http://www.thenation.com/blogs/state_of_change/401981/print
Obama's First TV Interview Focus: Middle-East Peace
posted by John Nichols on 01/26/2009 @ 10:58pm
As he dispatched former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, his
new special envoy for Middle East peace, to the region, President
Obama gave his first television interview on Monday to the
Dubai-based satellite network al-Arabiya.
Obama chose the vehicle of a network that is widely viewed in the
Arab and Muslim world to make a break in tone -- and possibly
policy -- from his predecessor, George W. Bush, whose unrelenting
"war on terror" rhetoric left little room for the development of
trust. In particular, the new president sought to paint a picture
of himself, and his administration, as being committed to diplomacy
and the pursuit of an agreement between Israel and Palestine.
Speaking of having "Muslim members of my family," and of having
lived in a Muslim country (Indonesia), Obama said that America is
"ready to initiate a new partnership (with Arab states and the
Muslim world) based on mutual respect and mutual interest, then I
think that we can make significant progress."
"All too often the United States starts by dictating -- in the past
on some of these issues -- and we don't always know all the factors
that are involved," Obama told al-Arabiya. "So let's listen. He's
going to be speaking to all the major parties involved. And he will
then report back to me. From there we will formulate a specific
response."
Obama went out of his way to emphasize that he was willing to
listen -- and to talk -- in hopes of achieving better relations
between the U.S. and the Arab and Muslim world.
The president left no doubt that he recognizes the requirement
that, to achieve that end, he must make the United States a more
serious proponent of efforts to forge a lasting and just peace
between Israel and Palestine.
With only a tense ceasefire capping the crisis in Gaza, Obama
promised immediate engagement with the Middle East peace process --
marking a departure from the disengaged approach of the Bush-Cheney
administration.
Whether that departure is stylistic, or something more, remains to
be seen.
But there was no question that Obama's language was dramatically
different from that employed by the man he succeeded in the White
House.
"Israel is a strong ally of the United States," Obama said. "They
will not stop being a strong ally of the United States. And I will
continue to believe that Israel's security is paramount. But I also
believe that there are Israelis who recognize that it is important
to achieve peace. They will be willing to make sacrifices if the
time is appropriate and if there is serious partnership on the
other side."
More specifically, Obama said, "I think it is possible for us to
see a Palestinian state -- I'm not going to put a time frame on it
-- that is contiguous, that allows freedom of movement for its
people, that allows for trade with other countries, that allows the
creation of businesses and commerce so that people have a better
life. And, look, I think anybody who has studied the region
recognizes that the situation for the ordinary Palestinian in many
cases has not improved. And the bottom line in all these talks and
all these conversations is, is a child in the Palestinian
Territories going to be better off? Do they have a future for
themselves? And is the child in Israel going to feel confident
about his or her safety and security? And if we can keep our focus
on making their lives better and look forward, and not simply think
about all the conflicts and tragedies of the past, then I think
that we have an opportunity to make real progress. But it is not
going to be easy, and that's why we've got George Mitchell going
there. This is somebody with extraordinary patience as well as
extraordinary skill, and that's what's going to be
necessary."
The president also said that the United States must be "willing to
talk to Iran" and promised to develop a "framework" for that
dialogue.
"Now," Obama explained, "my job is to communicate the fact that the
United States has a stake in the well-being of the Muslim world,
that the language we use has to be a language of respect. I have
Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim countries. My
job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are
not your enemy."
Here's the full transcript, as released by the White House:
INTERVIEW OF THE PRESIDENT
BY
HISHAM MELHEM, AL ARABIYA
Map Room
5:46 P.M. EST
Q Mr. President, thank you for this opportunity,
we really appreciate it.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you so much.
Q Sir, you just met with your personal envoy to
theMiddle East, Senator Mitchell. Obviously, his first task is to
consolidate the cease-fire. But beyond that you've been saying that
you want to pursue actively and aggressively peacemaking between
the Palestinians and the Israelis. Tell us a little bit about how
do you see your personal role, because, you know, if the President
of the United States is not involved, nothing happens -- as the
history of peacemaking shows. Will you be proposing ideas, pitching
proposals, parameters, as one of your predecessors did? Or just
urging the parties to come up with their own resolutions, as your
immediate predecessor did?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think the most important
thing is for the United States to get engaged right away. And
George Mitchell is somebody of enormous stature. He is one of the
few people who have international experience brokering peace
deals.
And so what I told him is start by listening,
because all too often the United States starts by dictating -- in
the past on some of these issues -- and we don't always know all
the factors that are involved. So let's listen. He's going to be
speaking to all the major parties involved. And he will then report
back to me. From there we will formulate a specific response.
Ultimately, we cannot tell either the Israelis
or the Palestinians what's best for them. They're going to have to
make some decisions. But I do believe that the moment is ripe for
both sides to realize that the path that they are on is one that is
not going to result in prosperity and security for their people.
