Obama releases new national security strategy

US President Barack Obama laid out his new national security strategy aimed at limiting the need for military might.

The new security agenda is directed at addressing security, prosperity, values and the maintenance of international order.

“The thing that I found really interesting is his [Obama] reluctance to define certain things. For example, Bush had named in his national security strategy democracy as one of the values, Obama has refrained from doing so. Bush named Iran as one of the gravest threats to the United States, but Obama has described features that are similar to Iran without actually naming it,” said J.P. Freire, the associate editor of commentary with the Washington Examiner.

Both Obama and former US President George W. Bush focused their security strategies on America’s leadership in foreign affairs and the use of military when necessary.

“It [Obama’s strategy] is a more moderated Bushism, it’s sort of Bush-lite,” said Freire.

Obama, speaking before the graduating class at the United States Military Academy at West Point said that the US would adapt, would persist and would succeed in Afghanistan.

“What he is saying in that address essentially is that we’re going to stay the course. He doesn’t say the words stay the course, but I just can’t help but hear echoes of President Bush,” said Freire.

One of the key aspects of Obama’s new national security strategy touches on the idea that the US might not always be the global leader and to remain the leader, the United States must work more with other countries.

“There is something to be said about how President Obama has not yet withdrawn troops from Iraq or Afghanistan and has stayed engaged on a military level and to the extent that he is engaging in diplomatic affairs. It seems he is doing so at pretty much the same clip that President Bush did,” said Freire.

Freire argues that Obama is continuing much of the Bush doctrine, just at a more moderated level.