President Obama “claimed several national security successes during his State of the Union address Tuesday evening, defiantly doubling down on his belief that military power alone is insufficient,” Defense News reports.  

“Republican lawmakers and analysts spent most of Tuesday hammering Obama’s policies on Russia, the Islamic State and Afghanistan, arguing the commander in chief’s approach has left the United States — and its allies — vulnerable to attacks and with less sway on the global stage.”  

“The commander in chief made no mention of striking a fiscal deal that would nix or lessen the remaining years of across-the-board defense — or domestic — budget cuts, a potential signal the White House has given up hopes of such an accord with congressional Republicans.”  

Defense One : “From the new U.S. role in Afghanistan to renewed tensions with Russia, from the rise of militant extremism in Iraq and Syria to the attacks on the streets of Paris, the threat of terrorism and global conflict is no shadow, but a grim and tangible reality facing Obama in the last two years of his presidency.”