OBAMA DOING WELL ON THE FOREIGN FRONT
Muhammad Khurshid

OpEdNews
dailytimes.com.pk
April 7 2009

US President Barack Obama has cleared many things in a short time. He
has succeeded in presenting the United States as peace-loving
nation. Now he is removing the impression that the US wants the war
to continue. Obama is winning the friends, which is a good sign for
the whole world. Success of Obama means the success of whole humanity
as at the moment he is playing the role of a savoir.

Though his actions and plans Obama has proved that the decision of
Americans to cast their votes in his favour is right. He has changed
the situation in a very short time. Now terrorists on the run in
Pakistan. Though at the moment they have been making great damage,
but they are facing total annihilation. The people of tribal areas
fully support the policies of Obama as they think he is the right
person for bringing peace to the world. He can play the role of savoir.

US President Barack Obama, making his first visit to a Muslim
nation as president, declared on Monday the United States "is
not and will never be at war with Islam"? Urging a greater
partnership with the Islamic world in an address to the Turkish
parliament, Obama called the country an important US ally in
many areas, including the fight against terrorism. He devoted
much of his speech to urging a greater bond between Americans
and Muslims, portraying terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda as
extremists who do not represent the vast majority of Muslims.

"Our partnership with the Muslim world is critical … in
rolling back the violent ideologies that people of all faiths
reject, he said. The US president is trying to mend fences
with a Muslim world that felt it had been blamed by America
for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Obama also said Washington wanted to reinvigorate efforts
towards creating a Palestinian state.

"Let me be clear: the United States strongly supports the
goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side
in peace and security," he said in the speech to Turkey’s
parliament.

Chief Palestinian peace negotiator Saeb Erekat welcomed Obama’s
words, saying he had made a major commitment to the two-state
solution. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office
said Israel was committed to reaching peace and would cooperate
with the Obama administration to achieve that goal.

At a news conference earlier with President Abdullah Gul, Obama
dealt gingerly with the issue of alleged genocide committed
by Turks against Armenians during World War I. He urged Turks
and Armenians to continue a process "that works through the
past in a way that is honest, open and constructive".

Al Jazeera and Al Arabiyia, two of the biggest Arabic satellite
channels, carried Obama’s speech live.

"America’s relationship with the Muslim community,"? he
said, "cannot and will not just be based upon opposition to
terrorism. We seek broader engagement based on mutual interest
and mutual respect."?

"We will convey our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith,
which has done so much over the centuries to shape the world,
including in my own country,"? he said.

The president spoke for about 25 minutes from a small
white-marble-and-teak rostrum in the well of a vast, airy
chamber packed with Turkish lawmakers in orange leather chairs.

Except for a few instances of polite applause, the room was
quiet during his speech. There was a more hearty ovation
toward the end when Obama said the US supports the Turkish
government’s battle against the PKK, which both nations
consider a terrorist group, and again when he said America
was not at war with Islam. Lawmakers also applauded when
Obama said the United States supports Turkey’s bid to join
the European Union.

After meeting later in the day with Turkey’s Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Obama recognised past tensions in the
US-Turkey relationship, but said things were on the right
track now because both countries share common interests and
are diverse nations.