| Witnesses Say Yemeni Troops Kill 20 Protesters Posted: 30 May 2011 01:17 AM PDT Witnesses in southern Yemen say security forces have fired on opposition protesters in the city of Taiz, killing at least 20 people.
The witnesses said forces loyal to embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh stormed a protest camp Monday, as the government continued its crackdown on those calling for President Saleh's ouster.
Several protesters were killed and dozens more wounded Sunday in Taiz when security forces and gunmen in civilian clothes opened fire on an opposition rally.
Meanwhile, a security official said Monday four soldiers have been killed and at least seven others wounded in an attack near Zinjibar, the third-largest city in Yemen. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack.
Hundreds of Islamist militants have tightened their grip on Zinjibar as dissident generals accused Saleh of surrendering Abyan province to "terrorists."
Residents in Zinjibar, Abyan's capital, reported heavy clashes Sunday between government troops and the estimated 400 militants who have occupied the city. Witnesses say the militants have taken over a number of banks and government offices.
The Wall Street Journal cites Zinjibar residents as saying the fighters belong to local tribes, which for years have lived outside central government oversight. The residents say the militants do not belong to al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, but want to set up a fundamentalist Islamic emirate in the south.
Opposition figures accused Saleh of deliberately abandoning Zinjibar to the militants in order to sow chaos and frighten the general population in order to remain in power. The president has warned that without him al-Qaida would seize control of the impoverished Gulf nation.
General Abdullah Ali Elewa, a former defense minister and a leader of the breakaway forces, also called Sunday for army units to join in the fight to bring down the president.
He was one of nine opposition military officers who signed what they called "Statement Number One," which urged loyalist forces to stand with the "peaceful, popular revolution."
In a sign of Saleh's eroding support, a brigade of the powerful Republican Guard announced it had defected to the opposition Sunday. The reported defection is the first among the country's elite troops, run by one of Saleh's sons.
Several explosions were heard in the capital, Sana'a, late Sunday in the Hasaba district, where loyalist forces have battled opposition fighters of the Hashid federation - Yemen's most powerful tribal organization - loyal to chief Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar.
It is not clear whether the blasts meant an end to a truce that had begun to take hold in Sana'a after days of heavy fighting between the two sides.
Saleh has faced four months of almost daily public protests demanding an end to his near-33 year authoritarian rule. The recent fighting has raised concerns that the months-long uprising against Saleh could escalate into a civil war.
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| US Remembers Its War Dead Posted: 29 May 2011 07:58 AM PDT Americans are observing Memorial Day weekend, a time meant to honor the nation's war dead, with ceremonies, parades, sporting events and picnics.
The last Monday in May of each year is designated as Memorial Day, a time to place flowers on military gravesites and honor the U.S. servicemen and women who gave their lives in service of the country.
At Arlington National Cemetery near Washington and many other national cemeteries, volunteers place a small American flag on every military grave. Thousands of motorcycle riders from a nationwide group called "Rolling Thunder" stage a ceremonial ride into the nation's capital, to call attention to veterans' issues and to remember service members who went missing in action.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates and military Joints Chiefs' chairman Admiral Mike Mullen are scheduled to speak to the group.
Public television and radio will broadcast a Sunday evening concert from the National Mall featuring retired Army General and former Secretary of State Colin Powell as well as other prominent public figures.
Ceremonies also will be held at several of the war memorials in the nation's capital and around the country.
Because many people have the day off from work on Memorial Day, the long weekend is seen as the unofficial start of the summer vacation season, celebrated with picnics and weekend trips to the beach, a park or a campground. Some Americans say they are concerned that the day has become more of a recreational holiday than a time to reflect and honor the dead. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Syrian Tanks Attack 3 Central Towns That Held Protests Posted: 29 May 2011 04:24 AM PDT Syrian rights activists say government troops backed by tanks have attacked three towns in central Syria, killing five people as part of a crackdown on a two-month old opposition uprising.
