J-Street: “Our Message of Hope and Urgency”

As Israeli-Palestinian peace talks enter crunch time, we’re making clear that broad supports exists for bold peace moves.

Our ads in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and other papers urge Netanayahu, Abbas, and Obama to make history now by freezing settlement growth, staying at the table, and giving talks a chance to succeed. > more.

foto:picapp.com

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The Dalai Lama and the president

President Obama finally met the Dalai Lama. And once again, the activities of a softly-spoken monk roused China’s anger.

The Dalai Lama and President Barack Obama have finally met. The Thursday morning meeting was, by my reckoning, the Dalai Lama’s 10th visit to the White House. His holiness has yet to step inside the Oval Office, however. As a sop to China, presidents see the old monk in their residential quarters or some other “unofficial” spot, such as the map room. > more.
foto:picapp.com

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2010: Welcome to Orwell’s World

By John Pilger. In Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell described a superstate called Oceania, whose language of war inverted lies that “passed into history and became truth. ‘Who controls the past,’ ran the Party slogan, ‘controls the future; who controls the present controls the past.’”

Barack Obama is the leader of a contemporary Oceania. In two speeches at the close of the decade, the Nobel Peace Prize winner affirmed that peace was no longer peace, but rather a permanent war that “extends well beyond Afghanistan and Pakistan” to “disorderly regions and diffuse enemies.” He called this “global security” and invited our gratitude. To the people of Afghanistan, which America has invaded and occupied, he said wittily: “We have no interest in occupying your country.” > more.

foto: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 04: Journalist and human rights activist John Pilger accepts the Sydney Peace Prize 2009 at the University of Sydney on November 4, 2009 in Sydney, Australia. picapp.com

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“Simply Unprecedented” — President Obama and the Gay Rights Movement

“This was a historic night when we felt the full embrace and commitment of the President of the United States. It’s simply unprecedented.” Those words were spoken by Joe Salmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, just after President Barack Obama spoke to the group’s 13th annual national dinner. > more.

foto: wikicommons,wikipedia.de

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Are Arab Leaders Really So Unhappy to See Ahmadinejad Re-elected?

So far most Arab leaders have reacted to the Iranian electoral crisis in typical Middle Eastern fashion: they haven’t. Amir Moussa, the head of the Arab League, took one for the team and made this non-statement statement: “We hope that the next term will witness progress on the relations between Iran and the Arab world and co-operation in establishing peace in the Middle East.” Other than such empty formalities, there has been an awkward silence from most Arab capitals. > more.

Foto: reza vaziri,flickr.com

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Obama in Cairo: The Making of a Prophet ?

President Obama’s speech in Cairo a few days ago is the most important address ever given by an American leader about the Middle East. As he told 1,000 people at Cairo University and millions more around the world, everything won’t be solved by a speech. Yet it was an unprecedented reach-out to Muslims and particularly to the Arab world. > more.

Bild: radiospike-photography,flickr.com

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Arab Opinion: Bush Bad, Obama Good

Professor Shibley Telhami’s annual survey of Arab public opinion is out this week. It shows me that Barack Obama, who is due here in Cairo on June 4 to give an address to the Islamic world, has the chance to significantly reverse negative Arab attitudes toward the U.S. His mere election has already produced some welcome changes for the better. > more.
picture: zyrcster,flickr.com

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Barack Obama defends America’s global image

“US president rejects stereotype of Americans as ‘selfish and crass’ as he addresses students in Istanbul. - Barack Obama today called for greater understanding between countries as he addressed students in Istanbul at the end of his European tour. 
Seeking to repair the damage to America’s international reputation by his predecessor, George Bush, the US president rejected the stereotype that Americans are “selfish and crass”.” > more.      Bild: zyrcster,flickr.com

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Barack Obama: Humility, Gratitude, Sacrifice

“Humility, gratitude and sacrifice. From his first words, Barack Obama let us know that even on a day so bright he was not blinded. Not by the cloud of witnesses in front of him. Not by the lights of cameras sending his words across the planet. That he was willing to sound so somber on his day of celebration tells us many things at once. At a time of scarcity, do not waste opportunities. ” > more.

Bild: zyrcster,flickr.com

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America chose Obama

“Well, here we are on the other side. A watershed moment. An historic election. And we, the American people, have made our choice. –  Barack Obama will be the 44th President of the United States, and the nation’s first black president. And in elections across the country, Democrats won their seats in the Senate. When Obama takes office in January, he will do so with a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress.” > more.

picture:Barack Obama,flickr.com

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Obama: The New President’s First Words

“Barack Obama’s speech in Chicago late last night contained glancing references to the Middle East, the first glimpse into his mindset as the president-in-waiting, as he prepares to set up his transition team for taking office in January. - He referred to America’s “two wars” in Iraq and Afghanistan as among the top challenges that “are the greatest of our lifetime.” > more.

picture:transplanted-mountaineer, flickr.com

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Obama: ‘This is your victory’ (+ videos)

“Barack Obama has won the 2008 U.S. presidential election, defeating John McCain, and will be sworn in as the first African-American to hold the nation’s highest office.” > full story

Also read: 
> America’s first black president (video)
> Obama speech (video)
> World media comment
> All videos
> Russian Pravda: A change for the better

Bild: threecee, flickr.com

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Who are they: Obama – McCain ?

Barack Obama (born 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and presidential nominee of theDemocratic Party in the 2008 United States presidential election. Obama is the first African American to be nominated for president by a major political party. Obama graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, serving as the president of the Harvard Law Review. He served three terms in the Illinois Senate and taught constitutional law at theUniversity of Chicago Law School. Obama delivered the keynote addressat the 2004 Democratic National Convention and was elected to the

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