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    SoonerFans.com Elite Member JLEW1818's Avatar
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    Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    CAIRO, Egypt – President Barack Obama chose an Arabic satellite TV network for his first formal television interview as president, part of a concerted effort to repair relations with the Muslim world that were damaged under the previous administration.

    Obama cited his Muslim background and relatives, practically a taboo issue during the U.S. presidential campaign, and said in the interview, which aired Tuesday, that one of his main tasks was to communicate to Muslims "that the Americans are not your enemy."

    The interview on the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya news channel aired as Obama's new envoy to the region, former Sen. George J. Mitchell, arrived in Egypt on Tuesday for a visit that will also take him to Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

    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."

    Obama's predecessor, former President George W. Bush, launched wars in Iraq and Afghanistan which prompted a massive backlash against the U.S. in the Muslim world.

    In contrast to the enthusiastic reception Obama's victory has garnered around the world, the Arab world has been much more cautious about the new U.S. president — with most people skeptical that American policy in the region will change substantially.

    "I can't be optimistic until I see something tangible," said Hatem al-Kurdi, 35, a Gaza City engineer who saw parts of the interview. "Anyone can say nice words, but you have to follow with actions."

    "He seems very interested in the Middle East issue but he didn't say exactly what he's going to do about it," Kurdi added.

    After earlier dismissing Obama as following the same policies as his predecessor, officials from the militant Palestinian Hamas group softened their stance against the new president Tuesday.

    "In the last couple of days there have been a lot of statements (from Obama), some of them very positive, and choosing this George Mitchell as an envoy," said Ahmed Youssef, a senior Hamas official interviewed on the Doha-based Al-Jazeera news network. "I think there are some positive things we have to count."

    Obama's choice of Al-Arabiya network, which is owned by a Saudi businessman, follows the lead of the Bush administration, which gave several presidential interviews to that news channel.

    "The U.S. sees Al-Arabiya as a friendly Arab channel, whereas they see Al-Jazeera as confrontational," said Lawrence Pintak, director of the journalism training center at the American University in Cairo.

    Hady Amr, director of the Brookings Doha Center, an arm of the U.S. think-tank in the Qatari capital, described decision to make the first presidential interview with an Arabic news network as "stunning."

    "President Obama has made it absolutely clear ... that a central priority will be repairing America's relations with the Muslim world," he said. "If that's his objective, I'd say he's been hitting home run after home run."

    In the interview, 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.

    Obama's Kenyan father was born Muslim, though a self-described atheist, and many of his relatives in Kenya are practicing Muslims. As a child, Obama lived for a number of years in Indonesia while his mother as doing research there.

    This appeal does seem to have struck a chord among many Muslims.

    "He's different from the previous presidents, perhaps because of his color or his Islamic background. My views of America are different now than they were during the Bush administration," said Youssef Ali, 45, who works for the Iraqi Electricity Ministry in Baghdad.

    Most of Obama's interview focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is widely perceived in the Middle East as the most pressing issue in a region filled with animosities.

    Obama 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.

    "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.

    On Tuesday, Gaza's fragile truce was threatened when a bomb detonated by Palestinian militants exploded next to an Israeli army patrol along the border with Gaza, killing one soldier and wounding three.

    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 described Obama with a demeaning racial term for a black American who does the bidding of whites.

    The message suggested the terror network was worried Obama could undermine its rallying cry that the U.S. is an enemy oppressor.

    "There's no actions that they've taken that say a child in the Muslim world is getting a better education because of them, or has better health care because of them," said Obama about al-Qaida.

    Obama also emphasized the importance of engaging with Iran, a country the Bush administration often singled out as the most dangerous in the region.

    Obama condemned Iran's threats against Israel, pursuit of nuclear weapons and support of terrorist organizations, but said "it is important for us to be willing to talk to Iran, to express very clearly where our differences are, but where there are potential avenues for progress."

    _____

    Associated Press Writer Adam Schreck contributed to this report from Dubai.


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

  2. #2
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    Re: Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    IT'S A TRAP!

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    Re: Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    OH NOES!

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    I'm a shootist Curly Bill's Avatar
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    Re: Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    He's getting back to his roots.
    Behold the pale horse. The man who sat on him was death, and Hell followed with him.

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    Sooner Starter bonkuba's Avatar
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    Re: Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    Relations were damaged? Seriously......that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. I sure as heck hope they were damaged.......mark my words this is the first step in trying to appease a people that will do nothing but shake their heads in agreement as they are cutting them off of our boys.

    Trying to be nice to these people is the biggest mistake......unless he is being nice to their face and making preparations to wipe them out in secret (nah he isnt that smart....or doesnt appear to be yet).

    Again.....God help us all.

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    Sooner All-Big XII-2-1+1-1+1 SoonerProphet's Avatar
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    Re: Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    "these" people?

  7. #7
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    Re: Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    IT'S A TRAP!

  8. #8
    America's Sweetheart bri's Avatar
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    Re: Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    Quote Originally Posted by bonkuba View Post
    Relations were damaged? Seriously......that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. I sure as heck hope they were damaged.......mark my words this is the first step in trying to appease a people that will do nothing but shake their heads in agreement as they are cutting them off of our boys.