And that instead, it's time to return to the negotiating
table.
And it's going to be difficult, it's going to
take time. I don't want to prejudge many of these issues, and I
want to make sure that expectations are not raised so that we think
that this is going to be resolved in a few months. But if we start
the steady progress on these issues, I'm absolutely confident that
the United States -- working in tandem with the European Union,
with Russia, with all the Arab states in the region -- I'm
absolutely certain that we can make significant progress.
Q You've been saying essentially that we should
not look at these issues -- like the Palestinian-Israeli track and
separation from the border region -- you've been talking about a
kind of holistic approach to the region. Are we expecting a
different paradigm in the sense that in the past one of the
critiques -- at least from the Arab side, the Muslim side -- is
that everything the Americans always tested with the Israelis, if
it works. Now there is an Arab peace plan, there is a regional
aspect to it. And you've indicated that. Would there be any shift,
a paradigm shift?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, here's what I think is
important. Look at the proposal that was put forth by King Abdullah
of Saudi Arabia --
Q Right.
THE PRESIDENT: I might not agree with every
aspect of the proposal, but it took great courage --
Q Absolutely.
THE PRESIDENT: -- to put forward something that
is as significant as that. I think that there are ideas across the
region of how we might pursue peace.
I do think that it is impossible for us to think
only in terms of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and not think in
terms of what's happening with Syria or Iran or Lebanon or
Afghanistan and Pakistan. These things are interrelated. And what
I've said, and I think Hillary Clinton has expressed this in her
confirmation, is that if we are looking at the region as a whole
and communicating a message to the Arab world and the Muslim world,
that we are ready to initiate a new partnership based on mutual
respect and mutual interest, then I think that we can make
significant progress.
Now, Israel is a strong ally of the United
States. They will not stop being a strong ally of the United
States. And I will continue to believe that Israel's security is
paramount. But I also believe that there are Israelis who recognize
that it is important to achieve peace. They will be willing to make
sacrifices if the time is appropriate and if there is serious
partnership on the other side.
And so what we want to do is to listen, set
aside some of the preconceptions that have existed and have built
up over the last several years. And I think if we do that, then
there's a possibility at least of achieving some
breakthroughs.
Q I want to ask you about the broader Muslim
world, but let me -- one final thing about the Palestinian-Israeli
theater. There are many Palestinians and Israelis who are very
frustrated now with the current conditions and they are losing
hope, they are disillusioned, and they believe that time is running
out on the two-state solution because -- mainly because of the
settlement activities in Palestinian-occupied territories. Will it
still be possible to see a Palestinian state -- and you know the
contours of it -- within the first Obama administration?
THE PRESIDENT: I think it is possible for us to
see a Palestinian state -- I'm not going to put a time frame on it
-- that is contiguous, that allows freedom of movement for its
people, that allows for trade with other countries, that allows the
creation of businesses and commerce so that people have a better
life.
And, look, I think anybody who has studied the
region recognizes that the situation for the ordinary Palestinian
in many cases has not improved. And the bottom line in all these
talks and all these conversations is, is a child in the Palestinian
Territories going to be better off? Do they have a future for
themselves? And is the child in Israel going to feel confident
about his or her safety and security? And if we can keep our focus
on making their lives better and look forward, and not simply think
about all the conflicts and tragedies of the past, then I think
that we have an opportunity to make real progress.
But it is not going to be easy, and that's why
we've got George Mitchell going there. This is somebody with
extraordinary patience as well as extraordinary skill, and that's
what's going to be necessary.
Q Absolutely. Let me take a broader look at the
whole region. You are planning to address the Muslim world in your
first 100 days from a Muslim capital. And everybody is speculating
about the capital. (Laughter.) If you have anything further, that
would be great.
How concerned are you -- because, let me tell
you, honestly, when I see certain things about America -- in some
parts, I don't want to exaggerate -- there is a demonization of
America.
THE PRESIDENT: Absolutely.
Q It's become like a new religion, and like a
new religion it has new converts -- like a new religion has its own
high priests.
THE PRESIDENT: Right.
Q It's only a religious text.
THE PRESIDENT: Right.
Q And in the last -- since 9/11 and because of
Iraq, that alienation is wider between the Americans and -- and in
generations past, the United States was held high. It was the only
Western power with no colonial legacy.
THE PRESIDENT: Right.
Q How concerned are you and -- because people
sense that you have a different political discourse. And I think,
judging by (inaudible) and Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden and all
these, you know -- a chorus --
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I noticed this. They seem
nervous.
Q They seem very nervous, exactly. Now, tell me
why they should be more nervous?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think that when you look
at the rhetoric that they've been using against me before I even
took office --
Q I know, I know.
THE PRESIDENT: -- what that tells me is that
their ideas are bankrupt. There's no actions that they've taken
that say a child in the Muslim world is getting a better education
because of them, or has better health care because of them.