The activists and witnesses say tanks opened fire on the towns of Rastan, Talbiseh and Teir Maaleh on Sunday after authorities sealed them off by closing roads and cutting phone services. They say more than 100 people were wounded in the assaults.
Activists say two people were killed in Rastan, where residents held a large protest Friday to demand an immediate end to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's 11-year authoritarian rule. They say Syrian troops killed another three people in Talbiseh and detained some of its residents.
Elsewhere, the activists say Syrian security forces opened fire on anti-government demonstrators in the northeastern town of Deir el-Zour late Saturday, wounding several people.They also accused Syrian security forces of killing 12 people in dispersing nationwide protests on Friday.
It was difficult to verify reports of casualties independently because the Syrian government has banned foreign journalists from operating in the country.
Human rights groups say government forces have killed more than 1,000 people since the uprising began in March. The Syrian government says terrorist gangs backed by Islamists and foreign agitators have killed at least 120 security personnel during that period. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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| Karzai Warns NATO After 14 Civilians Killed in Afghanistan Airstrike Posted: 29 May 2011 03:27 AM PDT Afghan President Hamid Karzai has issued what he calls his "last warning" to U.S. and NATO forces about civilian casualties, after officials said a NATO airstrike in southern Afghanistan killed 14 people.
Mr. Karzai condemned the deaths Sunday and said that uncoordinated operations are killing innocent Afghan civilians. The Afghan president has been urging coalition forces to minimize night raids and clear them with Afghan forces, so that the number of casualties can be reduced.
A White House spokesman Sunday said the U.S. shares President Karzai's concern about civilian casualties, and takes them very seriously.
Afghan authorities say the airstrike late Saturday hit two houses in Helmand province, the Nawzad district, and killed 14 people - all women and children. They say six other civilians were injured.
A NATO spokesman said he was aware of the reports of civilian casualties. He said a joint assessment team was sent to the site.
Local officials said the airstrike followed an attack on a U.S. Marine base in the area. <!--IMAGE--> In Washington, U.S. Senator John McCain, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told Fox News he disagrees with administration plans to start withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan in July. He said a drawdown should be dictated instead by conditions on the ground. The U.S.-led NATO alliance has about 150,000 troops in the country. About 100,000 of them are U.S. forces.
On Saturday, a suicide bomber wearing a police uniform struck inside the governor's complex in northern Takhar province while ranking Afghan officials were meeting with NATO troops. The attacker killed the police commander of northern Afghanistan, General Dawood Dawood, and five others, including police officials and two German soldiers. At least nine other people were wounded in the attack.
The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the bombing in Taloqan city. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Obama Offers Message of Hope and Support to Tornado-Damaged Joplin, Missouri Posted: 29 May 2011 12:06 PM PDT U.S. President Barack Obama toured tornado-ravaged Joplin, Missouri, Sunday, where 142 people were killed and another 40 are still missing. The president offered a message of consolation and hope at a memorial service for those who lost their lives.
People climbed down from atop piles of splintered furniture, broken cars, and remnants of houses to shake hands with the U.S. president. Mr. Obama offered words of consolation and encouragement as he toured the wreckage of this Midwestern town.
It was one week ago in Joplin, Missouri, that a tornado with winds topping 300 kilometers an hour flattened homes and devastated lives.
Later Sunday, upon taking the stage at a memorial service for those who died in Joplin, the president was greeted with rousing applause, and even a proclamation of love from someone in the audience.
The nation's mourner-in-chief responded in kind, saying, "I love Joplin. I love Joplin." <!--IMAGE--> Mr. Obama told the audience that once the shock from the deadly tornado wears off, residents will likely feel alone. He vowed that would not be the case. "There is no doubt in my mind that Joplin will rebuild. And as president, I can promise you, your country will be there with you every single step of the way. We will be with you every step of the way. We're not going anywhere. The cameras may leave. The spotlight may shift. But we will be with you every step of the way until Joplin is restored and this community is back on its feet. We're not going anywhere," he said.
