Behind his public rhetoric of global engagement and diplomacy, the US President, Mr Barack Obama, has secretly sanctioned the deployment of US Special Forces to 75 countries as part of a largely ‘secret war’ against Al Qaeda and other radical groups, a news report said on Sunday.
American troops are now operating in 75 countries compared with about 60 at the beginning of last year, the Washington Post reported on Sunday.
In the past 18 months Mr Obama has ordered a big expansion in Yemen and the Horn of Africa — known areas of strong Al Qaeda activity — and elsewhere in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa.
Mr Obama has asked for a 5.7 per cent increase in the Special Operations budget for fiscal 2011, for a total of $6.3 billion, plus an additional $3.5 billion in 2010 contingency funding, the report said.
It said Mr Obama has also approved pre-emptive Special Forces strikes to disrupt terror plots, and has given the units powers and authority that was not granted by Mr George Bush when he occupied the White House.
Commanders are now planning greater use of these Special Forces for pre-emptive or retaliatory strikes when a plot has been identified, or after an attack.
The former Bush officials, still smarting from accusations that their administration overextended the President’s authority to conduct lethal activities around the world at will, have asked similar questions.
“While they seem to be expanding their operations both in terms of extraterritoriality and aggressiveness, they are contracting the legal authority upon which those expanding actions are based,” Mr John B. Bellinger III, a senior legal adviser in both of Bush’s administrations, was quoted as saying.
The surge in Special Operations deployments, with intensified CIA drone attacks in western Pakistan, is the other side of the national security doctrine of global engagement and domestic values Mr Obama released last week.
Of the 13,000 US Special Forces overseas, 9,000 are divided between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Showing posts with label Barack Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barack Obama. Show all posts
Monday, June 7, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Oil spill larger than estimated
Scientists have discovered enormous plumes of oils lurking beneath the surface of the water after leaking out of the critically damaged Deepwater Horizon rig. The plumes, which scientists said measured ten miles long and over a mile wide, were noticed even as British Petroleum's latest attempts to stem the flow of oil from the rig into the Gulf of Mexico failed yet again.
The discovery of the plumes may embarrass British Petroleum CEO Tony Hayward, who recently argued that given the size of the Gulf of Mexico the “amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume.”
The plumes suggest that it is in fact the oil visible on the surface which is a tiny fraction of all the oil that spilled since the rig blew up on April 20, according to an assessment by the National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology. The NIUST report said that significant amounts of oil were spreading at various levels throughout the water column.
On its blog the NIUST reported on its scouting trip in the spill area, noting that scientists “started seeing an increase in fluorescence just below the surface and this was related to a marked increase in oil on and near the surface.”
The latest attempts by BP to stop oil from gushing into the sea failed on Saturday, as the company tried to fit a narrow tube into the damaged oil pipe a mile beneath the surface. The tube would have siphoned the oil directly to a ship on the surface and sealed the pipe as well.
According to government estimates the spill has so far caused 210,000 gallons, or 5,000 barrels, of oil per day to leak into the ocean. President Barack Obama earlier underscored his determination to end the “cosy relationship” between regulators and oil companies and to ensure that BP mopped up the cost of the clean-up.
The discovery of the plumes may embarrass British Petroleum CEO Tony Hayward, who recently argued that given the size of the Gulf of Mexico the “amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume.”
The plumes suggest that it is in fact the oil visible on the surface which is a tiny fraction of all the oil that spilled since the rig blew up on April 20, according to an assessment by the National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology. The NIUST report said that significant amounts of oil were spreading at various levels throughout the water column.
On its blog the NIUST reported on its scouting trip in the spill area, noting that scientists “started seeing an increase in fluorescence just below the surface and this was related to a marked increase in oil on and near the surface.”
The latest attempts by BP to stop oil from gushing into the sea failed on Saturday, as the company tried to fit a narrow tube into the damaged oil pipe a mile beneath the surface. The tube would have siphoned the oil directly to a ship on the surface and sealed the pipe as well.
According to government estimates the spill has so far caused 210,000 gallons, or 5,000 barrels, of oil per day to leak into the ocean. President Barack Obama earlier underscored his determination to end the “cosy relationship” between regulators and oil companies and to ensure that BP mopped up the cost of the clean-up.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Obama limits the use of nuclear arms
President Barack Obama on Monday said he was narrowing down the conditions under which the US could use nuclear weapons but made it clear that North Korea and Iran would remain exceptions under the revamped strategy.
Ahead of the formal release of the new American strategy called the Nuclear Posture Review, Obama said it was part of efforts to move toward a nuclear-weapons free world.
