Obama at West Point previews new foreign policy

WEST POINT, N.Y. - The United States must shape a world order as reliant on the force of diplomacy as on the might of its military to lead, President Barack Obama said yesterday as he outlined a foreign policy vision that repudiated the go-it-alone approach forged by his predecessor, George W. Bush.

Addressing nearly 1,000 graduating cadets at the U.S. Military Academy, many of whom will likely head to war in Iraq and Afghanistan under his command, Obama said all hands are required to solve the world's newest threats.

The U.S. military is the "cornerstone of our national defense," but Obama said the men and women who wear America's uniform cannot bear that responsibility by themselves. "The rest of us must do our part," he said.

"The burdens of this century cannot fall on our soldiers alone. It also cannot fall on American shoulders alone," the commander in chief told graduates seated on the field at Michie Stadium.

Diplomacy and muscle must work together, he said.

The administration is set to officially release the president's first national security strategy next week, and Obama's preview Saturday suggests it will be far different from the first one offered by his predecessor.

Bush's "my way or the highway" approach alienated some allies and damaged U.S. standing around the world. Obama has promised to restore America's reputation, and he said yesterday that he aimed to do that by forging new alliances, maintaining old ones and helping to shape stronger international standards and institutions.

Nearly the entire graduating class of 2010 became second lieutenants in the Army, with most expecting to serve eventually in Iraq or Afghanistan, a fact that Obama said "humbled" him.

"I assure you, you will go with the full support of a proud and grateful nation," he said.

The president expressed confidence in the military's ability to succeed in Afghanistan, but warned of a "tough fight" ahead. In Iraq, he said, the military is "poised" to end combat this summer, leaving behind "an Iraq that provides no safe haven to terrorists; a democratic Iraq that is sovereign, stable and self-reliant."

To cadets, Obama said, "You, and all who wear America's uniform, remain the cornerstone of our national defense and the anchor of global security."

With The Washington Post