Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book commences the journey to assess the Obama legacy by evaluating the differences in presidential rhetoric and public politics between George W. Bush and Barack Obama. It also assesses shifts in terrorism strategy from the administration of George W. Bush to Barack Obama. The book reviews military initiatives undertaken by President Obama from Afghanistan and Iraq to Libya and Islamic State in Syria (ISIS). It delves into Obama&s;s advisory structures and processes for national security policymaking. The book examines President Obama&s;s mixed legacy with regard to the prisoner detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and his unsuccessful bid to close it altogether. It details exceptional acuity, the legal issues surrounding Obama&s;s controversial decisions to employ unmanned aerial vehicles — drones — to kill suspected terrorist leaders abroad.