Don't seek to wreck liberal world order, Obama warns Trump

US President Barack Obama made a strident case for his successor Donald Trump to retain America's support for a liberal world order on Sunday, warning world peace and prosperity depend on it.

"The main advice that I give to the incoming president is the United States really is an indispensable nation in our world order," Obama said in Peru as he wrapped up his final foreign visit.

The United States' ability to uphold "international norms and rules …that's what's made the modern world," Obama said, admitting that Washington had not always fulfilled its own ideals, but remained vital to global security.

"Here in Latin America there's been times when countries felt disrespected and on occasion had cause for that."

But he argued history served as a warning for those imagining or flirting with a revised global order.

"Take an example like Europe before that order was imposed. We had two world wars in a span of 30 years. In the second one, 60 million people were killed. Not half a million, not a million but 60 million. Entire continents in rubble."

"We're not going to be able to handle every problem, but the American president and the United States of America, if we're not on the side of what's right, if we're not making the argument and fighting for it even if sometimes we're not able to deliver it 100 percent everywhere, then it collapses."

"There's nobody to fill the void. There really isn't," he said.

Obama said he doesn't intend to become his successor's constant critic - but reserved the right to speak out if President-elect Donald Trump or his policies breach certain ''values or ideals''.

Offering a rare glimpse into his thoughts on his post-presidency, Obama suggested once he was out of office he would uphold the tradition of ex-presidents stepping aside quietly to allow their successors space to govern. He heaped praise on his predecessor George W Bush, saying he ''could not have been more gracious to me when I came in'' and said he wanted to give Trump the same chance to pursue his agenda ''without somebody popping off'' at every turn.

But Obama suggested there may be limits to his silence. ''As an American citizen who cares deeply about our country, if there are issues that have less to do with the specifics of some legislative proposal or battle or go to core questions about our values and ideals, and if I think that it's necessary or helpful for me to defend those ideals, I'll examine it when it comes,'' Obama told reporters.

Yet Obama suggested that while he might not always hold his tongue, his goal wasn't to spend his time publicly disparaging his replacement.

''My intention is to, certainly for the next 2 months, just finish my job,'' Obama said. ''And then after that, to take Michelle on vacation, get some rest, spend time with my girls, and do some writing, do some thinking.'' Source: domain-b.com

Read More........ → November 22, 2016

Santos right pick for Nobel Prize, says Barack Obama

US President Barack Obama gestures as he votes in the Presidential election at the Cook County Office Building in Chicago. —AFP

Nobel Peace Prize winner Barack Obama has hailed the courage of this year’s laureate, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, and said the award was well earned.

“The Nobel Committee made the right decision in welcoming his tireless efforts to bring a just and lasting peace to Colombia,” Mr Obama said on Friday.

“This award is a testament to President Santos's unwavering, courageous leadership through years of difficult negotiations.”

The Nobel committee raised eyebrows by giving Obama the prize in 2009, just months after he entered the White House.

It surprised again on Friday, giving the award to Mr Santos just days after Colombian voters rejected a peace deal between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). “The democratic vote this week is a reminder that there is still work to be done to realize the future for which President Santos and so many citizens are striving,” Mr Obama said.

“But it’s also a sign that the national dialogue Colombia needs is taking place now and is building on the momentum created by four years of difficult negotiations.”

He added, “President Santos and the citizens of Colombia are reshaping their country for the better, and I am pleased the Nobel Committee is recognising their work as they keep pushing toward peace.”

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama has cast his ballot for the November 8 general elections, which would elect his successor, by taking benefit of the provision of “early voting” in his home town of Chicago. Early voting, which has gained popularity in the last few election cycle, allows a voter to exercise their right to vote several weeks ahead of the main date of the general elections. Though it varies from State to State, in some cases it can go back to as many as 50 days. He did not tell the press travelling with him, who did he vote for. In fact, he pretended to hide his voting in a basement of the Chicago Board of Elections. Mr Obama is campaigning for Hillary Clinton to succeed him in the Oval Office. Source: The Asian Age

Read More........ → October 09, 2016

Towards end, as at beginning, Barack Obama pulls out Hanuman

US President Barack Obama speaks in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington. (Photo: AP)

