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Extremism and emerging democracies are key focus for Obama’s final year Extremism and democratization are key focus for Obama’s final year
(35 minutes later)
HONOLULU — President Obama will seek to consolidate his foreign-policy legacy this year by traveling widely and working with allies to combat extremism and foster the rise of emerging democracies, his deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, said Saturday. HONOLULU — President Obama will seek to consolidate his ­foreign-policy legacy this year by traveling widely and working with allies to combat extremism and foster the rise of emerging democracies, his deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, said Saturday.
Speaking to reporters just hours before the president was scheduled to return to Washington, Rhodes said Obama’s final year in office will be less defined by new diplomatic initiatives than by “completing a lot of work that has been a priority throughout the administration.” Speaking to reporters hours before the president was scheduled to return to Washington, Rhodes said Obama’s final year in office will be less defined by new diplomatic initiatives than by “completing a lot of work that has been a priority throughout the administration.”
But that work still involves efforts on a long list of problem areas, including the campaign to degrade the Islamic State, also known as ISIL; stabilizing Afghanistan and Iraq; forging a political resolution to Syria’s ongoing civil war; prodding the Cuban government to make more economic and political reforms; and implementing the nuclear deal with Iran. But that work still involves efforts on a long list of problem areas, including the campaign to degrade the Islamic State, also known as ISIL; stabilizing Afghanistan and Iraq; forging a political resolution to Syria’s civil war; prodding the Cuban government to make more economic and political reforms; and implementing the nuclear deal with Iran.
Although Rhodes said that Obama would devote significant time to fostering closer ties to several Asian nations and supporting the peace process in Colombia, he noted that fighting Islamist extremists would dominate the president’s work overseas in 2016. Although Rhodes said that Obama would devote significant time to fostering closer ties with several Asian nations and supporting the peace process in Colombia, he noted that fighting Islamist extremists would dominate the president’s work overseas in 2016.
“Of course, the anti-ISIL campaign will be an overarching focus to everything we do around the world this year,” he said. “You’re not going to eradicate ISIL in the next year. What we would like to see is we have substantially taken away their safe havens, that the Syrian civil war has some political resolution around it (and that there is an architecture in place) where the remnants of ISIL can be dealt with.” “Of course, the anti-ISIL campaign will be an overarching focus to everything we do around the world this year,” he said. “You’re not going to eradicate ISIL in the next year. What we would like to see is that we have substantially taken away their safe haven, so that they’re not controlling these major swaths of territory and population centers, that the Syrian civil war has some political resolution around it so that Syrians can see what the pathway is toward a more peaceful and stable future, and that you essentially have a counterterrorism architecture built where the remnants of ISIL can be dealt with through direct action and through counterterrorism operations.”
That Iraqi troops were able to wrest control of the town of Ramadi from the Islamic State with the aid of American advisers demonstrates that the administration’s approach has yielded dividends, Rhodes said. That Iraqi troops were able to wrest control of the city of Ramadi from the Islamic State with the aid of U.S. advisers demonstrates that the administration’s approach has yielded dividends, Rhodes said.
But as the security situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated, the president has also come under pressure to sustain a higher troop level there than he outlined when he announced the plan to reduce the force to 5,500 troops by the end of 2016. Last week, Army Gen. John Campbell said in an interview with USA Today that the United States should maintain the current level of 9,800 troops for training Afghan forces given the inroads the Taliban has made in recent months. But as the security situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated, the president has come under pressure to sustain a higher troop level there than he outlined when he announced the plan to reduce the force to 5,500 troops by the end of 2016. Last week, Army Gen. John Campbell said in an interview with USA Today that the United States should maintain the current level of 9,800 troops for training Afghan forces given the inroads the Taliban has made in recent months.
[Taliban gains show limits of Obama’s Afghanistan policy][Taliban gains show limits of Obama’s Afghanistan policy]
Rhodes said the president has worked to reduce the number of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan into “the low thousands” compared with the high levels when he first took office, so that these countries were now in the position of “being responsible for their own security, with our support.” Rhodes said the president has worked to reduce the number of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan into “the low thousands” compared with the high levels when he first took office, so that the countries are in the position of “being responsible for their own security, with our support.”
