President Obama Delivers Commencement at West Point

President Barack Obama delivered the commencement at the US Military Academy at West Point on Wednesday, declaring in front of the latest class of graduating officers that the United States remains the world's most indispensable nation.

The President went on to say...

“I would betray my duty to you, and to the country we love, if I sent you into harm’s way simply because I saw a problem somewhere in the world that needed fixing, or because I was worried about critics who think military intervention is the only way for America to avoid looking weak.”

 

Obama has faced criticism, from some, for being too held back and cautious on dealing with pressing world issues such as Syria, Russia, and China. He contends that the US will move forward, and work with those nations where terrorists are trying to set up networks of operation. Rather than embark on further large scale military operations, the US would work with local governments to hunt down terrorist cells, as part of a 5 billion dollar fund for the Defense Department. This further spending would help aid intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, special operations and other activities.

The address comes one day after the President called for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2016.