President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama react to daughter Sasha’s hole in one while playing miniature golf at Pirate’s Island Golf in Panama City Beach, Fla., Saturday, Aug. 14, 2010. Photo by Pete Souza
President Barack Obama casts his line while fishing for trout on the East Gallatin River near Belgrade, Mont., on Aug. 14, 2009. Photo by Pete Souza
President Barack Obama, center, and his fishing party head for the water during his first fly fishing outing near Belgrade, Mont., on Aug. 14, 2009. Photo by Pete Souza
President Barack Obama and local fishing guide Dan Vermillion fish for trout on the East Gallatin River near Belgrade, Mont., on Aug.14, 2009. Photo by Pete Souza
Local fishing guide Dan Vermillion reacts as President Barack Obama almost hooks a trout on the East Gallatin River near Belgrade, Mont., on Aug. 14, 2009. Photo by Pete Souza
President Barack Obama (hand, at right) greets members of the U.S. Coast Guard after making a statement at the U.S. Coast Guard Panama City District Office, Panama City, Fla, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2010. Photo by Pete Souza
President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and Navy Secretary Ray Mabus hold a roundtable discussion with business owners and officials at the United States Coast Guard district office in Panama City, Fla., Saturday, Aug. 14, 2010. Photo by Pete Souza
President Barack Obama has a beer with patrons at the Pump Haus Pub and Grill in Waterloo, Iowa, Aug. 14, 2012. Photo by Pete Souza
President Barack Obama talks with Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, regarding a statement on Iraq and the situation in Ferguson, Missouri, in Chilmark, Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., Aug. 14, 2014. Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr. listens, at right. At left, National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice talks with Anita Breckenridge, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. Photo by Pete Souza)
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LIVE NOW: Secretary of State John Kerry Speaks at the Opening Ceremony for U.S. Embassy Havana
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Really insightful piece on how Obama understands the Iran nuclear deal. https://t.co/AmcfuporXu
But Obama’s primary message was one of certainty. “Of all the foreign policy issues that I’ve addressed since I’ve been president,” he said, “I’ve never been more certain that this is sound policy, that it’s the right thing to do for the United States, that it’s the right thing to do for our allies.” In terms of decisions I make, I do think that I have a better sense of how military action can result in unintended consequences. And I am confirmed in my belief that much of the time, we are making judgments based on percentages, and no decision we make in foreign policy — or for that matter, any policy — is completely without hair on it, which is how we kind of describe it. I mean, there are always going to be some complications. But that’s why, when I say that this to me is not a close call, I say that based on having made a lot of tough calls. So if you look at Libya, I was deeply concerned about what would happen after [Libyan leader Moammar] Gadhafi was gone.
I was deeply concerned about the ability of some of our European partners who were forward-leaning on that issue to sustain their efforts. We organized the campaign in such a way that I could guarantee they had to step up, and it wasn’t just riding on our coattails to get it done, and that there was broad international support. And to this day, I would say that, had we not gone after Gadhafi, you’d have some version of what happened in Syria in Libya, because he had already lost control of big chunks of the country. But even factoring all that stuff in, Libya is still a mess right now. And so maybe at the same time as I’m more confident today, I’m also more humble. And that’s part of the reason why when I see a situation like this one, where we can achieve an objective with a unified world behind us, and we preserve our hedge against it not working out, I think it would be foolish — even tragic — for us to pass up on that opportunity.
President Barack Obama addresses a town hall meeting on health care insurance reform inside a hangar at Gallatin Field in Belgrade, Mont., on Aug. 14, 2009. Photo by Pete Souza
President Barack Obama confers with Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, and Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., right, regarding a statement on Iraq and the situation in Ferguson, Missouri, in Chilmark, Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., August 14, 2014. Anita Breckenridge, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, stands in the background at left. Photo by Pete Souza
Members of the audience listen as President Barack Obama addresses a town hall meeting on health care insurance reform inside a hangar at Gallatin Field in Belgrade, Mont., on Aug. 14, 2009. Photo by Pete Souza
A young girl in the audience as President Barack Obama addresses a town hall meeting on health care insurance reform inside a hangar at Gallatin Field in Belgrade, Mont., on Aug. 14, 2009. Photo by Pete Souza
President Barack Obama points to a questioner during a town hall meeting on health care insurance reform inside a hangar at Gallatin Field in Belgrade, Mont., on Aug. 14, 2009. Photo by Samantha Appleton
President Barack Obama works a rope line following after his town hall on health care insurance reform inside a hangar at Gallatin Field in Belgrade, Mont., on Aug. 14, 2009. Photo by Pete Souza
President Barack Obama meets with Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer following a town hall meeting on health care insurance reform in Belgrade, Montana, on Aug. 14, 2009. Photo by Pete Souza
The Obama Diary 
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