The Obama administration inherited a war in Afghanistan , a war in Iraq , and a global " War on Terror , " all launched by Congress during the term of President Bush in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks . Upon taking office , Obama called for a " new beginning " in relations between the Muslim world and the United States , and he discontinued the use of the term " War on Terror " in favor of the term " Overseas Contingency Operation . " Obama pursued a " light footprint " military strategy in the Middle East that emphasized special forces , drone strikes , and diplomacy over large ground troop occupations . However , American forces continued to clash with Islamic militant organizations such as al-Qaeda , ISIL , and al-Shabaab under the terms of the AUMF passed by Congress in 2001 . Though the Middle East remained important to American foreign policy , Obama pursued a " pivot " to East Asia . Obama also emphasized closer relations with India , and was the first president to visit the country twice . An advocate for nuclear non-proliferation , Obama successfully negotiated arms-reduction deals with Iran and Russia . In 2015 , Obama described the Obama Doctrine , saying " we will engage , but we preserve all our capabilities . " Obama also described himself as an internationalist who rejected isolationism and was influenced by realism and liberal interventionism
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Presidency of Barack Obama