white house foriegn policy update

Foreign Policy

Guiding Principles

President Obama has committed himself and his Administration from the beginning of his presidency to a foreign policy that ensures the safety of the American people. But he also refuses the false division between our values and our security; the United States can be true to our values and ideals while also protecting the American people. We will use all elements of American power to achieve objectives, and consult closely with the Congress so that our policies may have the broad and bipartisan support that makes them most effective. Finally, while there are instances and individuals who can be met only by force, the United States will be prepared to listen to and talk with our adversaries in order to advance our interests.
The National Security Strategy, released May 27, 2010, lays out a strategic approach for advancing American interests, including the security of the American people, a growing U.S. economy, support for our values, and an international order that can address 21st century challenges.

• Read the full National Security Strategy (pdf)

Progress

• Directed a comprehensive review to strengthen the United States’ ability to prevent mass atrocities and established a standing interagency Atrocities Prevention Board with the authority to develop prevention strategies and to ensure that concerns are elevated for senior decision-making so that we are better able to work with our allies and partners to be responsive to early warning signs and prevent potential atrocities. 
• Launched a comprehensive, cutting-edge strategy to fight transnational organized crime.
• Presented the National Strategy for Counterterrorism in a speech at SAIS named “Ensuring al-Qa’ida’s Demise."
• Ended the combat mission in Iraq
• Announced new policy steps towards Cuba.
• Directed the U.S. government to launch a “swift, coordinated and aggressive effort” to respond to the earthquake in Haiti.
• Ordered the closure of the prison at Guantanamo Bay and a review of our detention and interrogation policy, and prohibited the use of torture.
• Appointed Special Envoys for Climate Change, Southwest Asia, the Middle East, Sudan, and a Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• President Obama called for a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world with his speech in Cairo.
• Announced a new strategy for Pakistan and Afghanistan.
• Announced a strategy to address the international nuclear threat.
• Agreed to negotiation of a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia.
• Established a new "U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue".
• Announced a comprehensive international strategy for cyberspace issues.

Refocusing on the Threat from al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan

On June 22, 2011 the President addressed the American people about the way forward in Afghanistan.  We have made substantial progress on the objectives the President laid out at West Point in 2009, and he made clear that we will begin the drawdown of U.S. troops from a position of strength. We have exceeded our expectations on our core goal of defeating al-Qa’ida – killing 20 of its top 30 leaders, including Osama bin Laden. We have broken the Taliban’s momentum, and trained over 100,000 Afghan National Security Forces.  The U.S. will withdraw 10,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2011, and the 33,000 “surge” troops he approved in December 2009 will leave Afghanistan by the end of summer 2012.

Responsibly Ending the War in Iraq

On August 31, 2010, The President announced the end of our combat mission in Iraq, and Iraqi Security Forces assumed lead responsibility for their nation’s security. In one of the most remarkable logistical feats our military has undertaken since World War II, we have withdrawn more than 100,000 troops and millions of pieces of equipment from Iraq.  Operation Iraqi Freedom has been replaced by Operation New Dawn, and we have fundamentally changed the mission of the remaining United States forces in Iraq. Those forces now have three main tasks: training, equipping, and advising the Iraqi Security Forces; conducting targeted, partnered counterterrorism operations; and protecting military and civilian personnel and infrastructure.  The President intends to keep our commitment to Iraq as stipulated in the Security Agreement between our two countries, even as westrengthen an enduring partnership with the Iraqi people and government in economic, diplomatic, cultural, and security fields.

Keeping Nuclear Weapons Out of the Hands of Terrorists

On April 5, 2009 in Prague, President Obama presented an ambitious strategy to address the international nuclear threat. He proposed measures to: reduce and eventually eliminate existing nuclear arsenals, including negotiations on further nuclear reductions with Russia, ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and completion of a verified Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty; halt proliferation of nuclear weapons to additional states, and prevent terrorists from acquiring nuclear weapons or materials.
We have pledged to work with our partners to achieve the denuclearization of North Korea through the Six-Party process. And we will present a clear choice to Iran to take its rightful place in the community of nations, including its right to peaceful nuclear energy, or continue to refuse to meet its international obligations and fail to seize the opportunity of a positive future.

Promoting Peace and Security in Israel and the Middle East

The President believes that we cannot afford to wait to work for peace in the region, so he appointed a Special Envoy for Middle East peace on his second day in office. In the Middle East, we share the goal of a lasting peace between Israel and its neighbors. The United States strongly supports the goal of two states, Israel and a Palestinian state, living side by side in peace and security. The President has committed himself and his Administration to actively pursuing this goal.

Re-energizing America’s Alliances

The United States seeks to engage in dialogue that is honest and grounded in mutual respect, as the best way to resolve disagreements and work towards shared interests. We are committed to strengthening existing partnerships and building new ones to confront the challenges of the 21st century.

• On his first trip overseas, the President visited Europe to begin this process, with the G-20 Summit, the 60th Anniversary NATO Summit, and the U.S-E.U. Summit.
• The President made clear in his speech to the Turkish Parliament that America's relationship with the Muslim world will be based on more than our shared opposition to terrorism. We seek broader engagement based on mutual interest and mutual respect.
• The United States seeks to strengthen our historic alliances in Asia while developing deeper bonds with all nations of the region, so that we might work together to confront the challenges of the 21st Century, including proliferation, climate change, pandemics and economic instability.

Maintaining Core American Values

Every challenge is more easily met if we tend to our own democratic foundation. This is why the President ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed, prohibited -- without exception or equivocation -- the use of torture, and set up a Special Task Force to thoroughly review detainee policy.

Sudan

Ending the crisis in Darfur and ensuring Sudan’s long-term stability through the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement is a top priority for the Obama Administration. The humanitarian crisis there makes our task all the more urgent. The President has appointed a Special Envoy for Sudan as a strong signal of his commitment to support the people of Sudan. We are committed to working with the international community to end the suffering, seek a lasting settlement to the violence, and ensure a stable and secure future for the region.

Restoring American Leadership in Latin America

The future of the United States is inextricably bound to the future of the people of the Americas. We are committed to a new era of partnership with countries throughout the hemisphere, working on key shared challenges of economic growth and equality, our energy and climate futures, and regional and citizen security. We are committed to shaping that future through engagement that is strong, sustained, meaningful, and based on mutual respect.

Ensuring Energy Security and Fighting Climate Change

The President has committed to put America on a path to a clean energy economy that improves our energy security, reduces our use of fossil fuels, and drives a new era of American innovation. The United States recognizes the need to break from old ways that threaten our economy and our planet and the President has committed to investing $150 billion in clean energy research and development over ten years. The United States will be a leader in addressing global climate change both by making contributions of our own and engaging other countries to do the same.