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President Obama's Middle East visit
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(AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Saudi Arabia today, a day ahead of his much anticipated speech to the Muslim world in Cairo. Apart from a stop-over in Iraq in April, this is President Obama’s first time in the region since becoming President.
The decision to stop in Saudi Arabia and Egypt is strategic. The countries are Washington’s two most important Arab allies. Saudis are sponsors of the only comprehensive peace plan for relations between the Arab world and Israel, although peace negotiations are stalled. Egypt is intimately involved with the Palestinian problem, serving as an intermediary between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
In Riyadh today, Obama discussed with King Abdullah a range of issues, from Arab-Israeli peace efforts to Iran’s nuclear program. The surge in oil prices was also on the agenda. Obama also sought help from Saudi Arabia on what to do with some 100 Yemeni detainees locked up in Guantanamo Bay prison. The White House has been negotiating with Saudi Arabia and Yemen for months to send them to Saudi terrorist rehabilitation centers.
As Obama arrived in Saudi Arabia, Arabic television station Al Jazeera broadcast a message said to be from al-Qaeda leader Obama Bin Laden. The message accused Obama of ordering Pakistan to crack down on militants in the Swat valley and said Obama and his administration had “sown new seeds to increase hatred and revenge on America.” Earlier, a deputy leader of al-Qaeda Ayman al-Zawahiri urged Muslims to ignore the new tone from Washington, because Obama’s “bloody messages” – in Iraq and Afghanistan – would not be concealed by “polished word.”
The release of the al-Qaeda tape was a calculated move to distract Muslims who would be receptive to Obama’s attempt to improve relations with the US. Indeed, what Obama hopes to achieve in Cairo tomorrow is to set a new tone with the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims – a tone which is designed to isolate extremists in the region and re-establish the understanding the US gained after 9/11 and lost over Iraq.
Aides say that Obama’s speech will encourage a stronger partnership between Americans and Muslims while touching on a broad range of hot-button issues, such as violent extremism, the threat of nuclear Iran, and efforts to root out suspected terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Obama will also acknowledge the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a great source of tension, while voicing his views on what all sides need to do to end the standoff.
Many of the Muslims still smolder over Iraq, Guantanamo and staunch US support of Israel, but they are hoping the son of a Muslim who lived part of his childhood in the Muslim country of Indonesia can help navigate a new course. In addition, a subset of the Muslims, the dissidents and reformers in Egypt and beyond, will be listening for Obama to speak boldly for their political rights – their democratic rights.
Obama faces a daunting task in helping to bring peace and stability to the Middle East. Whatever he conveys tomorrow will only be the beginning of a challenging journey that will require the commitment and resources – and above all, courage – of all the stakeholders involved.
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