Obama "described his policy as part of a broader effort to edge the world toward making nuclear weapons obsolete, and to create incentives for countries to give up any nuclear ambitions," the New York Times said.
It said Obama's strategy was a sharp shift from those of his predecessors and seeks to revamp the nation's nuclear posture for a new age "in which rogue states and terrorist organisations are greater threats than traditional powers like Russia and China".
The daily noted that for the first time Washington explicitly committed not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states that are in compliance with the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty, even if they attacked the United States with biological or chemical weapons or a cyber-attack.
Many threats could be deterred with "a series of graded options," Obama said in the interview with the NYT.
"I'm going to preserve all the tools that are necessary in order to make sure that the American people are safe and secure," he said.
The announcement comes shortly after a nuclear arms control agreement between US and Russia that will reduce their arsenals by 30 per cent.
Ahead of the formal release of the new American strategy called the Nuclear Posture Review, Obama said it was part of efforts to move toward a nuclear-weapons free world.
Obama "described his policy as part of a broader effort to edge the world toward making nuclear weapons obsolete, and to create incentives for countries to give up any nuclear ambitions," the New York Times said.
It said Obama's strategy was a sharp shift from those of his predecessors and seeks to revamp the nation's nuclear posture for a new age "in which rogue states and terrorist organisations are greater threats than traditional powers like Russia and China".
The daily noted that for the first time Washington explicitly committed not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states that are in compliance with the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty, even if they attacked the United States with biological or chemical weapons or a cyber-attack.
Many threats could be deterred with "a series of graded options," Obama said in the interview with the NYT.
"I'm going to preserve all the tools that are necessary in order to make sure that the American people are safe and secure," he said.
The announcement comes shortly after a nuclear arms control agreement between US and Russia that will reduce their arsenals by 30 per cent.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Manmohan to attend nuclear security summit
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will attend a global meeting in Washington convened by U.S. President Barack Obama next week aimed at strengthening national measures on protecting nuclear material and combating their trafficking.
The initiative, while adhering to multilateral instruments and norms, would help in the expanded use of civil nuclear energy, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told newspersons here on Sunday.
The two-day summit beginning on April 12 would not be country-specific but would be aimed at eliminating clandestine proliferation and trafficking in nuclear weapons and material.
Asked why Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea were not invited and if the issue was raised during the two preparatory conferences, Ms. Rao said discussions were held in the “global context.” She described Iran as a responsible country in the region with which India had substantive relations.
India was closely involved in the run-up to the meet for the past six months due to its concern over the possibility of terrorist groups acquiring nuclear devices and material. “Since 2002, we have been piloting a resolution at the U.N. on preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. We are also active in working with the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] on setting and enforcing standards on protection of nuclear material and facilities as well as on combating illicit trafficking in nuclear material,” she said.
The Prime Minister will reach Washington on April 12 and attend a dinner hosted by Mr. Obama where leaders from 43 countries and organisations will discuss the threat of nuclear terrorism.
Two plenary sessions will be held the next day on national measures and international cooperation to enhance nuclear security. A working lunch will be addressed by IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano. The summit will conclude after issuing an outcome document.Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Obama wants new sanctions on Iran within weeks
U.S. President Barack Obama has said he wants the new set of sanctions against Iran to be placed within weeks and not in months.
“My hope is that we are going to get this (sanctions against Iran) done this spring. So I am not interested in waiting months for a sanctions regime to be in place. I’m interested in seeing that regime in place in weeks,” Mr. Obama said in response to a question at a joint White House press conference with visiting French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
“We think that we can get sanctions within weeks,” Mr. Obama said, adding his administration is working to emphasise its international partners that this is not simply an issue of trying to isolate Iran.
The issue has enromous implications for the safety and the security of the entire region, according to him.
“We don’t want to see a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. A conflict in the Middle East as a consequence of Iran’s actions could have a huge destabilising effect in terms of the world economy at a time when it’s just coming out of a very deep recession,” the U.S. President said.
Referring to the initial policies of his administration, Mr. Obama said the approach to Tehran was to engage it and provide the opportunity to take the right path to prosperity.
The alternative path was further isolation and further consequences, he added.
“We mobilised the international community around this approach, including partners like Russia that in the past might have been more hesitant to take a firmer stance on Iran’s nuclear program. What we said, though, was that there was going to be a time limit to it and that if we had not seen progress by the end of the year, it was time for U.S. to move forward on that sanctions track,” he noted.