The stirring words brought all the members of the white-robed choir behind the president's podium to their feet.
Mr. Obama also reflected on those who died while saving others, and he urged survivors to live with the same level of compassion.
President Obama arrived in Joplin Sunday after wrapping a six-day tour of Europe. He said world leaders had spoken of their concern for the people who had suffered though the deadliest tornado to hit the United States in more than 60 years. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Yemen Opposition Accuses President of Handing City to al-Qaida Posted: 29 May 2011 12:12 PM PDT Top Yemeni opposition leaders are accusing embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh of handing the provincial capital of Zinjibar to al-Qaida militants, after fighters from the group seized the town overnight.
Several-hundred fighters loyal to al-Qaida seized the southern coastal Yemen city of Zinjibar, after gunbattles with security forces. Al Arabiya TV reported the militants seized munitions and weaponry from the government, provoking hundreds of residents to flee for the nearby city of Aden. The TV report says at least 18 people were killed in the fighting.
Witnesses say supporters of President Ali Abdullah Saleh abandoned government buildings to al-Qaida militants, except for an army camp that is now under siege. Witnesses add gunbattles continued there Sunday.
Al-Qaida fighters also reportedly freed dozens of prisoners from Zinjibar's main jail.
Opponents of Saleh took advantage of the fall of Zinjibar to attack the president. Former Saleh ally General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, who sided with anti-government protesters in March, accused the embattled president of handing over several provinces to al Qaida.
He said he strongly condemns the president for allegedly handing over several provinces to armed terrorist gangs, encouraging them to kill, destroy and capture, in a desperate attempt to damage Yemen's military. But, he added, the tactic will not succeed because military officers remain vigilant and will stop such attempts.
Deputy Information Minister Abdou Jundi, a close ally of Saleh, disputed the claims, insisting the government would eventually retake Zinjibar, and defeat al-Qaida.
He said Saleh's forces are fighting a bitter war against al-Qaida, and if the militants win a small victory, it will be turned into defeat. He added that General al-Ahmar's rebellion has divided the army, and both al-Qaida and the Muslim Brotherhood are using it to their advantage.
Former defense minister Ali Allawi repeated calls by the opposition for Saleh to step down, praising top politicians who have deserted the president to call for his resignation.
He said the Yemeni opposition thanks top political figures, including Vice President Abdrabou Hadi Mansour, Abdel Karim al Ariani, Foreign Minister Abou Bakr al Qurbi for their courageous positions in calling for President Saleh to hand over power and avoid sectarian strife. He went on to thank the Gulf states and the U.S. for exerting diplomatic efforts to try to avert civil war and courageously support, what he calls, the people's peaceful revolution.
In the capital Sana'a, a tenuous truce continued for second day, after tribal mediators negotiated a cease-fire between Saleh and top tribal leader Sadiq al Ahmar.
Meanwhile in Syria, news reports say government tanks stormed the restive towns of Rastan and Talbiseh, close to country's third-largest city of Homs, amid heavy gunfire. Witnesses say a number of civilians were killed in the attacks aimed at stopping two months of demonstrations against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad. Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter
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| Israel Seeks to Tighten Grip on Jerusalem Posted: 29 May 2011 09:54 AM PDT With the Middle East peace process faltering, Israel is seeking to tighten its grip on Jerusalem.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his Cabinet in Jerusalem's disputed Old City, instead of the usual meeting place in West Jerusalem. The message was clear: Jerusalem will not be divided with the Palestinians.
Netanyahu said the world should know that the people of Israel are faithful to Jerusalem and their heritage.
He said Israel's position on a united Jerusalem is firm, and its hand is stretched out in peace to its Arab neighbors.
But the Arabs say there cannot be peace unless Israel relinquishes East Jerusalem, including the Old City, which were captured from Jordan during the Six Day War in 1967. Israel has refused, so on Saturday the Arab League decided to seek United Nations recognition of a Palestinian state in September.
