President Obama Does First Formal TV Interview as President with Al-Arabiya

lots of good reading. Thanks everyone

not all white people are timothy mcveigh, not all black people are john allen muhammed, and guess what not all arabic people are terroist

ignorance is really powerful

i am sure majority of the people on here that are bashing obama for talking to the "islamic evildoers" don't even know what country dubai is in, half of them probably think dubai is a country

dubai is in the u.a.e (united arab emirates) which is one of the most westernized countries in the middle east where english is spoken just as much as arabic and although islam is the main religon, christianity is freely practiced

i don't understand why so many people honestly think all middle eastern countries are enemies of america. saudi arabia, egypt, kuwait, oman, united arab emirates, qatar, bahrain, and syria (8 of the 16 countries in the middle east) all fought side by side with us in the first war against iraq. however, america's relationship with middle eastern countires have been destroyed by bush's policies. i don't understand why people are surprised by this interview. obama repeatedly mentioned during his campaign the importance of mending the relationship with our middle eastern allies. oh yeah, i forgot, you were more concearned about joe the plumber being able to start his own plumbing business and trying to convience us that obama was the "evildoer" of all "evildoers" a muslim, unnatural citizen, member of al-queda who's main mission was to infiltrate our government by becoming president thus giving him the power to finally destroy america

WOULD THE 30% OF AMERICA PLEASE WAKE THE **** UP

he says Uh because he thinks before he speaks something that is new after the last 8 years of:

"I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., May 12, 2008

They misunderestimated me.'

'Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?'

YEA I CAN STAND A FEW "UH'S" IF IT MEANS HE IS ARTICULATING HIS NEXT SENTENCE

He cannot speak well at all. He says "uh" as much as teenagers say "like."

Uh....uh....uh....and uh...uh, but....uh...

oboma is a great choice for the president of the pork farm

"i simply ask fellow Homo Sapiens if we are all citizens of Gaia, rather than the limited and un_natural border of one's country

where on Gaia is the borders if not artificial un_natural"

Wow, I've heard a little about this stuff but first i've seen anyone post it with seriousness. The psychology of group dynamics is what is at the heart of those conflicts you pointed out. Your suggesting the world joins another group to solve it? Interesting, but foolish. Talk that rubbish in the Middle East and you'll probably get an unwanted reaction.

Isn't that a Greek goddess? Are you suggesting Islam be circumvented with Greek mythology? You really are living in a different world. You'd best stay in there.

"no more segregation between Israel and Palestine, China and Tibet, India and Pakistan, and America and the world" is already happening

i simply ask fellow Homo Sapiens if we are all citizens of Gaia, rather than the limited and un_natural border of one's country

where on Gaia is the borders if not artificial un_natural

"no more segregation between Israel and Palestine, China and Tibet, India and Pakistan, and America and the world"

Lofty and unrealistic. I really and sincerely want that to happen. It's just not going to, not at least for another generation or two, and likely never with Palastine and Israel. Unfortunately, the world isnt made up of hippy communes.

This has been going on since Israel was founded. Obama will make no difference because the Arabs will hate Israel's existence long after Obama is gone.
Obama offers nothing new or enlightening. It's just the same ol' same ol'Carter said the same things.

Obama doesn't have to be a brain surgeon to see what the problem is here in America; he simply knows how to take a step back and think about things from each perspective, letting go of immoral pride, letting go of the hunger for immortality, and letting go of minuscule insecurity. America longed for someone who longed as well, for unity and human rights--no more segregation between Israel and Palestine, China and Tibet, India and Pakistan, and America and the world. Six days in and I am finally stoked to say that I am now again, proud to be an American and proud of my president.

OBAMA ROCKS! If all of YOU, who think you are different, better, separate, want to check out for the next (dare I say) 8 years, or better yet, LEAVE the US, PLEASE GO. Hide in your cave and watch it roll. Just don't forget to buckle your chin strap!
Love, WE the people

"Then why do they, all, not fight against those that are?" Perhaps if they, the majority, did we would not have too. We throw our terrorist in jail, and on occasion, they are executed for there crimes..."

Actually Iraq has shown they they do. You are right that in many ways many hold it to a double standard, accepting it against Israel, condemning it when it occurs against them. But there is testament enough in many of the changes AQ has gone through in the last couple of years that points to a growing rejection by the Arab community as a whole against terror tactics.

"How can you possibly compare buildings, cathedrals, to a human being, women, unless of course you are one of a group that believes women to be property like those cathedrals.."

I wasn't, I was comparing the destruction of the Great Library to the destruction of a Cathedral. Then I compared early American history with contemporary customs of the Middle East. I am not defending either subjugation of women, only pointing out subtle similarities between our culture and theirs.

"Your reasoning is truly scary and makes no sense in a civilized society..."

