President Barack Obama presented a humble and conciliatory face of America to the Islamic world Monday in the first formal interview since he assumed office, stressing his own Muslim ties and hopes for a Palestinian state, and avoiding a belligerent tone — even when asked if America could “live with” an Iranian nuclear weapon.
The interview with the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya Network was a dramatic piece of public diplomacy aimed at capitalizing on the new American president’s international popularity, though it balanced America’s traditional commitment to Israel, whose security Obama called “paramount.’
“I have Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim countries,” Obama said, according to a White House transcript. “My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy.”
[…]
“What I told him is start by listening, because all too often the United States starts by dictating — in the past on some of these issues — and we don’t always know all the factors that are involved,” Obama said. “What we want to do is to listen, set aside some of the preconceptions that have existed and have built up over the last several years. And I think if we do that, then there’s a possibility at least of achieving some breakthroughs.”
World Muslims to Prez. Obamanation:
“Thank you for your most conciliatory message but, we still are compelled to say to you and the people of the USA, “DEATH TO AMERICA! DEATH TO THE GREAT SATAN! DEATH TO ALL INFIDELS!” Have a nice day, Mr. President. 🙂
With a handle like that, I can understand your myopia.
While I sincerely applaud Obama for the goodwill he is extending, it’s time for a lesson that ANYONE in his position should already know.
You can’t reason with the insane. You CAN isolate them & insulate the country from them.
Refreshing approach by a real world leader, unlike the piece of shit we’ve had for 8 years and their narrow minded supporters.
“Speak softly and carry a big stick” rings true for most any conflict and especially applies to is us a presumed super power.
“Speak softly and carry a big stick” rings true for most any conflict and especially applies to is us a presumed super power.
That would be true several years ago, but the rest of the world sees us with clay feet right now! We have no respect anymore.
3,
“You can’t reason with the insane. You CAN isolate them & insulate the country from them.”
So… why didn’t you guys do the same with Bush? Or is it ok with the insane are in your own house?
#3, Cow-Paddy,
You can’t reason with the insane.
Yes, and yet you continually return. Please, just go away.
# 6 Named said, “So… why didn’t you guys do the same with Bush?”
You’re babbling again. Are you from the Mid East by any chance?
#4, Dallas,
Well put.
The narrow mindedness of the past eight years has caused too many violent deaths and way too much suffering. Yet we will have the Bush supporters that will claim meeting someone half way is surrendering.
#8, Cow-Paddy,
and so you return, …
# 9 Mr. Fusion said, “The narrow mindedness of the past eight years has caused too many violent deaths and way too much suffering.”
Kinda like the women & children killed last week in Pakistan & Afghanistan by US missile attacks?
#11, Cow-Paddy,
and so you are still here with your idiocy.
8,
Paddy-O. It’s obvious that you have a very tenuous grip on reality. Why is that? Wife leave you for a darkie from the Middle East?
While I hope Obama’s approach works I lived through the Carter years. I know people who worked in the Carter administration who think that Carter’s approach, although admirable, was naive and laid the foundation for many of the problems in the Middle East. I hope Obama can learn from both Carter’s and Bush’s mistakes and the reasonable Arabs can step up.
I don’t think making a speech to the middle East saying you are a friend while murdering women & children in the region is going to be seen as sincere… If anyone has a reasoned argument to the contrary, please post it.
I’ve already seen the rabid attacks by some when faced with the truth.
Any takers?
14,
Uh… I think you’ll find that the foundations for the problems in the middle east go back about 50 years BEFORE Carter. But, you still have a reasonable thought…
15,
“don’t think making a speech to the middle East saying you are a friend while murdering women & children in the region is going to be seen as sincere…”
I agree with you. Of course, until the US completely divests itself of conflict in the Middle East, you have to start somewhere, don’t you? Besides, every president from Kennedy on has picked on some small, shitty country to war against. And there was only one victor… Regan in Grenada. Of course, sending 200000 marines against 7 “communist” doctors should have been easy enough. Maybe Obama is picking Pakistan?
