A day after he announced to pull out all the troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2016, Obama, however, reiterated in a major foreign policy speech that military intervention is not the solution to all problems.
"The military that you have joined is, and always will be, the backbone of that leadership. But US military action cannot be the only – or even primary – component of our leadership in every instance. Just because we have the best hammer does not mean that every problem is a nail," he said.
"Because the costs associated with military action are so high, you should expect every civilian leader – and especially your Commander-in-Chief – to be clear about how that awesome power should be used," he added.
On the other hand, when issues of global concern that do not pose a direct threat to the US are at stake – when crises arise that stir conscience or push the world in a more dangerous direction – then the threshold for military action must be higher, he asserted.
"In such circumstances, we should not go it alone. Instead, we must mobilise allies and partners to take collective action."
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