the last 5 years and it's time for more modest, realizable ambitions.
"With al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden killed in a U.S. raid in 2011, a number of the group's top members taken out in drone strikes, and the U.S. military role in Afghanistan winding down, Obama made clear it was time for a policy shift."
"Beyond Afghanistan, we must define our effort not as a boundless ‘global war on terror' - but rather as a series of persistent, targeted efforts to dismantle specific networks of violent extremists that threaten America," Obama said.
"Pakistan said it appreciated Obama's acknowledgement that force alone did not work, adding that the root causes of terrorism had to be addressed."
The President also provided clarity on the much decried drone program and renewed a push to close Guantanamo Bay and he lifted the ban on sending prisoners back to Yemen.
The ACLU liked some of the speech though not all. He did defend the use of the drone program and is not promising to end it but do it in a context of more public transparency which is opening up a very interesting experiment if nothing else.
http://www.aclu.org/national-security/aclu-comment-presidents-national-security-speech
The Human Rights Watch Steven Roth liked the speech in terms of a statement of principles but is taking a Show Me attitude to see how far the President goes in closing down Guantanamo
" Four years ago this week, Obama gave a lengthy speech at the National Archives outlining his vision for detention policy. He called the issue a national security priority, and vowed: “As President, I refuse to allow this problem to fester.”
"But when Republicans in Congress hardened their line against closing the island prison, the administration put up little resistance. In fact, after the May 2009 speech, Obama almost never mentioned the issue in public, save for a couple of occasions when he was asked about it directly."
“On Guantanamo, the problem really was a lack of political determination. He just capitulated to the opposition when it arose. It wasn’t a battle he was willing to fight,” said Roth. “What he said back in 2009 was a nice statement of principles, the key question is will he stick with it and invest the political capital needed to realize his vision.”
At the end of the day it was a great speech and opens a new chapter in U.S. international history. I know some are saying it's just rhetoric. However, as Slavoj Zizek tells us rhetoric is itself performative. What you say is more important in some ways than 'what you really think.'
In any case, if nothing else this speech has already had a very salutary impact: it knocked Scandal talk off the front pages. Indeed, between his excellent speech and handling of the Oklahoma tornado-where he connected and empathized with a country in a time of tragedy and loss-and this great speech the American people are seeing the President in action and that this clearly belies the tiresome media narrative of an Administration on the defensive that the Very Serious People are so enamoured of.
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