Both Israel and the United States oppose the move, saying peace can only be achieved through negotiations and not through unilateral steps. But the Palestinians say resuming peace talks is useless because of Israel's refusal to stop settlement expansion and accept a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders.
Palestinian official Saeb Erekat called for the United Nations "to respond to such Israeli unilateralism by declaring their recognition of the State of Palestine on the '67 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital."
At the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu said Jerusalem has flourished during the 44 years of Israeli rule. He said the government is allocating $115 million to promote economic development and tourism in the city.
On Wednesday, Israel celebrates Jerusalem Day, marking the reunification of the city during the 1967 war.
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| McCain: 'Gadhafi May Crack' Posted: 29 May 2011 11:52 AM PDT U.S. Senator John McCain says he would prefer to see a greater U.S. military role in the Libyan conflict, and he expressed concern American support for U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan is waning. In an appearance on the talk show Fox News Sunday With Chris Wallace, Arizona Republican Senator John McCain said he is not satisfied with the coalition's efforts to topple Moammar Gadhafi and end a stalemate between the Libyan leader's troops and rebel forces.
"People are dying on the ground in Libya, and they would not have to if we were using all of U.S. air power and the abilities and the unique capabilities that the United States military has," he said.
The United States, Britain and France began airstrikes in March to establish a United Nations-mandated no-fly zone. Speaking at a G-8 summit in France last week, U.S. President Barack Obama said the U.N. mandate of civilian protection cannot be accomplished as long as Gadhafi remains in power directing his forces in acts of aggression against the Libyan people. Britain and France have pressed for more U.S. involvement in the NATO-led operations.
"Gadhafi may crack. He may crack," said McCain. "But this thing could have been over a long time ago if we had brought the full weight of American air power to bear on him, and it is unfortunate."
McCain also said he would like the United States to formally recognize the rebel Transitional National Council, known as the TNC.
Last week, a U.S. diplomat said the TNC accepted an invitation from U.S. President Barack Obama to open a representative office in Washington. But the United States has stopped short of granting formal recognition to the group.
And, with the death of Osama bin Laden one month ago, some U.S. lawmakers are pushing for a speedier withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, where the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States were plotted.
McCain said he is concerned American support for a U.S. role in Afghanistan is diminishing.
"I am greatly worried, and it is not so much bin Laden - [having] taken him out, as it is Americans are war weary," he added.
Last week, in a vote of 204 to 215, lawmakers in the House of Representatives narrowly defeated a measure to set a quicker pace for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. It was the first congressional vote on Afghanistan since an elite team of U.S. military operatives killed bin Laden in Pakistan.
President Obama will begin drawing down some of the 100,000 troops in Afghanistan in July, with all combat forces due out by 2014. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Thousands Protest Mladic Arrest Posted: 29 May 2011 10:53 AM PDT Thousands of Serb nationalists gathered Sunday in Bosnia and in Belgrade to protest the arrest of fugitive Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic, whom many consider a wartime hero.
Supporters of the ultra-nationalist Serbian radical party and other far-right organizations were bused in from across the region for demonstrations set to begin Sunday evening in the Serbian capital. Earlier, in the Bosnian town of Kalinovik, at least 1,000 people - many of them former Bosnian Serb soldiers - waved posters of hometown hero Mladic and accused Serbian President Boris Tadic of treason.
Mladic faces genocide charges from the 1995 massacre of up to 8,000 Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica. He was arrested Thursday northeast of Belgrade after 16 years on the run.
On Sunday, Mladic's son told reporters his father had nothing to do with the Srebrenica massacre - the worst atrocity in Europe since World War II. Darko Mladic - at odds with the findings in multiple probes of the massacre - said his father had in fact "saved so many women, children and fighters." Anything else, he said, occurred without his father's knowledge.
Serbian authorities said they would allow the Belgrade protests to take place, but they said security is high and warned that police will intervene as necessary.
