Obama: To Stand Steadfast with “Israel”, Withdraw 34,000 Troops from Afghanistan

Local Editor

US President Barack Obama reiterated Tuesday that his country "will stand steadfast with "Israel" in pursuit of security and a lasting peace."

Obama also promised to deal with the so-called Iranian threat, saying: "We will do what is necessary to prevent them from getting a nuclear weapon."

In parallel, he vowed his country will help its allies confront an evolving al-Qaeda threat and be more transparent with the American people in the fight against terror groups.
In his annual State of the Union address. Obama stated: "al-Qaeda was now a shadow of the group that was behind the September 11, 2001."

But he warned lawmakers gathered in the imposing US Congress: "Different al-Qaeda affiliates and extremist groups have emerged - from the Arabian Peninsula to Africa. The threat these groups pose is evolving."

To battle the threat, the US does not need "to send tens of thousands of our sons and daughters abroad, or occupy other nations," Obama said.
"Instead, we will need to help countries like Yemen, Libya and Somalia provide for their own security, and help allies who take the fight to terrorists, as we have in Mali," he added.
Obama also stated that the administration had worked to keep Congress "fully informed" of counterterrorism efforts.
He acknowledged though that "in our democracy, no one should just take my word that we're doing things the right way."
"So, in the months ahead, I will continue to engage with Congress to ensure not only that our targeting, detention and prosecution of terrorists remains consistent with our laws and system of checks and balances, but that our efforts are even more transparent to the American people and to the world," Obama added.

Obama also announced Tuesday that 34,000 US troops will withdraw from Afghanistan in the next year and vowed the US conflict there would end by late 2014.
"After a decade of grinding war, our brave men and women in uniform are coming home," Obama said.

Source: News agencies, Edited by moqawama.org