Paddy-Twat
Why pose a counter arguement to you? You just avoid explinations and refuse to back up your pathetic views.
as Mr Fusion says and many feel:
Just go away. The blog is so much better when you aren’t here to irritate with your idiotic views and childish writing style.
I don’t know/care what mix of history/religion/politics/tribalism the world view of the Islamofascits are==death/containment for them is the only option.
The world is interconnected and even if we wanted to, the USA cannot remove itself from world commerce and interconnectivity so as to allow the muslim world to entrench its hold on its own people and expand slowly against their neighbors until they find themselves on our borders.
Still, regardless of what Obama’s real intentions are, and regardless of what he comes to see the reality as regardless of what he might prefer, yes, soft words at this stage is the right thing to do.
That will be seen as welcomed news by peace loving moderate muslims, and by the other 98% as a sign of weakness justifying their past and future belligerent actions.
Its the way of the world.
The major cause of all Mid-East conflict is Palestine. While the Arab leaders might be pragmatic and see their continued role as tolerating Israel, the masses see and know that Israeli aggression is killing their cousins.
A successful Mid-East policy must include a peaceful settlement in Palestine. That is Hamas and Hezbollah’s whole reason for being. There won’t be a settlement though as long as Israeli apartheid aggression continues.
When ever someone says “well the Palestinians must stop the hostilities” they have already condoned more deaths.
# 18 bimbo said, “Why pose a counter arguement[sic] to you?
Well, since there is no logical argument, I can see why you ask. There is no sane argument for the US murdering civilian woman & children. Unless, you care to offer one?
Sane is a matter of opinion….
But in this case you are correct.
Kudos
Mr. Fusion (#20),
I must politely disagree that Palestine is the source of all Middle East conflict. Palestine is just the topic of the day. Read the history of that region, before the Jews started moving back in the late 19th Century there was still continual conflict. Whether it was with Coptic Christians, Sunni versus Shia, Muslim versus whatever. That region hasn’t known peace since people moved there. Must be something in the water…
23,
Something in the water? You don’t think God has anything to do with it, do you?
# 24 Named said, “You don’t think God has anything to do with it, do you?”
Who created the water? 😉
#21–Paddy==you’ve been making a point of this for a few days. Could you repost your source for your information on this event?
Otherwise, I have to assume the correct statement is “There is no sane argument for the US TARGETING civilian woman & children.” To call something a “WAR” is to make it clear that the issues at risk warrants the collateral killing of innocent human beings to achieve the stated goals.
You can call the Afghanistan incident insane if you think war is insane and you will be completely irrelevant. Of interest would be the all encompassing alternative plan or policies that you recommend instead.
Withdrawing from Afghanistan would be my course of action. But what you gonna do when your own country confuses self interest with jingoism?
Thanks to the Bush administration’s lies and failures, the american public is finally holding the media accountable for bending the truth. People are relying more on alternative outlets on the internet for news.
As such, the mid-east conflict can only be solved when the people in our country will start looking at things in a fair manner. We will ultimately implement a 2 state solution wether the 2 parties like it or not, by force when and if necessary.
The Obama administration WILL succeed.
# 26 bobbo said, “Paddy==you’ve been making a point of this for a few days. Could you repost your source for your information on this event?”
It has been reported on EVERY major news outlet website. I think the Pak incident was on Jan 23.
#28–Paddy==so you have no specific support for your continuing characterization? Very weak. Get yourself a verifiable reference to rely on or you risk remaining nothing but a gadfly—unless you just want to display your own gratifications.
Seriously == find a reference that makes YOUR case. Doing your own verification may even change your own mind before continuing to publish incorrect or partial stories.
#19, Bobbo,
I don’t know/care what mix of history/religion/politics/tribalism the world view of the Islamofascits are==death/containment for them is the only option.
The problem with that is the world opinion sees things American don’t. Their news may be more neutral or even biased the other way, but very few see the world as do the Bushits claim.
Not caring about what happens to someone else means that fewer people care what happens to you. So when we ask NATO for help tracking down Osama bin Laden and al Quada, don’t expect our enemies to be jumping up to suddenly join us. All those NATO governments also see what their citizens are seeing and thinking.