By Kasim Ileri
WASHINGTON
President Barack Obama on Tuesday offered the rationale for his foreign policy strategies, including opposing new Iran sanctions and détente with Cuba, during his State of the Union address.
He said Iran’s nuclear program has been halted for the first time in decades and that if Congress passes new sanctions against Tehran in the midst of negotiations, it will all but guarantee that diplomacy fails.
"It doesn’t make sense. That is why I will veto any new sanctions bill that threatens to undo this progress," Obama said while acknowledging there are no guarantees that talks with Iran on its nuclear program will succeed.
Instead of acting alone when dealing with crises that unfold around the world, Obama said the U.S. combined its military power with strong diplomacy to build coalitions.
In Iraq and Syria, American leadership has stopped ISIL’s advance, according to Obama.
"We stand united with people around the world who’ve been targeted by terrorists -- from a school in Pakistan to the streets of Paris," he said.
He said his administration has spoken against anti-Semitism and continues to reject "offensive stereotypes of Muslims."
"We will continue to hunt down terrorists and dismantle their networks, and we reserve the right to act unilaterally," he said as he encouraged Congress to pass a resolution to authorize the use of force against the terror group.
He also touched on Russia’s incursion into Ukraine. "We’re upholding the principle that bigger nations can’t bully the small," Obama said.
"Last year, as we were doing the hard work of imposing sanctions along with our allies, some suggested that Mr. [Vladimir] Putin’s aggression was a masterful display of strategy and strength," he said. "Today it is America that stands strong and united with our allies, while Russia is isolated, with its economy in tatters."
With the recent softening of relations with Cuba, Obama said the U.S. has ended a policy that was "long past its expiration date."
"When what you’re doing doesn’t work for 50 years, it’s time to try something new. Our shift in Cuba policy has the potential to end a legacy of mistrust in our hemisphere," he said.
Noting that the rapprochement with Cuba would remove "a phony excuse" for restrictions on the island, he urged Congress to "begin the work of ending the embargo," that has been in place for more than 50 years.
U.S. and Cuban officials will hold bilateral talks at the end of the month to end the decades-long hostility.
In one of the more controversial issues Obama addressed, he said he was determined to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, also known as Gitmo.
"Since I’ve been president, we’ve worked responsibly to cut the population of Gitmo in half. Now it’s time to finish the job. And I will not relent in my determination to shut it down," he said.
Shortly after assuming office in 2009, Obama vowed to close the prison whose population was 242 at the time. Critics have repeatedly cited security concerns of having detainees on the U.S. mainland as their reasons for not wanting the prison shut. Currently, 127 detainees remain at the site.
The president also showed a commitment to climate change.
"I will not let this Congress endanger the health of our children by turning back the clock on our efforts," he said. "I am determined to make sure American leadership drives international action."
He said he made an historic announcement In Beijing earlier this year that the U.S. will double the pace at which it cuts carbon pollution, and China committed, for the first time, to limit its own emissions, he said.
