Obama to West Point grads: Success in Iraq, progress in Afghanistan
President Obama told graduating cadets at the West Point military academy that America鈥檚 security abroad must be matched by a revitalized US economy.
President Barack Obama congratulates a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, NY, Saturday.
J. Scott Applewhite
Washington
President Obama told graduating cadets at the West Point military academy鈥檚 commencement ceremony Saturday morning that America鈥檚 strength abroad begins at home 鈥� and that the future military leaders鈥� service in the name of America鈥檚 security abroad must be matched by a revitalized US economy.
While focusing much of his speech on a theme of America鈥檚 21st-century leadership, the president also gave a sneak preview of his own version of 鈥渕ission accomplished鈥� that he is likely to invoke when the last US combat troops leave Iraq this summer. Mr. Obama called the US engagement in Iraq a 鈥渟uccess,鈥� and he said he has no doubts that the graduates before him would someday be able to say the same of the US campaign in Afghanistan.
But the president鈥檚 broader point was that America鈥檚 civilian and domestic progress, particularly in the economic field, must match the vigor of its military.
鈥淎t no time in human history has a nation of diminished economic vitality maintained its military and political primacy,鈥� Mr. Obama told the 1,311 graduates and their families assembled in the US Military Academy鈥檚 Michie Stadium. Adding that 鈥淲e cannot simply leave it to those with uniforms to defend this country,鈥� he said 鈥渢he civilians among us鈥� much ensure that 鈥淎merican innovation鈥� in areas like clean energy, the sciences, and education, remains 鈥渢he foundation of American power.鈥�
Expanding beyond that perennial theme, the president also used his West Point speech to offer a defense of his foreign policy priority on expanding America鈥檚 ties to rising global powers like China and India. In a retort to critics who say his administration is allowing traditional alliances to fall into disrepair, Obama said a changing world demands that the US do both: maintain old alliances while building new ones.
Insisting the US 鈥渕ust鈥hape an international order that can meet the challenges of our generation,鈥� he said 鈥渨e will be steadfast in strengthening鈥ld alliances鈥� [but] we must also build new partnerships and shape stronger international standards and institutions.鈥�
Obama referred repeatedly to the US engagement in Afghanistan, noting that he chose West Point as the venue for unveiling his new Afghanistan strategy six months ago. But he also used his speech to speak about the seven-year war in Iraq in a way that may have been bittersweet for former president George Bush.
鈥淭his is what success looks like,鈥� he said, noting that departing US combat troops will leave behind a 鈥渄emocratic鈥� and 鈥渟overeign鈥� Iraq that is 鈥渘o haven鈥� for the kind of violent extremists that attacked the US on Sept. 11, 2001.
President Bush was criticized and lampooned for his frequent insistence that the Iraq war was delivering a 鈥渄emocratic鈥� Iraq the US could work with instead of worry about. But recently even some critics have begun to acknowledge the positive results of a long and costly war.
Beyond 鈥渟uccess鈥� in Iraq, Obama said the US is also seeing progress in Afghanistan. And while he noted that the 2010 West Point commencement is the ninth held with the nation in a state of war, he said that broader battle with violent extremism is also making important advances.
In an oblique reference to the failed car bombing attempt last month in New York鈥檚 Times Square, Obama said 鈥渞ecent attempts show Al Qaeda is forced to rely on terrorists with less time to train.鈥� The unspoken comparison was to the 9/11 hijackers, who trained extensively before carrying out their mission.
And while 鈥淎l Qaeda and its affiliates鈥� continue to target America, the president said Americans have not bowed to their threats.
鈥淭he terrorists want to scare us,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut New Yorkers go about their lives unafraid.鈥�
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