A statuette of Lord Hanuman is among the few items that US President Barack Obama carries in his pocket and seeks inspiration from whenever he feels tired or discouraged. The President disclosed this in an interview on YouTube which the White House scheduled as a way to reach younger audiences as it promotes Mr Obama’s final State of the Union address on Tuesday. [There have been earlier references to Mr Obama’s Lord Hanuman connection. In January 2015, minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had tweeted that Mr Obama had taken out a statuette of Lord Hanuman from his pocket to show to Ms Pratibha Advani, according to a news website. And in 2008 Hindus in the US presented Mr Obama a larger statue of Lord Hanuman when they heard that the then Democratic presidential candidate carried a statuette of the god in his pocket, it was reported.] On Friday, when asked to show an item of personal significance during the interview with YouTube creator Nilsen, 54-year-old Obama pulled from his pockets a series of smalltotems, each of which he said reminded him “of all the different people I’ve met along the way”. They included rosary beads given to him by Pope Francis, who he met at the White House this fall; a tiny Buddha statue given to him by a monk; a silver poker chip that was once the lucky charm of a bald, moustachioed biker in Iowa; a figurine of the Hindu god Hanuman; and a Coptic cross from Ethiopia, where he visited in July, CNN reported. “I carry these around all the time. I’m not that superstitious, so it’s not like I think I necessarily have to have them on me at all times,” Mr Obama said. But he said they do provide some reminders of the long path of his presidency. “If I feel tired, or I feel discouraged sometimes, I can kind of reach into my pocket and say ‘Yeah, that’s something I can overcome, because somebody gave me the privilege to work on these issues that are going to effect them’,” he said. Mr Obama, whose father was a Kenyan and mother a white woman from Kansas, spent the initial days of his life in Indonesia where Hinduism is a popular religion. Source: The Asian Age

Read More........ → January 17, 2016

Reject bigotry in all its forms, Obama urges countrymen

A file photo of US President Barack Obama. Reuters

Washington, December 10; In a veiled attack on leading Republican presidential aspirant Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric, US President Barack Obama has urged his countrymen to reject bigotry in all its forms. “We condemn ourselves to shackles once more if we fail to answer those who wonder if they’re truly equals in their communities, or in their justice systems, or in a job interview. We betray the efforts of the past if we fail to push back against bigotry in all its forms,” Obama said on Wednesday at the Capitol while marking the end of slavery. While Obama did not name Trump in his remarks, analysts said his statement was aimed towards some of the anti-Muslim rhetoric of the Republican presidential candidates including his call to ban all Muslims entering the United States. “But we betray our most noble past as well if we were to deny the possibility of movement, the possibility of progress; if we were to let cynicism consume us and fear overwhelm us. "If we lost hope,” Obama said. “For however slow, however incomplete, however harshly, loudly, rudely challenged at each point along our journey, in America, we can create the change that we seek,” he said. Acknowledging that Obama’s message was quite contrary to the one delivered by the Republican candidate, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest later told reporters that the US president had delivered similar messages in the past. “I think this is quite consistent with the message the President has been delivering for a number of years,” he said. “It’s a message that has resonated with a significant majority of the American population and, yes, it stands in quite stark contrast to the language, message, and values that’s being promulgated not just by Trump, but by a variety of Republican candidates in the presidential field,” Earnest said. He said Obama’s speech was a forceful and passionate defense of the kinds of values that the country has long defended. “While serving in this office and even before serving in this office, the President took up the mantle of defending for and advocating for those values,” Earnest said. “At each turn over the course of our country’s history, where we have perceived that our country has fallen short of our commitment to those values, we have, even in the face of significant obstacles, summoned the courage and the tenacity to overcome those obstacles and form a more perfect union,” Earnest added. Trump called for a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslims entering the US, in the wake of a mass shooting in California by a Muslim couple believed to have been radicalised. The remark was the latest in a series of increasingly virulent remarks by Trump in recent weeks. — PTI. Source: Article

Read More........ → December 10, 2015

Barack Obama: Enough is enough, access to weapons must end

US President Barack Obama denounced the country’s epidemic of gun violence on Saturday and renewed a call for tougher controls on military-style weapons after yet another deadly shooting, saying “enough is enough.” The latest bloodshed came on Friday when a man entered a family planning clinic in the state of Colorado and allegedly opened fire, killing three people, including a police officer, and wounding nine others. The motive of the suspect now under arrest was not known and the police was to interrogate him Saturday. The tragedy came a day after Americans celebrated their cherished Thanksgiving holiday, a time to relax with family, and ushers in the holiday season in earnest. Mr Obama said the suspect had been armed with an assault weapon — that was the first official word of this detail — and he also disclosed for the first time that the man had held hostages at the Planned Parenthood centre from which he opened fire at people outside in an hours long standoff with the police. “We have to do something about the easy accessibility of weapons of war on our streets to people who have no business wielding them. Period. Enough is enough,” Mr Obama said in a statement. The gunman had entered a Planned Parenthood clinic around noon Friday and started shooting from a window. The police surrounded the building, and after an exchange of gunfire and a standoff lasting more than five hours the gunman surrendered. Local police on Saturday identified the suspect as 57-year-old Robert Lewis Dear. News reports said he was from South Carolina. It was unclear whether Planned Parenthood — a major women’s health and family planning group — was the shooter’s target. Abortion is one of many services Planned Parenthood provides for women, and the association has become a lightning rod for criticism by US conservatives, among other reasons because it receives funding from the government for some health services. Colorado Springs mayor John Suthers paid tribute to police for hauling in the gunman without further bloodshed. The nine injured included five police. None of the nine were seriously wounded, he said. “While this was a terrible, terrible tragedy, it could have been much worse if not for the reactions of first responders,” Mr Sutter told reporters. The dead policeman was identified as Garrett Swasey, 44, a campus officer at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs who had raced to the scene of the shooting. Officers were able to enter the building during the standoff and convince Dear to surrender, police spokeswoman Lt. Catherine Buckley told reporters. Vicki Cowart, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Rocky Mountains, said she did not believe the center had been specifically targeted. Critics have falsely accused Planned Parenthood of selling fetal organs.Source: The Asian Age, Image: flickr.com

