Obama says fight against DAISH is not World War Three

“As we focus on destroying ISIL, over-the-top claims that this is World War III just play into their hands”, Obama said delivering the last State of the Union address of his presidency to the US Congress. Here is a direct quote from Juliette Kayyem, a former security advisor to President Obama: “As a society we’re irrational about it, but government has to accept that irrationality rather than fight it”.

“The world will look to us to help solve these problems, and our answer needs to be more than tough talk or calls to carpet bomb civilians”, he said. “Well, the Congress doesn’t need to do that until the president of the United States of America recognizes this enemy and develops a strategic plan which, as you saw last night, he does not have”.

“New leadership fast!” But South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who delivered the Republican response to Obama’s address, took her own jab at Trump and other less moderate candidates in her party.

Obama did not address the issue in his speech. “For even without IS, instability will continue for decades in many parts of the world – in the Middle East, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in parts of Central America, Africa and Asia”, he said. “That’s why we restored diplomatic relations, opened the door to travel and commerce, and positioned ourselves to improve the lives of the Cuban people”, Obama said. Mr. Obama, who won his first presidential election on the strength of his opposition to the Iraq War, sought again to argue that restraint and coalition-building are more important and effective than muscle-flexing.

Those kinds of proposals were exactly what Obama spoke out against Tuesday. Ask the leader of Al Qaeda in Yemen, who was taken out a year ago, or the perpetrator of the Benghazi attacks, who sits in a prison cell. “It’s a matter of understanding what makes us strong”, he said. The president called for compromise with Republicans on an overhaul of the criminal justice system, approval of a broad free-trade agreement spanning the Pacific Rim and new initiatives to address poverty and the opioid crisis in the United States.

“I know some of you are antsy to get back to Iowa – I’ve been there”, he said at the start, acknowledging that the political focus is on the state, which holds the country’s first nominating caucuses.

His words will only be fodder for the many Republicans hoping to occupy the White House next year. Sen. He proposed to provide jobless workers with retraining in addition to the unemployment payments they already received. The event gave Republicans further fodder to criticise Obama’s nuclear deal with Tehran. “So I won’t expect any major, ambitious USA military move in the region in the near future”, he added.