“This is something we will want to determine over the course of the next year,” Rhodes said of the future level of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, adding that any decision will be made in concert with leaders from other NATO countries that are maintaining forces there. “We will want to look at this picture, what are we doing, what is the rest of NATO doing, what do they need.”“This is something we will want to determine over the course of the next year,” Rhodes said of the future level of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, adding that any decision will be made in concert with leaders from other NATO countries that are maintaining forces there. “We will want to look at this picture, what are we doing, what is the rest of NATO doing, what do they need.”
And while some Americans, concerned about the threat of a terrorist strike on domestic soil, have advocated that U.S. citizens should arm themselves, Rhodes dismissed that tactic as “a dangerous and slippery slope.”And while some Americans, concerned about the threat of a terrorist strike on domestic soil, have advocated that U.S. citizens should arm themselves, Rhodes dismissed that tactic as “a dangerous and slippery slope.”
“It would be better for our security if it was harder for terrorists to purchase very powerful weapons,” he said, adding that if ordinary Americans started carrying weapons regularly in an effort to foil a terrorist strike, “I don’t think that that’s an effective way to defend against what is a very complicated threat from terrorism.”“It would be better for our security if it was harder for terrorists to purchase very powerful weapons,” he said, adding that if ordinary Americans started carrying weapons regularly in an effort to foil a terrorist strike, “I don’t think that that’s an effective way to defend against what is a very complicated threat from terrorism.”
The federal government has been able to disrupt multiple terrorist plots at home through its use of intelligence, Rhodes said. “It’s not like in a movie where we shot someone right before they were about to detonate a suicide vest,” he added.The federal government has been able to disrupt multiple terrorist plots at home through its use of intelligence, Rhodes said. “It’s not like in a movie where we shot someone right before they were about to detonate a suicide vest,” he added.
[Obama, defying Congress, will press ahead with gun control measures][Obama, defying Congress, will press ahead with gun control measures]
In addition to defending the president’s plan to expand the nation’s firearms restrictions, Rhodes said the recent delay of additional U.S. sanctions on Iran should not be interpreted as a concession to the Iranian government.In addition to defending the president’s plan to expand the nation’s firearms restrictions, Rhodes said the recent delay of additional U.S. sanctions on Iran should not be interpreted as a concession to the Iranian government.
“The fact of the matter is we have additional work to be done” on the sanctions, he said. “But this is not something we would negotiate with the Iranian government. They don’t get a say in who we impose sanctions.”“The fact of the matter is we have additional work to be done” on the sanctions, he said. “But this is not something we would negotiate with the Iranian government. They don’t get a say in who we impose sanctions.”
And while many of the global issues Obama will be facing in his final year in office will be headaches, there are a few spots the administration is eager to highlight.And while many of the global issues Obama will be facing in his final year in office will be headaches, there are a few spots the administration is eager to highlight.
Given the diplomatic breakthrough with Cuba just over a year ago, Rhodes said the president is actively considering a trip to the island even without a wholesale political transformation in the near future.Given the diplomatic breakthrough with Cuba just over a year ago, Rhodes said the president is actively considering a trip to the island even without a wholesale political transformation in the near future.
“Nobody expects Cuba in the next year to become a multi-party democracy,” he said, adding that the United States is looking for signs of additional economic and human rights reforms over the next few months. “The key test for us is whether the president’s going to Cuba would help advance those priorities, recognizing there is additional work that needs to be done after any presidential trip.”“Nobody expects Cuba in the next year to become a multi-party democracy,” he said, adding that the United States is looking for signs of additional economic and human rights reforms over the next few months. “The key test for us is whether the president’s going to Cuba would help advance those priorities, recognizing there is additional work that needs to be done after any presidential trip.”
“I am convinced that they want some degree of change,” said Rhodes, who spent months negotiating in secret with Cuban officials. “I’ve spent a lot of time with the Cubans.”“I am convinced that they want some degree of change,” said Rhodes, who spent months negotiating in secret with Cuban officials. “I’ve spent a lot of time with the Cubans.”