The U.S. President said the long—term consequences of a nuclear—armed Iran were unacceptable.
“And so Nicolas (Sarkozy), myself and others agree that we have engaged; the door remains open if the Iranians choose to walk through it. But they understand very clearly what the terms of a diplomatic solution would be. And in the interim we are going to move forcefully on a UN sanctions regime,” Mr. Obama said.
Acknowledging that there is no unanimity in the global community on this issue, he said more work has to be done, despite the U.S.’ stronger position to impose sanctions against Tehran.
“Partly (this was) because, Iran is a oil producer and there are a lot of countries around the world that, regardless of Iran’s offences, are thinking that their commercial interests are more important to them than these long—term geopolitical interests,” he said, adding the U.S. was “very clearly” communicating the importance of its stand.
Mr. Obama said he and the French President discussed their shared determination to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“On this the U.S. and France are united, are inseparable.
With our P5—plus-1 partners, we offer Iran good faith proposals to resolve this matter through diplomacy. But Iran thus far has rejected those offers. Today, the international community is more united than ever on the need for Iran to uphold its obligations. And that’s why we’re pursuing strong sanctions through the UN Security Council,” he said.
Agreeing with his American counterpart, France president Mr. Sarkozy said the time has come to take decisions.
“Iran cannot continue its mad race. Now, we don’t want to punish Iran, which deserves better than what it has by way of leadership today, and therefore fully support in order to get stronger, tougher sanctions at the Security Council and take the necessary decisions is what you have,” Mr. Sarkozy said.
The French president also informed Mr. Obama that he, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Premier Gordon Brown would make all necessary efforts to ensure Europe’s engagement in the sanction regime.
“My hope is that we are going to get this (sanctions against Iran) done this spring. So I am not interested in waiting months for a sanctions regime to be in place. I’m interested in seeing that regime in place in weeks,” Mr. Obama said in response to a question at a joint White House press conference with visiting French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
“We think that we can get sanctions within weeks,” Mr. Obama said, adding his administration is working to emphasise its international partners that this is not simply an issue of trying to isolate Iran.
The issue has enromous implications for the safety and the security of the entire region, according to him.
“We don’t want to see a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. A conflict in the Middle East as a consequence of Iran’s actions could have a huge destabilising effect in terms of the world economy at a time when it’s just coming out of a very deep recession,” the U.S. President said.
Referring to the initial policies of his administration, Mr. Obama said the approach to Tehran was to engage it and provide the opportunity to take the right path to prosperity.
The alternative path was further isolation and further consequences, he added.
“We mobilised the international community around this approach, including partners like Russia that in the past might have been more hesitant to take a firmer stance on Iran’s nuclear program. What we said, though, was that there was going to be a time limit to it and that if we had not seen progress by the end of the year, it was time for U.S. to move forward on that sanctions track,” he noted.
The U.S. President said the long—term consequences of a nuclear—armed Iran were unacceptable.
“And so Nicolas (Sarkozy), myself and others agree that we have engaged; the door remains open if the Iranians choose to walk through it. But they understand very clearly what the terms of a diplomatic solution would be. And in the interim we are going to move forcefully on a UN sanctions regime,” Mr. Obama said.
Acknowledging that there is no unanimity in the global community on this issue, he said more work has to be done, despite the U.S.’ stronger position to impose sanctions against Tehran.
“Partly (this was) because, Iran is a oil producer and there are a lot of countries around the world that, regardless of Iran’s offences, are thinking that their commercial interests are more important to them than these long—term geopolitical interests,” he said, adding the U.S. was “very clearly” communicating the importance of its stand.
Mr. Obama said he and the French President discussed their shared determination to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“On this the U.S. and France are united, are inseparable.
With our P5—plus-1 partners, we offer Iran good faith proposals to resolve this matter through diplomacy. But Iran thus far has rejected those offers. Today, the international community is more united than ever on the need for Iran to uphold its obligations. And that’s why we’re pursuing strong sanctions through the UN Security Council,” he said.
Agreeing with his American counterpart, France president Mr. Sarkozy said the time has come to take decisions.
“Iran cannot continue its mad race. Now, we don’t want to punish Iran, which deserves better than what it has by way of leadership today, and therefore fully support in order to get stronger, tougher sanctions at the Security Council and take the necessary decisions is what you have,” Mr. Sarkozy said.
