Newsline

National Security , Newsline

“American Shame is Over” – Pompeo’s Cairo Speech Ushers in a New Era

Posted on Friday, January 11, 2019
|
by Cole P. Zail
|
12 Comments
|
Print

Last Thursday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a historic speech at the American University in Cairo, Egypt—the second stop on his eight-day Middle East tour. Billed as an address on “peace, prosperity, stability and security” in the region, Pompeo’s speech was blunt, resolute, and marked a major turning point in United States foreign policy.

Pompeo’s tour of the region – visiting Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman—came amid lingering confusion over President Trump’s announcement to withdraw all US military forces from Syria. The Secretary of State reassured America’s Arab allies that the Trump administration would not turn its back on the region and that the United States remains committed to the global defeat of ISIS.

“It’s the truth that I’m here to talk about today,” Pompeo began. “It is a truth that isn’t often spoken in this part of the world, but because I’m a military man by training, I’ll be very blunt and direct today: America is a force for good in the Middle East.”

Pompeo described how the Middle East has plummeted into chaos due to the many grave mistakes of Barack Obama and his administration, making it clear that under President Donald J. Trump, things will fundamentally change.

“The age of self-inflicted American shame is over, and so are the policies that produced so much needless suffering,” Pompeo declared. “We’ve learned from our mistakes. We’ve rediscovered our voice. We’ve rebuilt our relationships. We’ve rejected false overtures from our enemies.”

Although never mentioning the former US president by name, Pompeo was blunt in his condemnation of Barack Obama, who 10 years ago delivered a speech in Cairo to pursue “a new beginning” with the Middle East.

“It was here, here in this city, another American stood before you,” said Pompeo. “He told you that radical Islamist terrorism does not stem from an ideology. He told you 9/11 led my country to abandon its ideals, particularly in the Middle East. He told you that the United States and the Muslim world needed ‘a new beginning.’ … The results of these misjudgments were dire. In falsely seeing ourselves as a force for what ails the Middle East, we were timid in asserting ourselves when the times — and our partners — demanded it.”

The Secretary of State’s sharp critique echoed the words of candidate-Trump on the campaign trail, who rightfully rebuked then-president Obama on his weak and apologetic nature, his appeasement of terrorists, and his bolstering of anti-Americanism in the region. And Pompeo’s callout of the rise of radical Islamism marked a clear departure from the Obama administration’s politically correct, euphemistic approach. Obama had a “penchant for wishful thinking” and “misread our history,” Pompeo said, holding the former president responsible for the carnage in Syria and the rise of the Islamic State.

President Trump, Pompeo declared, is determined to correct this trajectory and is working towards real diplomacy in the Middle East. In Iran, Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal Obama had signed. In Syria, Trump has launched two airstrikes in retaliation for Bashar al-Assad’s chemical attacks. Trump’s Middle East doctrine is focused on extinguishing radicalism and thwarting tyranny.

But, perhaps most importantly, Pompeo noted that the Trump administration has boundaries regarding its support in the Middle East. “‘Assist’ is the key word,” he stated. “We ask every peace-loving nation of the Middle East to shoulder new responsibilities for defeating Islamist extremism.”

What does this mean? Point-blank, Trump is following through on his promise of putting America first. We will stand up and fight for our national interests, and we will work with our allies – but our purpose is not to police the world; our allies must be willing to take on the duties of preserving freedom. Our president and his administration know that American power is “a liberating force, not an occupying power,” and will wield it wisely.

Pompeo’s Cairo speech represents a fundamental shift in American foreign policy and will be remembered in history as a turning point for our nation on the world stage. Under the leadership of President Trump, the United States’ reinvigorated role in the Middle East will keep our bilateral relationships strong and our allies secure, while reaffirming our global influence. No longer will we apologize for America. And no longer will our leaders be timid in the face of terror.

President Trump has proven to be the leader our country needs: His actions match his words and his foreign policy strategy reflects his commitment to putting our nation first.

Indeed, the age of American shame is over.

Share this article:
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
12 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Jan
Jan
5 years ago

It is about time! MAGA!

Emily
Emily
5 years ago

Obama should be exiled and never allowed in this country again. He’s NOT a citizen anyway. He’s the biggest farce this country has ever seen. You talk about fixed elections. Look at his.

Carolyn
Carolyn
5 years ago

Praise God! So thankful for a president that is not afraid to be a strong man. He will not stand down, back down or shut up. So thankful for our Presedent Trump. The American People are behind you Sir. Don’t ever let them weaken u.GOD Bless & keep you & put a hedge of protection around you & your families& Vice-Presedent Mike Pence & his family in Jesus name.

Kim
Kim
5 years ago

I don’t know why AMAC decided to delete my short comment posted yesterday, but please allow me to try again, with the apparently necessary explanation.

It started with “I’ve always liked Mike Pompeo”, or something like that.
Then, in reference to Pompeo’s statement that “America is a force for good in the Middle East” contrasted with former Pres. Obama’s weak and apologetic perspective in a part of the world that called for bold and resolute action, I likened President Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo to two sides of the same coin: Pompeo’s conscience (force for good) on one side, and Trump’s will (acting on the promise to put America first) on the other.
Conscience and will…both of which were absent in the Obama administration, but now frame the Trump Doctrine.

True American, Dad fought in WWII
True American, Dad fought in WWII
5 years ago

This speach confirms America’s help and the other nations responsibilities.

Bruce
Bruce
5 years ago

Dittos to what Emily says below, however, he is the past the point of giving a shoe. He is continuing to do what he did while in office, play golf, basketball, hang out with anti America hoodlums, utter lies, and waste our tax dollars…….yes we are paying the Secret Service to follow him around, that IS a waste!! After watching Mike Pompeo’s speech a few times on You Tube, I will tell you with all sincerity, this will go into history as one of the finest speeches given any where in many years. With Mr Trump at the helm, for 6 more years BTW, the entire globe is ready for greatness.

Bonnie
Bonnie
5 years ago

Loved his speech from start to finish and YES, American shame is over!

Ruben
Ruben
5 years ago

Amen ??

Pedro Hernandez
Pedro Hernandez
5 years ago

Nothing about Israel?

Frances Putnam
Frances Putnam
5 years ago

Glad to read about his speech! Yay! Trump!

The aftermath of a disaster while the flag hangs.
Governor Tim Walz giving a speech at a Podium in September 2024
Fema.gov Disasters USA Government home page under magnifying glass.

Stay informed! Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter.

"*" indicates required fields

12
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x

Subscribe to AMAC Daily News and Games