World in Crisis: Where Is Obama?

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In The Media

Carnegie Europe

World in Crisis: Where Is Obama?

After U.S. President Barack Obama’s speech on dealing with the Islamic State, questions remain on whether he will live up to expectations and lead the West out of international security threats.

By Judy Dempsey

Published on Sep 11, 2014

Source: Deutsche Welle

Speaking to Deutsche Welle’s Quadriga, Judy Dempsey discussed the United States’ international role and President Barack Obama’s strategy in the Middle East, following his September 10 speech on the Islamic State.

Dempsey suggested that during NATO’s September 4–5 summit in Wales, Obama had already been looking for a coalition of the willing to deal with the Islamic State, but that Europeans would not send ground troops to the Middle East.

As Europe lacks a common perception of threats, it is difficult to “galvanize public opinion to take defense seriously,” Dempsey argued. Obama, she concluded, must keep his promises but will need considerable support from Europe to do so.

This broadcast was originally aired on Deutsche Welle.

About the Author

Judy Dempsey

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe

Judy Dempsey is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie Europe

Recent Work

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Germany’s Shattered Consensus
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Commentary
Europe Needs to Hear What America is Saying
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Foreign Policy Security Middle East North America Gulf Levant United States Iran

Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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