Obama: US to use military force if allies' security in danger

MANILA, Philippines — In what could be a reassurance to countries like the Philippines, President Barack Obama said the United States will use military force if the security of its allies is under threat.

In his speech at the US Military Academy commencement ceremony in West Point, New York, Obama said tensions in other parts of the world like the disputed South China Sea will affect allies and may need the attention of American forces.

"Regional aggression that goes unchecked -- whether in southern Ukraine or the South China Sea, or anywhere else in the world -- will ultimately impact our allies and could draw in our military.  We can’t ignore what happens beyond our boundaries," Obama said.

He said the US, which "remains to be the one indispensable nation," must always lead in the world stage to secure Americans' peace and prosperity and extend these around the globe.

But not every security threat outside the US requires military solution, Obama also said. He reiterated Washington's support for a peaceful resolution of the increasing tensions in the contested South China Sea.

"In the Asia Pacific, we’re supporting Southeast Asian nations as they negotiate a code of conduct with China on maritime disputes in the South China Sea.  And we’re working to resolve these disputes through international law," Obama said.

But Obama also expressed willingness to use might if needed to respond to the dangers in a changing world.

"First, let me repeat a principle I put forward at the outset of my presidency:  The United States will use military force, unilaterally if necessary, when our core interests demand it -- when our people are threatened, when our livelihoods are at stake, when the security of our allies is in danger," Obama said.

The American leader added that when issues of global concern do not directly threaten the US, then the "threshold for military action must be higher."

In such circumstances, Obama said, the US must mobilize allies to take collective action and use tools like diplomacy, sanctions, appeals to international law, and if just and needed, multilateral military action.

Obama did not specifically mention the Philippines when he raised the security issues in the South China Sea.

Last month, Obama visited the Philippines and other allies in Asia to boost US ties.

He said the US has an "ironclad" commitment to defend the Philippines as a defense treaty ally.

Obama, however, said the US does not intend to counter or contain China since it welcomes the rise of the Asian giant.