海角大神

Two weeks after offering the American people his rationale for launching the United States into a new Middle East war to combat the Islamic State militant group, President Obama on Wednesday issued a call to the world to join America in the fight against violent religious extremism.

Saying gravely that 鈥渢he future of our civilization depends on us coming together鈥� to fight the extremist scourge, Mr. Obama told the United Nations General Assembly that military action against the militants controlling parts of Syria and Iraq was necessary because 鈥渢he language of force鈥� is the only one they understand.

鈥淭here can be no reasoning, no negotiations with this brand of evil,鈥� Obama said 鈥� describing the extremists that he said blithely kill children and behead journalists with an unvarnished term that many in the assembly of world leaders might have more readily associated with the president鈥檚 predecessor.

But Obama also said that ultimately the battle against religious extremism could not be won by force. In a 40-minute speech directed in large part at Muslim countries, Obama said that other efforts hold the key to what he said is one of the 21^st-century鈥檚 central challenges. These, he said, range from practical steps such as halting funding for extremist groups and stanching the flow of foreign fighters to Middle East conflicts, to more 鈥済enerational鈥� tasks like countering the extremist ideology and expanding economic and political opportunities for young Muslims. 聽聽聽

Obama鈥檚 call for the world to join America in fighting IS, which he referred to by the alternative acronym ISIL, came in the context of a speech that offered an assertive but positive portrayal of America鈥檚 leadership in the world.

America is at the forefront of international efforts to assist West African countries in halting the Ebola virus, Obama said, and he put the US at the lead of a collective effort to rebuff Russian actions in Ukraine, which he said challenge Europe鈥檚 postwar order and 鈥渋nternational norms鈥� more broadly.

In addition, Obama asserted the US is leading the global response to address climate change 鈥� providing an example for other major economies by cutting carbon emissions and assisting the most vulnerable developing countries confront global warming鈥檚 impact 鈥� as well as international efforts to negotiate an accord to limit Iran鈥檚 nuclear program.

Obama鈥檚 speech came on the heels of the General Assembly鈥檚 opening address by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who said the world鈥檚 鈥渉orizon of hope鈥� had been darkened over the past year by a list of alarming events: from 鈥渦nspeakable acts鈥� of violence and a new high in the number of refugees displaced by conflict, to 鈥渃old war ghosts鈥� raised by the Ukraine conflict and an Arab Spring that has gone 鈥渧iolently wrong.鈥�

But Obama underscored what he called 鈥渟ignposts of progress,鈥� citing a reduction in the prospects of war between the world鈥檚 major powers, a 50-percent reduction in extreme poverty worldwide in this century, and the universal accessibility through modern technology of the world鈥檚 great store of information.

鈥淒espite the headlines, this is the best time in history to be born,鈥� Obama said, adding that in the face of 鈥渁n undertow of instability,鈥� for America 鈥渢he choice is clear: we choose hope over fear.鈥�

White House officials said the president wanted to offer a 鈥渇orceful and optimistic message of American leadership鈥�: placing the US at the forefront of addressing the world鈥檚 major challenges, but also emphasizing that advancing global interconnectedness means that every country must join in solving global problems. 聽

A day earlier, Obama told world leaders assembled at the UN that the US was taking significant steps to combat global warming. But he also placed an onus on other major powers to act 鈥� in particular China, the world鈥檚 largest emitter of heat-trapping greenhouse gases 鈥� saying, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what big nations have to do.鈥�

Obama鈥檚 upbeat message seemed equally aimed at Americans left unsettled and even fearful after the summer鈥檚 string of jarring events.

But the president may have sown confusion rather than hope, some US analysts say, because of what they see as a mixed message.

鈥淎t the climate summit [Tuesday] Obama describes climate change as the issue that will define the contours of this century, and then today there鈥檚 only a sentence or two dedicated to climate change鈥� with the bulk of the speech presenting religious extremism as today鈥檚 major threat, says Brett Schaefer, an expert on the UN and international institutions at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. 鈥淚t raises a question whether the president really believes what he says from one day to the next.鈥�

Obama鈥檚 speech was also 鈥渓ong on rhetoric and short on specifics,鈥� Mr. Schaefer says, noting that in citing Russia鈥檚 aggression against Ukraine, Obama 鈥渄idn鈥檛 call on the UN to do anything鈥� 鈥� something he says might have been tacit 鈥渁cknowledgement that the international system is broken鈥� and unable to address the world鈥檚 major security challenges.

Obama鈥檚 call for the world to join the US in fighting religious extremism may have fallen flat because the 鈥渃oalition鈥� the administration has assembled so far 鈥� Obama referred to more than 40 countries in his speech 鈥� does not suggest global enthusiasm, some national security experts say.

At the UN, Obama tried to 鈥渉and a fig leaf of multilateralism on what is clearly a largely unilateral US air campaign against ISIS/ISIL in Syria,鈥� said Michael Desch, international security expert at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. But Mr. Desch says the president could not hide the reality that the ground forces the US will need to 鈥渄egrade and ultimately destroy鈥� the Islamic State are either 鈥渓argely unwilling 鈥� or incompetent.鈥�

Others said a speech largely pressing Muslim countries to come to grips with their challenges might have come off as pedantic or arrogant.

But Obama seemed mindful of this criticism, dedicating a few lines of his speech to an acknowledgment that America 鈥渉asn鈥檛 always lived up to鈥� its principles.

Citing events this summer in Ferguson, Mo., where the killing of an unarmed black youth by a white policeman exposed to the world America鈥檚 鈥渞acial and ethnic tensions,鈥� Obama said America 鈥渨elcomes the scrutiny of the world鈥� as a positive element in efforts to bring about change.

If America permits itself to coax the world to change and progress, Obama said, it is because Americans have been willing to face their challenges 鈥� challenges like racial divides and respecting the rule of law, which are also the world鈥檚 challenges 鈥� head on.

Saying America鈥檚 progress could serve as an example to others, Obama said that after nearly six years as president, 鈥淚 believe this promise can help light the world.鈥