Obama's Speech, Deconstructed

2 years ago

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President Obama on Tuesday tried to make the case for sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan to stabilize that nation and neighboring Pakistan. Here are some notable lines and passages:

Without mentioning President Bush's name, Obama said Afghanistan commanders did not have the support they needed to fight the Taliban. Obama sent more troops after becoming president. "I set a goal that was narrowly defined as disrupting, dismantling, and defeating al Qaeda and its extremist allies, and pledged to better coordinate our military and civilian effort."

Did Obama "dither," as former Vice President Dick Cheney said he did, in deciding on sending in more troops? Without mentioning Cheney, Obama said, "Let me be clear: there has never been an option before me that called for troop deployments before 2010, so there has been no delay or denial of resources necessary for the conduct of the war."

Why continue in Afghanistan and Pakistan eight years after the 9/11 attacks? Said Obama, "I make this decision because I am convinced that our security is at stake in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is the epicenter of the violent extremism practiced by al Qaeda. It is from here that we were attacked on 9/11, and it is from here that new attacks are being plotted as I speak."

Note to Afghanistan President Kharzi: "The days of providing a blank check are over."

The president's message to Afghanistan people: "So tonight, I want the Afghan people to understand -- America seeks an end to this era of war and suffering. We have no interest in occupying your country."

Afghanistan is not Vietnam: "Unlike Vietnam, the American people were viciously attacked from Afghanistan."

For the U.S. domestic audience: "The nation I am most interested in building is our own."

Obama's anthem: "Yet we are still heirs to a noble struggle for freedom. Now we must summon all of our might and moral suasion to meet the challenges of a new age."

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