Read More........ → November 29, 2015

The active global player

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US President Barack Obama.

Rajiv Bhatia: If, as Harold Wilson put it, a week is ‘a long time in politics’, a year is an epoch when India showed unprecedented foreign policy activism. Students of International Relations have never had it so good. PM Modi-led South Block has provided enough material to them to produce innumerable essays, papers and possibly books. Should this pace be maintained, imagine how rich the pickings will be by 2019! It is not just about PM’s tours which took him to places as far apart as Fortaleza and Fiji, Vancouver and Ulan Bator, Brasilia and Xi'an in 19 countries. The more important aspects of the recent management of external relations are: India’s expanding worldview; deep conviction that foreign policy is an indispensable instrument to promote the nation's security and economic development; and firm belief that modern diplomacy is impactful when sustained by a blend of personal chemistry among leaders, engagement of business and civil society and a clever use of social media. Linking up with the Indian diaspora is a notable novelty. A close look at the incoming and outgoing visits at VIP and VVIP level during May 2014-May 2015 reveals at least four key trends about foreign policy. First, top priority has been accorded to our neighbours in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region. Relations with Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, beside Mauritius and Seychelles, are stronger than before. Some features of the changing situation in Afghanistan are not to India’s liking, but President Ashraf Ghani’s visit has helped to ameliorate the atmosphere. Given its complex internal politics, Maldives has become quite a challenge that needs suitable handling. The perpetual bête noire — Pakistan — remains an enigma. Neither ‘hawks’ nor ‘doves’ in New Delhi have a credible plan to offer. After a fluctuating start, Modi government has settled on a policy of firmness, backed by an inclination not to be obsessed with the western neighbour. Secondly, PM Modi revels in sitting at the high table. He has had numerous opportunities of dialogue with them. His visit to US and President Obama’s ‘historic’ visit to New Delhi and presence at the Republic Day have undoubtedly contributed to strengthening of India-US relations. Modi’s visits to France, Germany and Canada, each marked by solid achievements, have consolidated ‘the western pillar’ of India’s external relations. The visit to Japan served the same purpose and resulted in strengthening India's standing in Asia. India-Russia relations in strategic and defense matters remain as strong as before. China has been deservedly receiving sustained, high level attention. Xi Jinping’s visit to India lost much of its sheen due to the border incursions episode in Ladakh. Modi’s visit to China proved to be more productive, despite continuing divergences on a range of issues such as the boundary question, Pakistan, visa policy and trade deficit. Nevertheless, the process of the two countries getting to know each other better, on a wider scale, is now under way. Thirdly, the shift from ‘Look East’ to ‘Act East’ policy has been received well, but to gain credibility it should begin to show some tangible results soon. Fourthly, the role in multilateral institutions like UN, G-20, EAS and BRICS has been marked by India’s pro-activism, clear articulation of concepts dear to us, and endeavour to generate synergy. This stems from the NDA government’s vision of India’s priorities and place in the world. But diplomatic success so far should not tempt the government to lose sight of the unfinished agenda. There is a rising clamour for Indian leaders, especially the Prime Minister, to visit Central Asia, West Asia, Africa and Latin America. The third India-Africa Forum Summit, due in October, should be used creatively to project and deepen India’s links with the developing world. Ties with Africa have immense potential; much of it is still untapped. On a visit to Brussels and Berlin last week, this author detected intense interest in European circles to hold the long-delayed India-EU Summit as soon as possible. This should be scheduled quickly, together perhaps with PM's visit to UK. Strategic community has been bubbling with many other ideas. Our policymakers would do well to interact with some of the leading scholars and experts who could be assembled under the auspices of Heads of Think Tanks (HOTT) Forum, based in New Delhi. Modi, hailed by Time as ‘the next global player’, has been the chief protagonist. But the contribution of others should not be ignored. The government as a whole deserves to be applauded for an outstanding performance in foreign policy and diplomacy. Now it might be experiencing the burden of rising expectations. Hence an increased focus on follow-up actions, delivery mechanisms and deployment of additional resources deserves priority. Above all, let us remember: like charity, foreign policy begins at home. Therefore, a strong economy and a more harmonious, consensus-driven polity should be our permanent goals. (A former ambassador, the author is director-general of the Indian Council of World Affairs. Views are personal.) The active global player | The Asian Age, Image: flickr.com