    Trying to be nice to these people is the biggest mistake......unless he is being nice to their face and making preparations to wipe them out in secret (nah he isnt that smart....or doesnt appear to be yet).

    Again.....God help us all.
    You're just a hate crime that hasn't happened yet, aren't you?

  9. #9

    Re: Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    Quote Originally Posted by SoonerProphet View Post
    "these" people?
    What do you mean "these" people.

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    Re: Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    Shaking my head hoping my turban doesn't fall off.
    God, how I hate the 21st century.

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  11. #11

    Re: Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    Quote Originally Posted by bonkuba View Post
    Relations were damaged? Seriously......that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. I sure as heck hope they were damaged.......mark my words this is the first step in trying to appease a people that will do nothing but shake their heads in agreement as they are cutting them off of our boys.

    Trying to be nice to these people is the biggest mistake......unless he is being nice to their face and making preparations to wipe them out in secret (nah he isnt that smart....or doesnt appear to be yet).

    Again.....God help us all.

    You could always try to overthrow the government. That might work!

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    Re: Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    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."
    That's a really good point. There were certainly very few acts of terror committed by Muslims against the US or her citizens between 1979 and 1989.

    Well, except for that whole Iran hostage thing or the TWA hijacking, or the Achille Lauro, or Lockerbie, or the three Beirut embassy bombings, or the plane bombing in Honolulu, or the Kuwait embassy bombing, or the restaurant bombing in Spain, or the USAF base in Germany, or the machine gunning of the airport in Rome, or the disco in Berlin, or the kidnapping and execution of a marine in Lebanon.

    Other than those we got along just ****ing peachy with Muslims 20 and 30 years go.
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    Re: Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    Quote Originally Posted by KC//CRIMSON View Post
    You could always try to overthrow the government. That might work!
    No, they are going to "take it back", it's been a week and that popular democratically elected leader is getting them all jonesed to rise again. They're oppressed.
    Boomer Sooner

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    I'm a shootist Curly Bill's Avatar
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    Re: Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    Quote Originally Posted by soonerscuba View Post
    No, they are going to "take it back", it's been a week and that popular democratically elected leader is getting them all jonesed to rise again. They're oppressed.
    I guess you saw the bat signal and came running huh?
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    SoonerFans.com Elite Member JLEW1818's Avatar
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    Re: Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    "We should only worry about ourselves"

    I remember somebody saying that.

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    Sooner Starter bonkuba's Avatar
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    Re: Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    Really I am not trying to seem like a freak on this.....but seriously these folks respect no one and will kill you and your people whilst negotiating.

    I seriously hope and pray that it works.....really....I just know from past history and personal experience that it is the wrong path. They only understand one thing.....strength. Any weakness (negotiating is seen as a weakness to them) is dealt with severely. Why do you think they want cease-fires when a country that is fed up with their "crap" is bombing the crap out of them.....to seriously negotiate?? Nope....time to re-group and move assetts (women, children as shields, etc) in order to begin killing once they believe they are once again ready (all while they are at the table speaking of peace).

    I know I cannot convince some of you of this fact and that is fine. I just wanted to voice my concern.

    Carry on

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    Sooner All-Big XII-2-1+1-1+1
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    Re: Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    Quote Originally Posted by bonkuba View Post
    Really I am not trying to seem like a freak on this.....but seriously these folks respect no one and will kill you and your people whilst negotiating.

    I seriously hope and pray that it works.....really....I just know from past history and personal experience that it is the wrong path. They only understand one thing.....strength. Any weakness (negotiating is seen as a weakness to them) is dealt with severely. Why do you think they want cease-fires when a country that is fed up with their "crap" is bombing the crap out of them.....to seriously negotiate?? Nope....time to re-group and move assetts (women, children as shields, etc) in order to begin killing once they believe they are once again ready (all while they are at the table speaking of peace).

    I know I cannot convince some of you of this fact and that is fine. I just wanted to voice my concern.

    Carry on
    You still won't define "these people".
    Boomer Sooner

  18. #18
    Sooner All-Big XII-2-1+1-1+1 SoonerProphet's Avatar
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    Re: Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    please enlighten us on who "these" folks are? i am sure you have done a vast survey and know whats in their hearts and on their minds.

  19. #19
    Sooner Starter bonkuba's Avatar
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    Re: Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    Quote Originally Posted by KC//CRIMSON View Post
    You could always try to overthrow the government. That might work!
    All of 'em at once......maybe

  20. #20
    Sooner Starter bonkuba's Avatar
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    Re: Obama picks Arab network for first TV interview

    Quote Originally Posted by soonerscuba View Post
    You still won't define "these people".
    Very easy.........muslim extremists.....which make up a majority whether you believe it or not. I know that you may want to "bash" me for stating this fact but in your heart you know it to be a fact. I wish I was wrong....but I am not.

    Also, to Soonerprophet who is being a fool in a serious discussion. Yes, I do have experience (not just in a forum or in a video game my friend). These people want nothing more than for us to die....nothing more.......just die.

    Again, I know that what I say will not sway some of you and that is fine....a pity...but fine. Unfortunately, for my country and my children, I believe I will proven right as time goes on.

    My apologies for stirring the pot. I just could not let this one go without commenting.

    I will not comment further.

    Thank you.

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