The French president also informed Mr. Obama that he, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Premier Gordon Brown would make all necessary efforts to ensure Europe’s engagement in the sanction regime.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Obama signs jobs bill into law
President Barack Obama on Thursday signed into law the $17.5 billion Hiring Incentive to Restore Employment Act (the “HIRE Act”), comprising a payroll tax holiday for businesses that hire unemployed workers, an income tax credit of $1,000 for businesses that retain these employees and an extension of highways project financing. The bill was passed in the Senate last month and the House earlier in March, with voting largely along partisan lines.
Speaking at the Rose Garden in the White House before signing the bill, Mr. Obama struck a cautious note saying, “I’m signing it mindful that, as I’ve said before, the solution to our economic problems will not come from government alone. Government can’t create all the jobs we need nor can it repair all the damage that’s been done by this recession.”
In a clear indication that jobs may dominate the administration’s agenda in 2010, Mr Obama said, “There's a lot more that we're going to need to do to spur hiring in the private sector and bring about full economic recovery.” However, he said, the government could promote a strong, dynamic private sector as the “true engine of job creation,” and nurture the conditions that allow companies to grow and start hiring again.
Unemployment levels in the U.S. stabilised last month at 9.7%. While the economy has technically emerged out of recession, over 8 million Americans lost their jobs through the global economic downturn and new hiring is sluggish.
Apart from its strong focus on hiring in businesses, particularly small and medium sized businesses, the HIRE Act stands out for its focus on job creation through infrastructure project financing support. Touching upon this aspect of the bill Mr. Obama said it reforms the framework of municipal bonds to encourage job creation by expanding investment in schools and clean energy projects.
“Say a town wants to put people to work rebuilding a crumbling elementary school or putting up wind turbines. With this law, we’ll make it easier for them to raise the money they need, to do what they want to do by using a model that we've called Build America Bonds — one of the most successful programs in the Recovery Act,” Mr. Obama explained.
Commending a minority of Republicans in Congress who supported the bill Mr. Obama said, “The jobs bill I’m signing today — and our broader efforts to achieve a recovery — aren’t about politics. They’re not about Democrat versus Republican. This isn’t a game that we’re playing here. They’re about the people in this country who are out of work and looking for a job.”
Speaking at the Rose Garden in the White House before signing the bill, Mr. Obama struck a cautious note saying, “I’m signing it mindful that, as I’ve said before, the solution to our economic problems will not come from government alone. Government can’t create all the jobs we need nor can it repair all the damage that’s been done by this recession.”
In a clear indication that jobs may dominate the administration’s agenda in 2010, Mr Obama said, “There's a lot more that we're going to need to do to spur hiring in the private sector and bring about full economic recovery.” However, he said, the government could promote a strong, dynamic private sector as the “true engine of job creation,” and nurture the conditions that allow companies to grow and start hiring again.
Unemployment levels in the U.S. stabilised last month at 9.7%. While the economy has technically emerged out of recession, over 8 million Americans lost their jobs through the global economic downturn and new hiring is sluggish.
Apart from its strong focus on hiring in businesses, particularly small and medium sized businesses, the HIRE Act stands out for its focus on job creation through infrastructure project financing support. Touching upon this aspect of the bill Mr. Obama said it reforms the framework of municipal bonds to encourage job creation by expanding investment in schools and clean energy projects.
“Say a town wants to put people to work rebuilding a crumbling elementary school or putting up wind turbines. With this law, we’ll make it easier for them to raise the money they need, to do what they want to do by using a model that we've called Build America Bonds — one of the most successful programs in the Recovery Act,” Mr. Obama explained.
Commending a minority of Republicans in Congress who supported the bill Mr. Obama said, “The jobs bill I’m signing today — and our broader efforts to achieve a recovery — aren’t about politics. They’re not about Democrat versus Republican. This isn’t a game that we’re playing here. They’re about the people in this country who are out of work and looking for a job.”
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Tirupati idols, 'laddu' for Obama
The governing body of the Tirumala temple at Tirupati is planning to present a golden idol of Lord Venkateswara and prasad to US President Barack Obama.
“The organisers of Kalyanotsavam (a special puja) at New Jersey are planning to invite Obama. We also want to present him a golden idol of Lord Venkateshwara,” TTD chairman D K Adikesavulu Naidu told reporters.
“He (Obama) believes in Hinduism, Lord Hanuman and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. We also want to give him laddu prasadam, our publications, everything we can give him,” he said.
Naidu said he would seek an appointment with Obama if he does not attend the function at New Jersey.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, the governing body, would organise Kalyanotsavam at various places in the country to propagate Hindu philosophy, he said.
On April 21, the Kalyanotsavam would be held in New Delhi; he said but did not announce the date for the New Jersey programme.
Naidu said security arrangements are being spruced up but there is no specific information of any threat.
