Obama tells Arabic network US is 'not your enemy'

Dantheman62 · 01-27-2009, 04:09 PM

CAIRO, Egypt – President Barack Obama chose an Arabic-language satellite TV network for his first formal television interview as president, delivering a message Tuesday to the Muslim world that "Americans are not your enemy."

The interview taped Monday 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 Dubai-based Al-Arabiya news channel, which is privately owned by a Saudi businessman.

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.

Al-Arabiya has scored interviews with top U.S. officials in the past, including Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090127/..._obama_mideast

Humble Janitor · 01-28-2009, 01:14 AM

The American fRight Wing is probably salivating at the opportunity to slam Obama on this.

I welcome it. I believe that we must make peace with the world and despite the odds, it is possible.

01-27-2009, 04:09 PM	#1
Dantheman62 Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: So. Cal. U.S. Posts: 4,205	Obama tells Arabic network US is 'not your enemy' CAIRO, Egypt – President Barack Obama chose an Arabic-language satellite TV network for his first formal television interview as president, delivering a message Tuesday to the Muslim world that "Americans are not your enemy." The interview taped Monday 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 Dubai-based Al-Arabiya news channel, which is privately owned by a Saudi businessman. 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. Al-Arabiya has scored interviews with top U.S. officials in the past, including Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090127/..._obama_mideast

01-28-2009, 01:14 AM	#2
Humble Janitor Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 3,201	Re: Obama tells Arabic network US is 'not your enemy' The American fRight Wing is probably salivating at the opportunity to slam Obama on this. I welcome it. I believe that we must make peace with the world and despite the odds, it is possible.