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.