Mladic also faces charges related to the three-year siege of the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war.
The U.N. tribunal on war crimes in the former Yugoslavia indicted Mladic in 1995 for war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Balkan wars of the 1990s.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Goodluck Jonathan Inaugurated as Nigerian President Posted: 29 May 2011 05:56 AM PDT Goodluck Jonathan has been sworn in as Nigeria's 14th head of state. Speaking before dignitaries from other African countries and thousands of invited guests, he promised to fight corruption and defend democracy across Africa.
Nigerian soldiers raised the nation's green-and-white flag above Abuja's Eagle Square as air force jets zoomed by in a flyover in honor of President Jonathan's inauguration.
Thousands of invited guests watched the ceremony including the leaders of Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Uganda, Liberia, Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
School children waving handkerchiefs danced in the square as part of celebrations marking the third civilian presidency since Nigeria's end of military rule in 1999.
Jonathan came to power last year in the political crisis that followed the prolonged illness and eventual death of the late leader Umaru Musa Yar'Adua. Jonathan won his own four-year mandate in elections last month, and took the oath of office Sunday from Nigerian Chief Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu.
"I, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, do solemnly swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and that I will preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, so help me God."
In his inaugural address, President Jonathan said he represents the shared aspirations of all Nigerians.
"In the days ahead, those of us who you have elected to serve must show that we are men and women with patriotism and passion to match the hopes and aspirations of you, the great people of this country. We must demonstrate the leadership, statesmanship, vision, capacity, and sacrifice to transform our nation."
President Jonathan said that transformation will include reforming the nation's oil sector and strengthening the amnesty program for former militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
"Over the next four years attention will be focused on rebuilding our infrastructure. We will create greater access to quality education and improve health care delivery. We will pay special attention to the agricultural sector to enable it to play its role of ensuring food security and massive job creation for our teeming population."
The president says his administration will fight corruption and the spread of small arms in Africa which undermines elected government.
"This is a new dawn for Africa. We fought for decolonization. We will now fight for democratization. Nigeria, in partnership with the African Union, will lead the process for democracy and development in Africa. In particular, we will support the consolidation of democracy, good governance, and human rights in the continent. Africa must develop its vast resources to tackle poverty and underdevelopment."
Former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari is challenging President Jonathan's election in court, saying the vote was rigged through electoral commission computers that deflated his share of the vote in northern states and inflated Jonathan's share of the vote in southern states.
The New-York based group Human Rights Watch says at least 800 people were killed in electoral violence between predominantly-Muslim Buhari supporters and mostly-Christian Jonathan supporters.
Buhari's party wants Nigeria's electoral tribunal to force the electoral commission to hand over materials that it says will allow the party to prove scientifically that the vote was stolen.
Most international and domestic observers believe the presidential, gubernatorial, and legislative elections were some of Nigeria's fairest ever. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Dozens Detained at Gay Rally in Moscow Posted: 29 May 2011 07:38 AM PDT For the sixth year in a row, gay-rights activists have tried to stage a parade in Moscow. But dozens of people were arrested after the activists clashed with counter-protesters.
Russian officials have detained three global gay rights leaders, and dozens of others, after they tried to stage an unsanctioned rally near the Kremlin.
Police say a small crowd of marchers, some waving rainbow flags and others carrying signs that read, "Russia is not Iran," was attacked by an ultra-Orthodox group who had successfully lobbied the Moscow city government to ban the event.
The leader of Russia's Orthodox Union, Leonid Simonovich, said people should not be allowed to hold a gay pride parade.
He said God once burned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and if something like homosexuality was condoned in Russia, God would burn down Moscow as well. He referred to the Russian capital as a "holy" city.
Witnesses say police aggressively detained the marchers, protesters and members of the ultra-nationalist group before leading them off to waiting vans.
U.S. gay rights activists Dan Choi and Andy Thayer were detained, along with France's Louis-George Tin.
