WASHINGTON — Tim Pawlenty called President Obama “timid and slow” in responding to the democratic movement in the Middle East on Tuesday and offered a foreign policy agenda of using the United State’s influence in the region to spur change.

Pawlenty, in a speech before the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, sought to differentiate himself at the same time from both the Obama administration and the current crop of Republican presidential candidates. While Obama has been too slow to embrace change in the Middle East, Pawlenty said, Republicans have moved away from their commitment to act as a world leader on foreign issues.

“The Middle East is changing before our eyes — but our government has not kept up,” he said. “The next president must do better. Today, in our own Republican Party, some look back and conclude our projection of strength and defense of freedom was a product of different times and different challenges. While times have changed, the nature of the challenge has not.”

In assessing Obama’s foreign policy approach, Pawlenty repeated a phrase from his presidential rival, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann: Obama has “led from behind,” pointing to his hesitancy to address democratic uprisings in Iran, Egypt and Syria.

“I called for [Syrian President Bashar al] Assad’s departure on March 29; I call for it again today,” Pawlenty said. “We should recall our ambassador from Damascus; and I call for that again today. The leader of the United States should never leave those willing to sacrifice their lives in the cause of freedom wondering where America stands. As President, I will not.”

Budding democracies should be supported and encouraged to embrace human rights and popular rule, Pawlenty said. Hostile countries — “failed states” such as Iran and Syria — should be subject to economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure until they respect the rights of their people.

Pawlenty blamed Obama for not working harder to depose rulers such as Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak and Syria’s Assad, and he hasn’t been forceful enough in removing Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi, though he’s called for his ouster and committed American resources to supporting Libyan rebels.

“You can’t let a third-rate dictator thumb his nose at the President of the United States and the rest of the free world,” Pawlenty said.

On Israel, Pawlenty admonished Obama for saying the country’s 1967 borders should serve as a basis for negotiating a final peace with Arabs. Pawlenty outlined a peace plan in which Hamas is diminished and U.S. aid to the Palestinian government is contingent on the moderation of its leaders.

“It breaks my heart that President Obama treats Israel, our great friend, as a problem, rather than as an ally,” Pawlenty said. “We need to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.”

Pawlenty also spoke to the Republican base, highlighting American exceptionalism and saying the United States has the “moral clarity” to lead the world, based in its support for human rights, free elections and the freedoms of speech and religion.

“What is wrong is for the Republican Party to shrink from the challenges of American leadership in the world,” Pawlenty said. “America already has one political party devoted to decline, retrenchment, and withdrawal. It does not need a second one.”

Devin Henry can be reached at dhenry@minnpost.com.