‘Turning the page’ on Iraq and Afghanistan, Obama shifts focus to Asian security threats

In recasting his defense strategy, President Barack Obama is looking beyond the wars he inherited to focus on Asian security risks — mainly China and North Korea — that took a back seat to Iraq and Afghanistan.

This marks a turning point not only for the U.S. military but also for Obama, entering the final year of his White House term. Facing a re-election battle, he is declaring success in Iraq and Afghanistan and taking a forward-looking stance on the how to preserve U.S. military pre-eminence.

A prominent theme of the new strategy that Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta unveiled Thursday is what Panetta has called a renewed commitment to asserting America’s position in the Asia-Pacific region.

“This region is growing in importance to the future of the United States economy and our national security,” Panetta said. “This means, for instance, improving capabilities that maintain our military’s technological edge and freedom of action.”

The administration is not anticipating military conflict in Asia, but Panetta believes the U.S. got so bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan after 9/11 that it missed chances to improve its strategic position in other regions. He has yet to visit China as Pentagon chief but is expected to go as early as this spring.