Is Obama’s approach to tensions in the Middle East wise?
President Obama sought “common ground” during his speech in Cairo this morning. But American responses to the speech are already divided.
The White House said Obama’s speech contained no new policy proposals on the Middle East. [Obama] said American ties with Israel are unbreakable, yet issued a firm, evenhanded call to the Jewish state and Palestinians alike to live up to their international obligations.
At the same time, he said the same principle must apply in reverse. “Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire.”
In a gesture to the Islamic world, Obama conceded at the beginning of his remarks that tension “has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations.”
“And I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear,” said the president, who recalled hearing prayer calls of “azaan” at dawn and dusk while living in Indonesia as a boy.
Here is a link to the full text of Obama’s speech.
Fox News said on TV this morning that Obama seems to be apologizing for Americans. A speech writer for former President Bush also said on Fox News that Obama was “throwing Americans under the bus.”
Obama speeches have proved to be vastly different from speeches made by Bush with the “if you’re not with us, you’re against us,” mentality.
Which approach is more promising to Americans and this conflict in the Middle East?
Obama speech has already drawn a somewhat positive response from unlikely corners of the world, according to the Associated Press.
“There is a change between the speech of President Obama and previous speeches made by George Bush,” said Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza cited by an AP article. But he complained that Obama did not specifically note the suffering in Gaza following the three-week Israeli incursion earlier this year and did not apologize for U.S. military attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan.
What exactly did Obama’s speech accomplish? Was it effective in easing the tension in the Middle East? Is it even possible to gain favorable opinions from those in the Middle East given the past? Is it wise to seek this common ground with enemies to the United States?
What are some things you would have liked the President to say?
Maybe a little more on the steps that the Islamic world needs to do? Address oppression of women, religion, and other groups by the Islamic nations of the middle east maybe? Talking about adopting democracy would help. The nations of that part of the world need to move into the modern world before they can ever hope to be more than what they are now. They aren’t just innocent victims of US imperialism.
He didn’t say anything. He spoke words, but all he did is define line by line what we already know. His speech was definitely different in tone than a “you’re either with us or against us” type speech, but in the end we are still going to support Isreal. We are still going to have to root out terrorists.
I should point out that I appreciate the effort. But what they want and what we want, even at it’s basic levels, are still two different things, and that isn’t going to change either.
They want apologies to all Muslims for Afghanistan, only we didn’t attack Islam, we attacked a political structure that supported Al Qaeda. They don’t get that or don’t want to. Iraq wasn’t an attack on Islam either, but again they don’t see it that way.
As long as Muslims in this world continue to let the name of Allah and their religion be used as a prop to rationalize terrorism and violation of human rights there is not going to be any real middle ground acheived. (And yes, I realize that America is not perfect so don’t try to use that as an argument against what I just wrote. Two wrongs don’t make a right, they just make two wrongs. But you cannot deny the problem Islam has because of a fringe element in their society.)
Maybe we need to start asking all Muslims to apologize for 9-11 and al Qaeda. Only how well do you think that will go over?
This speech was no different than any political speech by any politician from any political spectrum - full of words and empty on reality.
Two years spent running from his Islamic roots… one speech praising it.
Israel is now on their own… and they know it.
Also Obama claimed an end to American Exceptionalisum. Barack Obama is not just ignorant, he is a fool. And an ignorant fool is too dangerous to have running this country.
Sad, sad day for our nation.
I did not vote for Obama, but think he’s doing a good job in reaching out to re-build a global coalition that Bush 43 wiped out. One of my favorite presidents is Teddy Roosevelt, but the “gunboat diplomacy” approach he used will not work in the 21st century. A huge recruiting tool for Bin Laden (and the other psychopaths intent on harming democratic societies) has been that the US is at war with Islam. Obama is simply trying to un-do the mess that Bush 43 got the US into with our go-it-alone attitude. Someone mentioned Israel is now on its own. I disagree with that statement. While we support Israel’s existence and sovereignty, the US cannot afford to play favorites in that region. Our security should come as the 1st priority, not neccessarily Israel’s. Remember that 1 of the reasons Bin Laden’s group attacked us on 9-11 was the perception of the U.S. fully supporting Israel at the expense of the Palestinians and other Islamic-majority nations.
I can’t even begin to point out all that is wrong with onlythetruth’s comment.
………..I wonder if Israel were instead an oil-less Islamic state with hostile neighbors, would America have over the top pro-Israel all these years?
onlythetruth, Are you 12 years old? I suggest you read some history on the Middle East to find out why we support the state of Israel. You sound like an idiot my friend. You have no idea what you are talking about.
Go ahead, jaycee…point it out. The rest of us want to point out what’s wrong with what onlythetruth wrote also.
I’ll help. Bush didn’t get us into “this mess”…”this mess” was started long before he took office. It’s just the ignorant fools that feel the need to point a finger at him solely - as if he is the one that turned his eyes away from the warnings of Colin Powell in the 90’s - as if he’s the one that guided the planes into the twin towers - or dragged the burned body of an American reporter through the streets for all to see - as if the people who share his religious heritage chanted “Down with America”.
Most of those that oppose the war in Iraq are the first ones to jump on the let’s make “nicey nice” boat with the countries we have helped in the past, yet these same countries continue to slap us in the face. We as Americans have to have the “go-at-it alone attitude.” If you think Obama playing house with the Islamic nations is going to help you, the taxpayer, how about I buy you a one-way ticket to an Islamic nation? My gift to the rest of us that have pride in the USA, what we stand for, and who we stand against; for all of us “go-at-it-alone” Americans who stand together.
Ditto Jaycee
It’s always sad to me to see where the political discourse in this country has gone. We cannot seem to even allow for at least respect of someone’s differing opinion in the United States let alone the rest of the world. At the very LEAST you could allow that our President is attempting to address issues that will build on peaceful solutions rather than warlike ones. Of course we are a terminally unique country that was chosen by God to help staighten out the rest of mankind. I have a right to be critical of my country when she’s wrong and praise and protect her when she is right! I was born here. I have family members who have died for this country. Mr. Obama DID NOT aoplogize for Afghanistan or somehow apologize for ANY extremist. He DID NOT excuse 9/11 or blame our country in any fashion. He DID however address that my country was wrong to invade a soverign nation (even though he believes the world is better off without Saddam Hussien) without clear proof that they were directly involved in 9/11. He DID apologize for our causing the deaths of innocent Iraqi’s because of the failed policies and actions of the previous administration. He DID attempt to build bridges in the middle for more moderate people on all sides of the issue. That is where the majority of the people are. And if you build from moderation you begin to exclude extremists on ALL SIDES! Inuding here at home. I will reserve further judgment until the man has had a chance to put some of the attempted words of healing into action. People on alot these boards speak as if we have already had eight years of Obama. I will allow him time.
“At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it? Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never! All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide. Abraham Lincoln January 28, 1838.