Following his brilliant speech on race yesterday, Obama has wisely decided to put the Jeremiah Wright mess behind him and move on to talk about the issues. Today he gave another excellent speech, this time a detailed statement about foreign policy. The highlight of the speech, and the part that will get the most attention, are his statements about John McCain, in which he draws attention to McCain's confusion about what's actually happening on the ground in Iraq:
"Just yesterday, we heard Sen. McCain confuse Sunni and Shiite, Iran and Al Qaeda. Maybe that is why he voted to go to war with a country that had no Al Qaeda ties. Maybe that is why he completely fails to understand that the war in Iraq has done more to embolden America’s enemies than any strategic choice that we have made in decades.
[...] That is what Sen. McCain wants to discuss — tactics. What he and the administration have failed to present is an overarching strategy: how the war in Iraq enhances our long-term security, or will in the future. That’s why this administration cannot answer the simple question posed by Sen. John Warner in hearings last year: Are we safer because of this war? And that is why Sen. McCain can argue — as he did last year — that we couldn’t leave Iraq because violence was up, and then argue this year that we can’t leave Iraq because violence is down.
When you have no overarching strategy, there is no clear definition of success. Success comes to be defined as the ability to maintain a flawed policy indefinitely. Here is the truth: Fighting a war without end will not force the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future. And fighting in a war without end will not make the American people safer.
So when I am commander in chief, I will set a new goal on Day One: I will end this war. Not because politics compels it. Not because our troops cannot bear the burden — as heavy as it is. But because it is the right thing to do for our national security, and it will ultimately make us safer."
Obama pledged to end the war in Iraq by withdrawing 1 to 2 combat brigades per month over a period of 16 months, leaving a small core of troops in Iraq to protect our diplomatic mission and constitute a rapid response counter-terrorism strike force. He also promised to finish off the Taliban in Afghanistan and pursue a more aggressive fight al-Qaeda there and in Pakistan. Other high points of the speech:
On counter-terrorism: "We need to strengthen security partnerships to take out terrorist networks, while investing in education and opportunity. We need to give our national security agencies the tools they need, while restoring the adherence to rule of law that helps us win the battle for hearts and minds. This means closing Guantanamo, restoring habeas corpus, and respecting civil liberties. And we need to support the forces of moderation in the Islamic world, so that alliances of convenience mature into friendships of conviction."
On nuclear proliferation: "[A]s President, I will secure all loose nuclear materials around the world in my first term, seek deep cuts in global nuclear arsenals, strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and once more seek a world without nuclear weapons."
On global poverty: "Now is the time to meet the goal of cutting extreme poverty in half, in part by doubling our foreign assistance while demanding more from those who receive it. And now is the time to build the capacity of regional partners in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and the reconstruction of ravaged societies."
On the environment: "[T]he catastrophic consequences of the global climate crisis are matched by the promise of collective action. Now is the time for America to lead, because if we take action, others will act as well. Through our own cap and trade system and investments in new sources of energy, we can end our dependence on foreign oil and gas, and free ourselves from the tyranny of oil-rich states from Saudi Arabia to Russia to Venezuela. We can create millions of new jobs here in America. And we can secure our planet for our children and grandchildren."
On education and global trade: "America’s sluggish economy risks ceding our economic prominence to a rising China. Competition has always been a catalyst for American innovation, and now should be no different. We must invest in the education of our children, renew our leadership in science, and advance trade that is not just free, but fair for our workers. We must ensure that America is the economic engine in the 21st century just as we were in the 20th."
On rebuilding the military: "Now, we must upgrade our tools of power to fit a new strategy. That starts with enhancing the finest military in the history of the world. As Commander in Chief, I will begin by giving a military overstretched by Iraq the support it needs. It is time to reduce the strain on our troops by completing the effort to increase our ground forces by 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines, while ensuring the quality of our troops. In an age marked by technology, it is the people of our military – our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen – who bear the responsibility for complex missions. That is why we need to ensure adequate training and time home between deployments. That is why we need to expand our Special Forces. And that is why we must increase investments in capabilities like civil affairs and training foreign militaries."
On renewing American diplomacy: "Instead of shuttering consulates in tough corners of the world, it’s time to grow our Foreign Service and to expand USAID. Instead of giving up on the determination of young people to serve, it’s time to double the size of our Peace Corps. Instead of letting people learn about America from enemy propaganda, it’s time to recruit, train, and send out into the world an America’s Voice Corps. And while we strengthen our own capacity, we must strengthen the capability of the international community. We honor NATO’s sacrifice in Afghanistan, but we must strive to make it a larger and more nimble alliance. We must work with powers like Russia and China, but we must also speak up for human rights and democracy – and we can start now by speaking out for the human rights and religious freedom of the people of Tibet. And while we are frustrated by the UN, we must invest in its capability to keep the peace, resolve disputes, monitor disarmament, and support good governance around the world – and that depends on a more engaged United States.
Obama is moving quickly to put the Jeremiah Wright mess behind him; whether this will work remains to be seen, but I think he's positioned himself well to deal with this issue as it resurfaces throughout the course of the campaign. And he's presented a detailed plan for America to extricate itself from the quicksand in Iraq and rebuild its standing in the world. Meanwhile, McCain is looking out of touch on one of the biggest issues of the campaign, in an area that is supposed to be his strong suit. All in all, it looks like Obama will come out of this week stronger, having survived a major political crisis that threatened to derail his campaign.
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