In my inauguration speech, I spoke about: You
will be judged on what you've built, not what you've destroyed. And
what they've been doing is destroying things. And over time, I
think the Muslim world has recognized that that path is leading no
place, except more death and destruction.
Now, my job is to communicate the fact that the
United States has a stake in the well-being of the Muslim world,
that the language we use has to be a language of respect. I have
Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim
countries.
Q The largest one.
THE PRESIDENT: The largest one, Indonesia. And
so what I want to communicate is the fact that in all my travels
throughout the Muslim world, what I've come to understand is that
regardless of your faith -- and America is a country of Muslims,
Jews, Christians, non-believers -- regardless of your faith, people
all have certain common hopes and common dreams.
And my job is to communicate to the American
people that the Muslim world is filled with extraordinary people
who simply want to live their lives and see their children live
better lives. My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the
Americans are not your enemy. We sometimes make mistakes. We have
not been perfect. But if you look at the track record, as you say,
America was not born as a colonial power, and that the same respect
and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently
as 20 or 30 years ago, there's no reason why we can't restore that.
And that I think is going to be an important task.
But ultimately, people are going to judge me not
by my words but by my actions and my administration's actions. And
I think that what you will see over the next several years is that
I'm not going to agree with everything that some Muslim leader may
say, or what's on a television station in the Arab world -- but I
think that what you'll see is somebody who is listening, who is
respectful, and who is trying to promote the interests not just of
the United States, but also ordinary people who right now are
suffering from poverty and a lack of opportunity. I want to make
sure that I'm speaking to them, as well.
Q Tell me, time is running out, any decision on
from where you will be visiting the Muslim world?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I'm not going to break the
news right here.
Q Afghanistan?
THE PRESIDENT: But maybe next time. But it is
something that is going to be important. I want people to
recognize, though, that we are going to be making a series of
initiatives. Sending George Mitchell to the Middle East is
fulfilling my campaign promise that we're not going to wait until
the end of my administration to deal with Palestinian and Israeli
peace, we're going to start now. It may take a long time to do, but
we're going to do it now. We're going to follow through on our
commitment for me to address the Muslim world from a Muslim
capital. We are going to follow through on many of my commitments
to do a more effective job of reaching out, listening, as well as
speaking to the Muslim world.
And you're going to see me following through
with dealing with a drawdown of troops in Iraq, so that Iraqis can
start taking more responsibility. And finally, I think you've
already seen a commitment, in terms of closing Guantanamo, and
making clear that even as we are decisive in going after terrorist
organizations that would kill innocent civilians, that we're going
to do so on our terms, and we're going to do so respecting the rule
of law that I think makes America great.
Q President Bush framed the war on terror
conceptually in a way that was very broad, "war on terror," and
used sometimes certain terminology that the many people -- Islamic
fascism. You've always framed it in a different way, specifically
against one group called al Qaeda and their collaborators. And is
this one way of --
THE PRESIDENT: I think that you're making a very
important point. And that is that the language we use matters. And
what we need to understand is, is that there are extremist
organizations -- whether Muslim or any other faith in the past --
that will use faith as a justification for violence. We cannot
paint with a broad brush a faith as a consequence of the violence
that is done in that faith's name.
And so you will I think see our administration
be very clear in distinguishing between organizations like al Qaeda
-- that espouse violence, espouse terror and act on it -- and
people who may disagree with my administration and certain actions,
or may have a particular viewpoint in terms of how their countries
should develop. We can have legitimate disagreements but still be
respectful. I cannot respect terrorist organizations that would
kill innocent civilians and we will hunt them down.
But to the broader Muslim world what we are
going to be offering is a hand of friendship.
Q Can I end with a question on Iran and Iraq
then quickly?
THE PRESIDENT: It's up to the team --
MR. GIBBS: You have 30 seconds.
(Laughter.)
Q Will the United States ever live with a
nuclear Iran? And if not, how far are you going in the direction of
preventing it?
THE PRESIDENT: You know, I said during the
campaign that it is very important for us to make sure that we are
using all the tools of U.S. power, including diplomacy, in our
relationship with Iran.
Now, the Iranian people are a great people, and
Persian civilization is a great civilization. Iran has acted in
ways that's not conducive to peace and prosperity in the region:
their threats against Israel; their pursuit of a nuclear weapon
which could potentially set off an arms race in the region that
would make everybody less safe; their support of terrorist
organizations in the past -- none of these things have been
helpful.
But I do think that it is important for us to be
willing to talk to Iran, to express very clearly where our
differences are, but where there are potential avenues for
progress. And we will over the next several months be laying out
our general framework and approach. And as I said during my
inauguration speech, if countries like Iran are willing to unclench
their fist, they will find an extended hand from us.
Q Shall we leave Iraq next interview, or just
--
MR. GIBBS: Yes, let's -- we're past, and I got
to get him back to dinner with his wife.
Q Sir, I really appreciate it.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you so much.