Many rights activists had hoped they would be able to hold a gay-rights parade after former Mayor Yuri Luzhkov was fired. Luzhkov had likened homosexuality to the devil.
Russia decriminalized homosexuality in 1993, but homophobic attitudes remain. In October, the European Court of Human Rights fined Russia for banning homosexual parades in Moscow.
Officials say most of the detained have been released.
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| Indonesian Mud Volcano Marks 5 Years Posted: 29 May 2011 01:27 PM PDT A giant mud volcano that erupted five years ago (05/29/2006) near a gas drilling site in Indonesia is still spewing toxic sludge. It has destroyed entire villages in eastern Java and scientists say it will continue to erupt for years to come.
Isman feeds his chickens and cows behind his in-laws' home in Gempolsari village. The 56-year-old was once a builder, but now makes a modest living from his livestock. Five years ago, a mud volcano erupted nearby and destroyed his home and possessions, as well as the local economy.
As the volcano continues to spew toxic sludge and gas that pollutes the air, residents of the once active community of fishermen and factory workers have fled - Gempolsari is now a sleepy town.
Isman is just one of thousands of victims in Sidoarjo district still waiting for promised compensation. He says that the gas drilling company believed to be responsible for the eruption owes him 30 percent of his $1,000. He needs the money to rebuild his house and move on with his life. "I have been compensated for my home," Isman said, "but not my land. I received a first payment of $500, and then $180 over six months." <!--IMAGE--> The Sidoarjo mud volcano was at one time spewing enough sludge each day to fill 50 Olympic-size swimming pools, inundating 12 villages and seriously damaging others. M ore than 40,000 people have been displaced.
The government says the mudflow has finally slowed to 10,000 cubic meters of mud, water and gas a day, and that at that rate the enormous lake of mud contained by dikes is far more manageable.
International scientists met recently in the nearby city of Surabaya to discuss the change in the volcano's behavior.
A geologist with Durham University in Britain, Richard Davies, said in Surabaya the volcano's pressure is diminishing. But there a possibility the pressure could slowly build and cause an even bigger eruption. He says the mud volcano is the most unpredictable in the world. "The way it's behaved is entirely unnatural, and it is in fact completely unique. It has erupted continuously, pretty much, for five years. That is unheard of in natural mud volcano systems," he said.
The volcano originally erupted in a rice field near a gas drilling site owned by the company Lapindo Brantas. Lapindo maintains the disaster was caused by an earthquake that occurred 280 kilometers away two days earlier. But Davies and other geologists maintain the drilling caused the eruption. "What is interesting is that it kicked off a unique experiment, where a mud volcano developed over a period of five years rather than 5,000 or 10,000 years. So we have seen a mud volcano develop over a very very quick time span, and that is completely unique, and has never happened on earth in historical times," he said.
Although the company denies responsibility, it agreed to pay the victims in installments. The company recently missed its deadline to make the final payment.
Hundreds of victims recently took to the streets of Sidoarjo to demand Lapindo shell out the remaining $140-million in compensation.
The crowd also objected to the company's plan to start a new drilling project this August, just two-and-a-half kilometers from the volcano.
Lapindo is owned by the Bakrie family, whose patriarch is Aburizal Bakrie, a business tycoon and member of the coalition government. Bakrie has distanced himself from his family's business since the disaster as he prepares to campaign for the presidency in 2014.
Aburizal Bakrie's brother, Nirwan Bakrie, runs the family's business empire, which owns coal, media and telecommunication companies. Nirwan Bakrie blames the 2008 financial crisis for missing the payment deadlines and denies the company owes the victims any compensation at all. "I disagree with the perception of compensation because what we have done is we have agreed with the victims to buy their land, because they lived on land, which at that time they could not live anymore. So we came together and agreed to buy their land. And the price was given by them without any negotiation. So we purchased the land," he said.
Ever since the eruption, authorities have been dredging the hot sludge into the river and out to sea - damaging the marine ecosystem and contaminating water. Some scientists estimate the mud will keep flowing for 26 years, while others say it could go on for more than 80 years.
