Morning Brief: The Cairo Speech

Thu, 06/04/2009 - 7:20am

Top story: In one of the most highly anticipated speeches of his young presidency, Barack Obama addressed the Muslim world from Cairo University this morning, pledging to "seek a new beginning."

Obama referred to his own biography and experiences with having "known Islam on three continents" before addressing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, democracy, women's rights and development. 

Obama assured that the United States does "not want to keep our troops in Afghanistan" and seeks to "leave Iraq to Iraqis." He also promised to "not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own" and notably referred to "Palestine" rather than a "future Palestinian state." But he also called on Palestinians, including Hamas, to recognize Israel's right to exist and renounce violence and anti-Semitism.

Obama called on all governments in the region to "maintain your power through consent, not coercion," though he avoided referring specifically to his host country, Egypt, in this regard.  

Story to watch: Obama kicks off the European leg of his trip later today, which will be heavy on World War II history. Obama will visit the city of Dresden, which was firebombed by the allies during the war, the Buchenwald concentration camp, which he referred to during his Cairo speech, and attend a ceremony for the 65th anniversary of the Normandy invasion.

Obama will also hold talks with Angela Merkel of Germany and Nicolas Sarkozy of France as well as visit wounded U.S. troops at the Landstuhl military hospital, which he was criticized for not doing during his campaign stop in Europe.

Asia

  • Beijing police are out in force to prevent demonstrations in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Hong Kong will hold the country's only vigil for the anniversary.
  • The trial of two U.S. journalists held by North Korea for entering the country with "hostile intent" will begin today. A guilty verdict is thought to be nearly certain.
  • President Obama has asked Congress for an additional $200 million in aid for refugees displaced by the fighting in Pakistan's Swat Valley.

Americas

Europe

  • Voting has begun in European parliamentary elections with results expected after most countries vote on Sunday. Turnout is expected to be low.
  • Gordon Brown's Labor Party seems certain to lose big in local and European elections today.
  • An EU official says the union is likely to take in "several dozen" prisoners from Guantanamo.

Middle East

  • Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad held a televised debate with his main rival Mir Hossein Moussavi, in which the two men clashed on foreign policy.
  • Shooting broke out between Hamas militants and Palestinian police in the West Bank.
  • A cafe bombing killed nine people in south Baghdad.

Africa

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Obama assured that the United

by davidmushroomer on Mon, 06/29/2009 - 8:28am

Obama assured that the United States does "not want to keep our troops in Afghanistan" and seeks to "leave Iraq to Iraqis. I must admit he is a very good speaker.
how to write a good speech | free dissertations

OBama's Cairo speach

by Tony Trenton on Fri, 06/05/2009 - 6:41am

As usual he is a briliant speaker.
But his content was far from reality.

The USA may not have declared war on Islam, but Islam has declared war on all non Muslims add infinitum.

Actions speak louder than words.

Islam has never been a peaceful religion and has always been spread by the sword.

Islam does not tollerate anything other than Islam.

Their founder's history showS Mohammed to have been a psychopathic murderer, lier, cheat, adulterer, child molester and all round nice guy.

He created the most successful murderous cult in history.

His legacy lives on.

Muslims have a hive mentality.

They revere death.

The rest of us revere life.

The only way to resolve this difference is to join Islam or be slaughtered by them.

According to the Koran it is a Muslim's duty to cut the throat of the infidel unbeliever who is unclean and evil.

The Koran is a random collection of verses with no chronological or other order.

So, it cannot be argued that I have taken it out of context.
because there is no order except that the accademics wrote the longest chapters first and the shortest chapter later.
about 200 years after Mohammed died.

The real question is. How do we survive the Muslim horde that is reaching criticle mass and wants us dead and makes no secret of it.

THE BIGGEST MISTAKE IS TO TREAT THEM WITH OUR VALUES.
THEY HAVE NO RESPECT FOR OUR RIGHT TO BE ON THIS EARTH AND ARE USING OUR FEAR OF DEATH TO THEIR ADVANTAGE.

THIS IS THE FUNDEMENTAL WEAKNESS OF DEMOCRACY AND THEY ARE USING IT TO THEIR FULL ADVANTAGE.

THERE IS NO COMPROMISE WITH ISLAM !!!!!!

WE WILL HAVE TO FIGHT TO SURVIVE. OR HAVE OUR HEADS ROLLING DOWN THE STREET.

IT'S THAT SIMPLE!!!

The Jihadist minority

by Tony Trenton on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 4:38am

Conservatively, there are 1.3 billion Muslims in the world. Of which +- 7% are extremists and a minority.

Do the maths and you will see this gross distortion.

7% 0f 1,300,000,000 is 91,000,000 militants.

The rest are logistic support!!!!

THAT IS NO MINORITY IN ANY LANGUAGE.

THE REAL QUESTION IS WHY THIS GROSS EXAGERATION OF MINIMISING THE THREAT OF ISLAM AND WHO AND WHERE IS IT BEING ORCHESTRATED???

Their prophet stated that to be a Muslim was to be a Jihadist.

To use the excuse that it is a matter of interpretation is more than ridiculous because if the Koran is the word of Allah? who are mere humans to interpret it to suit themselves??

MOHAMMED CREATED THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MURDEROUS CULT IN HISTORY.

Obama in Cairo

by sternlight on Thu, 06/04/2009 - 7:21pm

It was reprehensible of President Obama to draw a parallel between the Holocaust and the self-inflicted "suffering" of the Palestinians.

It was equally offensive for him not to have mentioned the repeated Arab wars intended to destroy Israel and the repeated refusal of the Palestinians to accept a State, as the prime causes of the present situation.