Why President Obama Is in New York

After the President's address at the United Nations General Assembly this morning, Secretary of State John Kerry sent the following message to the White House email list.

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Good afternoon,

Each and every year, the world's leaders gather in New York for a session of the United Nations General Assembly. Earlier today, President Obama spoke to them directly in an address that warrants the attention not only of those leaders, but of all Americans. It was clear, candid, and compelling. The President talked about the world as it is, and the world as we all hope it can be.

The President said that, for all the hard-won progress we see in the world, there is also what he today called a "pervasive unease."

A deadly Ebola outbreak ravaging West Africa, Russian aggression in Ukraine, and the group of medieval murdering terrorists known as ISIL, which, left unchecked, could pose a growing threat beyond the region -- including our homeland.

So when President Obama addressed the leaders of more than 140 nations this morning, he posed two fundamental questions that will help define both the world's future and our own: Can the major powers set aside their differences and meet their responsibilities as leaders? And can the world reject the cancer of violent extremism?

The President knows the answer is yes -- if we make it so. The way he answers these questions is an important illustration of the principles we stand for as Americans, and a window into the future we look to help build. See what he had to say.

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