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Obama gives interview on Arab TV
Topic Started: Jan 27 2009, 06:27 AM (266 Views)
Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
I think this whole 'oh, the last guy was no good, but I'm your friend' thing is embarrassing. It reminds me of Jimmy Carter's naivete more than anything else. Especially while he insists he's going to demand more action from Pakistan.

Diplomacy is good. But this is just trying to schmooze, and it will backfire.

Quote:
 
Obama Gives Interview to Arab TV
By PAUL SCHEMM, AP

CAIRO, Egypt (Jan. 27) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday chose an Arabic satellite TV network for his first formal television interview as president, delivering a message to the Muslim world that "Americans are not your enemy."
The interview underscored Obama's commitment to repair relations with the Muslim world that have suffered under the previous administration.

The president expressed an intention to engage the Middle East immediately and his new envoy to the region, former Sen. George J. Mitchell, was expected to arrived in Egypt on Tuesday for a visit that will also take him to Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

"My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy," Obama told the Saudi-owned, Dubai-based Al-Arabiya news channel.

Obama said the U.S. had made mistakes in the past but "that the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago, there's no reason why we can't restore that."

During his presidency, former President George W. Bush gave several interviews to Al-Arabiya but the wars he launched in Iraq and Afghanistan prompted a massive backlash against the U.S. in the Muslim world.

Obama called for a new partnership with the Muslim world "based on mutual respect and mutual interest." He talked about growing up in Indonesia, the Muslim world's most populous nation, and noted that he has Muslim relatives.

The new president said he felt it was important to "get engaged right away" in the Middle East and had directed Mitchell to talk to "all the major parties involved." His administration would craft an approach after that, he said in the interview.

"What I told him is start by listening, because all too often the United States starts by dictating," Obama told the interviewer.
The president reiterated the U.S. commitment to Israel as an ally and to its right to defend itself. But he suggested that both Israel and the Palestinians have hard choices to make.

"I do believe that the moment is ripe for both sides to realize that the path that they are on is one that is not going to result in prosperity and security for their people," he said, calling for a Palestinian state that is contiguous with internal freedom of movement and can trade with neighboring countries.

Obama also said that recent statements and messages issued by the al-Qaida terror network suggest they do not know how to deal with his new approach.

"They seem nervous," he told the interviewer. "What that tells me is that their ideas are bankrupt."

In his latest message on Jan. 14, al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden said Obama had been left with a "heavy inheritance" of Bush's wars.

Shortly after the election, the network's number two, Ayman al-Zawahri used a demeaning racial term for a black American who does the bidding of whites to describe Obama.

The message suggested the terror network was worried Obama could undermine its rallying cry that the U.S. is an enemy oppressor.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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Frank_W
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Resident Misanthrope
I'm unsure what to make of this. Weird and awkward... :unsure:
Anatomy Prof: "The human body has about 20 sq. meters of skin."
Me: "Man, that's a lot of lampshades!"
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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
It looks very, very premature to me to be out sending signals to the world the first week. Almost narcissistic. I'd have to check and see what past presidents did.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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Free Rider
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Fulla-Carp
Why would it be too soon to start some kind of peace process/talks in the Middle East? How would it benefit Obama to wait?
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OperaTenor
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Pisa-Carp
I at least think it was prudent of him to choose al Arabiya over al Jazeera.



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Free Rider
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Fulla-Carp
OperaTenor
Jan 27 2009, 11:15 AM
I at least think it was prudent of him to choose al Arabiya over al Jazeera.

definetly.
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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
I would agree regarding choice of network, OT.

The problem, FR, is it is insubstantial, premature and contrary to his stated position on Pakistan. Signal without supporting action behind it. I hope it does not come back to bite him (us), but putting too much talk out there in advance of real initiatives becomes a set of handcuffs.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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Free Rider
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Fulla-Carp
Okay I see your point, and I agree with you about hoping it doesn't come to bite him (us) in the ass.

But your wrong about his stated position. He directed Mitchell to "talk with all major parties involved". He made no mention of preconditions, did he? :lol2:
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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
He's already made clear he will demand Pakistan do more agains jihadi in the FATA. That's pretty incompatible with 'we will not dictate to you'.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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Free Rider
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Fulla-Carp
:sad: But...wasn't...my...joke...funny?
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The 89th Key
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I've only caught a bit of this on TV...seems ok so far. He certainly is throwing the Bush Administration under the bus a bit, but quite frankly that might be needed for him to accomplish some diplomatic/international goals. I think he has America's best interest at heart and thinks a facade of "we'll listen to you" approach might work better...as long as he's still able to make the tough, principled decisions when the time comes for it. And that time will come.
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Kincaid
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HOLY CARP!!!
I think it does show naivete but I don't know that anything bad will come of it. In fact, a neophyte like Obama needs to "listen" to the Muslim world so that he'll understand where they are coming from. I think he'll come away shaking his head in disbelief. Even though support for jihad, suicide bombings and Bin Laden are down in most countries, huge amounts of muslims still ascribe to these things. That's millions of people across the world.
Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006.
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Copper
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Shortstop

After the depression and his impeachment he may be looking for a new country.

It doesn't hurt for him to keep his options open.
The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight, but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought best. Carlton McCarthy
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