President Obama's interview with Al Arabiya

Clearly, President Obama intends the interview as a companion piece to the departure of Special Envoy George Mitchell for the region. His response to the first question says it all. Asked how he will approach the regional conflict and how his approach will differ from the Bush Administration, he responded that the United States will begin by listening to people in the region. He acknowledged that in the past, the U.S. policy was to dictate to the region. It is the message the Arab/Islamic world never expected to hear. In giving this interview, the president has signalled to the Arab world that the United States has entered into a new era with regard to its relations with states in the middle east. Without any suggestion that the relationship with Israel will be any less supportive, the president went on to assure Arab participants in the conflict that the United States intends to see the establishment of a State of Palestine; a state with defensible borders and the ability to protect its people. His vision for the future is one in which peace between belligerents will replace the current situation.




DHL