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Tuesday 17 November 2015

Obama heads for Asia with Obama rejects calls for shift in ISIS fight

an eye towards Middle East JULIE PACE Republican National Com- tional as he spoke of the
Associated Press mittee Chairman Reince consequences of war, ref-
K. HENNESSEY ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) — Priebus called Obama’s erencing the injured troops
Associated Press President Barack Obama statements “excuse-laden he visits at Walter Reed, a
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — After years of red-eye on Monday firmly rejected and defensive.” military hospital near the
flights across the Pacific and marathon summits, Presi- calls for a shift in U.S. strate- Even before the Paris at- White House. “Some of
dent Barack Obama had hoped to arrive in this South- gy against the Islamic State tacks, Obama was under those are people I’ve or-
east Asian capital and tout progress in his seven-year following the Paris attacks, pressure from allies and his dered into battle,” he said.
charm offensive in Asia: His campaign to move away saying Republicans who own administration to show He said the U.S. would
from the cycle of crisis in the Middle East and toward want to send ground troops progress in the campaign have to be prepared for
the rising region was finally yielding results. into the volatile region are against the Islamic State. a permanent occupation
Instead, the president was due to land Philippines “talking as if they’re tough” The assault in the heart of in Syria or Iraq if he sent in
Tuesday amid a fresh crisis — a reminder of the trouble but fail to understand the Western Europe was part of ground forces.
that has dogged his “Asia rebalance” from its incep- potentially grave conse- a troubling pattern showing “What happens when
tion.
The terrorist attacks in Paris and talk of reprisals for President Barack Obama pauses during a news conference following the G-20 Summit in Antalya,
the Islamic State quickly threatened to overshadow Turkey, Monday, Nov. 16, 2015.
Obama’s good-news tour to the Philippines and Ma-
laysia this week. While Obama was ready to talk up (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
his freshly inked trade deal and military cooperation
in Asia, the rest of the world was looking for leadership quences. the group focusing new at- there’s a terrorist attack
on the Islamic State’s relentless terror spree. “Folks want to pop off and tention on targets outside generated from Yemen?”
It was hardly the first time the Middle East has kept have opinions about what its base in Iraq and Syria. Obama asked. “Do we
Obama from making the pivot his administration once they think they would do,” Obama conceded that then send more troops into
imagined would be central to his foreign policy leg- Obama said in a news the attacks in France there? Or Libya, perhaps?
acy. Instead of ending under Obama’s watch, old conference wrapping up marked a “terrible and sick- Or if there’s a terrorist net-
conflicts in the Middle East have morphed into new, a two-day summit of world ening setback” in the anti- work that’s operating any-
equally intense ones. Instead of gradually moving to leaders in Turkey. “If they Islamic State campaign. where else — in North Af-
center stage, Obama’ agenda in Asia has had to think that somehow their But he insisted his strategy rica, or in Southeast Asia?”
compete for time and attention. advisers are better than of building an internation- The potency of the Islamic
The White House was determined this week to show the chairman of my Joint al coalition to launch air- State, along with the civil
it would keep a steady focus — despite the tragedy Chiefs of Staff and the folks strikes, while training and war in Syria that gave the
that consumed European allies. Obama left Washing- who are actually on the equipping more moderate group space to rise, domi-
ton as scheduled just hours after the night of violence ground, I want to meet forces on the ground, is the nated Obama’s two days
in Paris left 129 people dead and hundreds more in- them. And we can have best approach. of talks in Turkey, where
jured. He has not changed his plans for the nine-day that debate.” “The strategy that we are leaders from the Group of
trip that began Sunday at the Group of 20 summit in In a stinging rebuke, the putting forward is the strat- 20 rich and developing na-
Antalya, Turkey. president condemned Re- egy that ultimately is going tions gathered at a seaside
Still, at a press conference before he departed Manila publicans who have sug- to work,” Obama said. “It’s resort. From Turkey, Obama
Obama was asked only about his strategy for coun- gested U.S. assistance to going to take time.” headed to Asia for regional
tering Islamic terrorism. refugees fleeing the Middle The president has deployed summits in the Philippines
“This is another variation on the same question,” he East should focus on Chris- more than 3,000 U.S. troops and Malaysia.
said, exasperated by the repetition. “Let me try it one tians, not Muslims. GOP to Iraq to assist local secu- The president said he was
last time.” presidential candidates rity forces, and he recently eager to see other nations
At back-to-back summits in Manila and Kuala Lumpur, Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz announced plans to send step up the fight against
Obama was expected to highlight recent evidence have made such sugges- 50 special operations forc- the Islamic State. While the
of long-sought progress in Asia. tions, while some Republi- es to Syria. But he’s vowed White House frequently
Recent elections in Myanmar, where activist Aung can governors want to ban to avoid the kind of large- heralds the more than 60
San Suu Kyi’s opposition party won overwhelming vic- all Syrian refugees from scale ground combat that countries that are part of
tory, were a boost for Obama’s foreign policy team, their states. U.S. troops engaged in for the coalition fighting the
which has been deeply involved in guiding the shift “That’s shameful,” he said. years in Iraq and Afghani- extremists, the U.S. has
away from military control. “That’s not American. It’s stan. carried out the bulk of the
On Tuesday, Obama was slated to tour the BRP Gre- not who we are.” Obama appeared emo- airstrikes.q
gorio del Pilar, a Philippine Navy frigate once owned
by the U.S. and now considered one of the most ad-
vanced in Southeast Asia. The visit was staged to call
attention to a defense cooperation agreement ce-
mented last year that gives the U.S. new access to
some Philippine military bases. The compact is part
of a broader effort to strengthen U.S. presence —
and counterChina — in the disputed waters of the
South China Sea.
The most notable accomplishment on Obama’s list
is the completion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the
massive free trade agreement at the heart of the ad-
ministration’s Asia policy.
Obama will meet with leaders of the other 11 member
countries in Manila on Wednesday to mark the mile-
stone — although the celebration will be somewhat
muted. The U.S. and other countries must still over-
come considerable political opposition to win final
ratification.q