Being in the military for the last 5 years, working in strategic and geopolitical impacts, I've learned much about Arab culture and history. All I am trying to do is offer some insight denied to you by our filtered and sensational information system we call news.

I am a supporter of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. I believe NATO has botched up Afghanistan, not us. I believe Iran is the true future threat to Middle East stability. I believe Pakistan is on the verge of complete instability. If you are going to judge my opinions, let me first give it.

KR..."not all of them are violent." Then why do they, all, not fight against those that are?" Perhaps if they, the majority, did we would not have too. We throw our terrorist in jail, and on occasion, they are executed for there crimes...

How can you possibly compare buildings, cathedrals, to a human being, women, unless of course you are one of a group that believes women to be property like those cathedrals..

Your reasoning is truly scary and makes no sense in a civilized society...

"U dare defend the ARABs."

You bet I do. They are no different than you and I. Many of them hold on to traditional cultural practices which I grant you are a bit 9th century, but the vast majority of their populace have the same goals in life that you and I do. Not all of them are violent though they do get pushed around a bit by strong personalities in their culture and leadership.

"Do you realize the Arabs destroyed the great Library. They subjugate women."

Yes, and during WW2 we destroyed some of the oldest and most precious Cathedrals in Europe.

Keep in perspective that the US just allowed women to vote in the early 20th century. It's no excuse in our culture today, but they are not out culture. Understanding their culture goes a long way to understanding them. We can't force them to become us. We have to let them evolve their culture at their pace.

"I bet not a single one of you is arab!"

Nope, but I've been learning their history, culture, and politics for the last 5 years as my job. What about you?

"Middle eastern arabs dont hate americans because they are white, black, christian or jewish."

No, but they definitely do discriminate against those groups. I can point to numerous sources to back it up if you want.

"They hate America because America is indirectly or directly responsible for practically everything wrong that has happened to them."

Really? Thats an amazing feat considering they have 3,000 years of history and we have almost 250. I guess our influence travels through time and space. No doubt they do blame us through pretty good influence campaigns that go back to the cold war, where the middle east was an important battleground. A lot of that perception has to do with effective Soviet propaganda during that time. You pretty much rattled it off to a tee.

"This nation is in part responsible for the suffering, the oppression,the pain, and lack of wealth and success for the average middle eastern arab."

To the world and some Americans, we are responsible for everything. It simply isn't true or even realistic, but I'm not going to change your mind of that. Read some history when you get a chance.

"0ur government has taken the view even before WW2 that the arabs are lower grade humans and thereby justified to itself the existance of Israel"

Again, more masochist dribble. Israel got support because it just came out of the Holocaust, or did that never happen? Also add into it that there was considerable political pressure to support the re-establishment of Israel. Crack open a history book, there is knowledge in there.

"the acquasitions of middle eastern resources"

They certainly don't have to SELL it to us. I'm guessing they like their Mercedes Benz and multi-million dollar condo a little too much for that.

"the establishment and support of oppressive govts so that we continue to get what we want and so on and so on."

Definitely during the cold war we rubbed elbows with unsavory characters. But it was a different time then, we were competing with Russia in the region. It became strategically important when its oil reserves were discovered, no doubt about that. But at that time, we were not going to let the Russians just spread their influence unopposed. Gonna say it again... history books...they contain knowledge.

"Keep believing your Fox news derived delusions. They are after all fair and balanced!"

I don't watch fox news, or any news really. I prefer multiple sources of information beyond news jam packed with commercials. There are thousands of in depth analysis and books of the middle east that you can mostly get online.

Democrats steal the american purse officers are giving chase.ACORN, pelosi, reid, Obama. ACLU accuses Officers of theif brutality

Do you all actually believe what you are saying?!?!?!
I bet not a single one of you is arab!
Middle eastern arabs dont hate americans because they are white, black, christian or jewish. The hate America because America is indirectly or directly responsible for practically everything wrong that has happened to them. This nation is in part responsible for the suffering, the oppression,the pain, and lack of wealth and success for the average middle eastern arab. Our government has taken the view even before WW2 that the arabs are lower grade humans and thereby justified to itself the existance of Israel, the acquasitions of middle eastern resources, the establishment and support of oppressive govts so that we continue to get what we want and so on and so on. Keep believing your Fox news derived delusions. They are after all fair and balanced!

"this huge change in US attitude toward 'loving your neighbors as yourselves'"

I really wish that was all it took. That's just not the real world as much as I wish it was. Doesn't mean go ahead and try, just don't pin too much hope on it less you want a big disappointment in our President. The complex problems over there won't go away with a snappy interview.

simply thanking ABC in bringing this wonder-f(ul) TV news to US as it happens

while most others chose to dis_regard this huge change in US attitude toward 'loving your neighbors as yourselves'