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| Obama Reaffirms US-Europe Bond Posted: 29 May 2011 02:25 PM PDT President Barack Obama has returned from his six-day tour of four European countries. The president spent much of the trip working to reaffirm that the U.S.-European alliance still matters.
President Obama did not sign any major agreements or announce any sweeping new policies during his week in Europe.
But he seemed to accomplish his primary goal on the trip, reassuring Europeans that the transatlantic alliance is still important to the United States.
Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, upheavals in the Middle East, booming economies in Asia and crises at home have occupied much of Mr. Obama's attention so far in his presidency.
Furthermore, the Obama administration has declared that it considers the G20 economic forum, with member countries from every continent, to be more important than the Euro-centric G8.
Mr. Obama started his diplomacy mission in Ireland. He met with the country's leaders, drank a beer at a pub in his ancestral home town of Moneygall, and proclaimed his Irish heritage before tens of thousands of people in Dublin.
He did not commit U.S. financial support to Ireland's struggling economy, but pledged moral support.
Next for the president was a visit to Britain. The U.S. and Britain have been the closest of allies since the 19th century, and they are the world's two largest trading partners.
But a series of protocol gaffes and perceived snubs going back to Mr. Obama's inauguration had called into question the health of what is often called "the special relationship."
The British afforded the president the rare honor of a state visit, including an opportunity to speak before Parliament in 900-year-old Westminster Hall. There, Mr. Obama debunked the argument that emerging economies in China, India and Brazil will replace the U.S. and U.K. as world leaders. "That argument is wrong. The time for our leadership is now. It was the United States and the United Kingdom and our democratic allies that shaped a world in which new nations could emerge and individuals could thrive. And even as more nations take on the responsibilities of global leadership, our alliance will remain indispensable to the goal of a century that is more peaceful, more prosperous and more just," he said.
The president and British Prime Minister David Cameron discussed numerous issues, including Libya. The prime minister appears to favor a more assertive approach to trying to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi, while Mr. Obama is calling for more caution.
But the two leaders made a show of strengthening their personal bond, playing doubles table tennis with schoolchildren in London, and serving hamburgers at a barbecue at 10 Downing Street. Also, Mr. Obama and Britain's Queen Elizabeth both made sure to use the phrase "special relationship" when toasting each other at a Buckingham Palace state dinner.
President Obama went to the G8 economic summit in Deauville, France, seeking financial help for Egypt, Tunisia, and other Arab nations showing the promise of democracy.
The group of major industrial democracies did not make a concrete commitment, but said $20 billion may be offered to Egypt and Tunisia for reform projects.
In Deauville, Mr. Obama was unable to convince Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that the proposed U.S. missile defense system would not be targeted at Russian missiles.
Mr. Medvedev did, however, agree to support efforts to drive Muammar Gadhafi from power, helping to further isolate the Libyan leader.
In Warsaw, Mr. Obama reassured leaders that improved U.S. relations with Russia do not mean a lessening of Washington's commitment to protect fellow NATO alliance member Poland. "What we want to do is to create an environment in this region in which peace and security are a given. That is not just good for this region, it is good for the United States of America. And we will always be there for Poland," he said.
The president also agreed to send U.S. F-16 fighter jets and C-130 transport planes to Poland for training, and to ask Congress to ease visa requirements for Polish visitors to America.
As on the rest of his trip, Mr. Obama spent much of his visit to Warsaw saluting his hosts.
He laid wreaths at Poland's tomb of the unknowns, at a memorial for those killed by Nazis at the Warsaw ghetto, and at a memorial for the late President Lech Kaczynski and other victims of last year's Smolensk plane crash.
The president also met with a group of leaders of the Solidarity trade union that pushed for democracy in Poland.
And he reminded Europeans that at each stop in his tour, he had affirmed that America's transatlantic alliance is the cornerstone of Washington's engagement in the world. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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