Read More........ → August 04, 2015

PM Modi greets Obama with hug

US President Barack Obama landed in New Delhi on Sunday for the start of a 3-day visit to India, receiving a hug from Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he disembarked from Air Force One. In a departure from protocol, Mr Modi drove to the airport to greet the President and his wife, Michelle. Source: Video

Read More........ → January 25, 2015

Modi ends triumphal US visit with many agreements

Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his almost riotous US visit with a ''Thank you America,'' at the end of his final engagement at an event organised by the US-India Business Council (USIBC) on Tuesday. Perhaps he would have been more correct to say ''thank you USA,'' but Canadians and Latin Americans are not as thin-skinned as Indians on such issues. Modi is on his way back home after what he described as a "hugely successful journey", which included a rock-star style arrival and appearance at Madison Square Garden and a warm reception from President Barack Obama. In a rare gesture, President Obama joined Modi to pay homage at the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial. Both the leaders took a round of the memorial and Obama was seen explaining significance of the site to Modi. In a joint vision statement and a joint op-ed in the Washington Post (See: What Modi and Obama wrote in the Washington Post), Modi and Obama vowed to "chalein saath saath - together we go forward" with a new agenda to realise the full potential of a renewed US-India partnership for the 21st century. Both sides agreed to make "joint and concerted efforts" to dismantle safe havens for terror and criminal networks like LeT, JeM, D-company, al Qaeda and Haqqani network. The two countries will take steps to disrupt financial and tactical support to these terror outfits. Many commentators see the visit as a significant success that has brought the strategic partnership between India and the US back on track; though others are more sceptical – after all his tumultuous reception was almost entirely by persons of Indian origin, and the outward show of bonhomie means little in real terms, as the US is always careful to guard its own interests as it sees them. The joint statement issued after Tuesday's summit at the White House that lasted nearly two hours listed what some called a 'laundry list' of things they can do together in fields ranging from health and education to space exploration. But more significantly, Modi secured a commitment from Obama to make joint and concerted efforts to dismantle terrorist safe havens – though again, what it means on the ground remains to be seen. Modi made it clear that India is not going to join America's battles, including "any coalition" in the fight against Islamic State terrorism in West Asia. A trilateral partnership agreed on Afghanistan would be developmental and not involve military cooperation. The statement specifically mentioned four Pakistan-based groups - Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Dawood Ibrahim's 'D-Company', and the Haqqanis besides al Qaeda - and also reiterated their call for Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the November 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack to justice. There was also no immediate breakthrough on a civil nuclear deal, stalled over India's tough liability laws, but there was some progress. Modi said, ''We are serious about resolution of issues on both sides to enable civilian nuclear energy cooperation to take off. It is important for India's energy security." An inter-agency contact group will be set up to address the issues of liability, administrative and technical issues. From the Indian side, agencies like the Department of Atomic Energy, ministry of external affairs, and finance ministry will be involved. Obama said India meets the standards of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and is "now ready" for the membership of the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a 48-member body which controls global nuclear trade. A big booster is an agreement on extending the defence agreement for another 10 years. Modi invited US companies to participate in defence manufacturing sector in India, which has recently raised the FDI cap from 26 to 49 per cent. Commitment to facilitate the actions necessary to increase bilateral trade five-fold from the current $100 billion. The proposed steps include establishing an Indo-US Investment Initiative an Infrastructure Collaboration Platform. India will welcome two trade missions in 2015 focused on meeting India's infrastructure needs with US technology and services. Obama and Modi had a candid discussion about WTO issues. "India supports trade facilitation but it is my wish that a solution should take care of our food security concerns. ''I am sure that it is possible to do that early," Modi said. "I am looking forward to building up on relationship and make more progress." The US reaffirmed support for India's membership of the expanded UN Security Council and backed it for "voice and vote" in international financial institutions like IMF and World Bank. The US will be the lead partner in developing Allahabad, Ajmer and Vishakapatnam as 'Smart Cities'. The countries will also cooperate in the Mars Miss, Source: domain-b

Read More........ → October 03, 2014