Brent Scowcroft Center Senior Adviser Harlan Ullman writes for UPI on President Obama’s reluctance to become involved militarily in conflicts abroad:
Most American presidents, from George Washington to George W. Bush, have been accused of and attacked for having the wrong strategy. Of post-World War II presidents, Barack Obama has perhaps been most assailed for having no strategy. His seeming reluctance to take a stand and stand up for it under pressure has likewise drawn harsh criticism.
Leading from behind in Libya; demanding that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad leave office; and drawing “red lines” to deter Assad’s use of chemical weapons are evidence used in the court of public opinion to prove presidential lack of spine. But the world is a complicated and violent place. Washington, Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt would have found today heavy going.