He also said a dress code for the employees will be announced soon.
“The organisers of Kalyanotsavam (a special puja) at New Jersey are planning to invite Obama. We also want to present him a golden idol of Lord Venkateshwara,” TTD chairman D K Adikesavulu Naidu told reporters.
“He (Obama) believes in Hinduism, Lord Hanuman and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. We also want to give him laddu prasadam, our publications, everything we can give him,” he said.
Naidu said he would seek an appointment with Obama if he does not attend the function at New Jersey.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, the governing body, would organise Kalyanotsavam at various places in the country to propagate Hindu philosophy, he said.
On April 21, the Kalyanotsavam would be held in New Delhi; he said but did not announce the date for the New Jersey programme.
Naidu said security arrangements are being spruced up but there is no specific information of any threat.
He also said a dress code for the employees will be announced soon.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Hillary in Latin-America: uphill all the way
Hillary Clinton is midway through a week-long tour of Latin America, as she seeks to rescue the United States’ flagging image in the region.
The Secretary of State will wrestle with a host of thorny issues during her trip, most of which offer but a slim chance of success.
Starting out in Uruguay, where Ms. Clinton attended the inauguration of President José Mujica, she may well have bumped into co-attendee and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, one of the most vocal critics of U.S. foreign policy in all of the Southern Cone.
However any formal interactions with Chavez or Evo Morales of Bolivia were earlier ruled out by Assistant Secretary Arturo Valenzuela who said in Washington that “the only bilateral that is on the books is with Cristina Kirchner, the president of Argentina”.
With Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador precluded from Ms. Clinton’s itinerary the pressure is on the Secretary to make the most of her interactions with the relatively moderate leaders of Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Guatemala and Costa Rica.
Yet even within that group her mission is daunting, none more so than the U.S.’s ambition to persuade President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to back its efforts to rein in Iran’s nuclear ambitions. While the U.S. is pushing for tougher sanctions against Iran through the United Nations Security Council, Brazil, a non-permanent member of the Council, has indicated its opposition to this.
“The visit also comes as Brazil gears up for general elections in October, with President Lula’s chief of cabinet Dilma Rousseff and governor of São Paulo José Serra the likely rivals in the race for president.”, according to Peter DeShazo of the Centre for International and Strategic Studies.
Argentina may prove to be yet another disappointment. With the Secretary meeting Ms. Kirchner at the peak of a dispute with Britain over sea-routes access to the Falkland Islands, her unexplained cancellation of a visit to Buenos Aires is likely to have bruised egos further.
In Chile, where Ms Clinton will again meet a newly elected leader, President-elect Sebastián Piñera, post-earthquake recovery is likely to crowd out any prior agenda. Trade may especially be marginalised, a likely concern for the U.S. given China’s growing dominance in this area.
The recent creation of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, a rival to the Organisation of American States marks some of the frustrations with American hegemonic tendencies. The Community is “a regional organization, whose only clear feature so far is that it will exclude the U.S. and Canada”, according to Kevin Casas-Zamora of Brookings.
If there were any hopes here that things would be different under President Obama, they were belied by U.S. hostility towards Manuel Zelaya in Honduras, an ally of leaders like Chavez and Kirchner. The persistent embargo against all things Cuban has not won them any points for popularity either.
If Ms. Clinton is to win hearts and minds in the Lat-Am region, she will have to convince her audiences over the rest of the week that substantive changes in U.S. foreign policy engagement in the region will follow her earnest interlocutory efforts.
The Secretary of State will wrestle with a host of thorny issues during her trip, most of which offer but a slim chance of success.
Starting out in Uruguay, where Ms. Clinton attended the inauguration of President José Mujica, she may well have bumped into co-attendee and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, one of the most vocal critics of U.S. foreign policy in all of the Southern Cone.
However any formal interactions with Chavez or Evo Morales of Bolivia were earlier ruled out by Assistant Secretary Arturo Valenzuela who said in Washington that “the only bilateral that is on the books is with Cristina Kirchner, the president of Argentina”.
With Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador precluded from Ms. Clinton’s itinerary the pressure is on the Secretary to make the most of her interactions with the relatively moderate leaders of Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Guatemala and Costa Rica.
Yet even within that group her mission is daunting, none more so than the U.S.’s ambition to persuade President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to back its efforts to rein in Iran’s nuclear ambitions. While the U.S. is pushing for tougher sanctions against Iran through the United Nations Security Council, Brazil, a non-permanent member of the Council, has indicated its opposition to this.
“The visit also comes as Brazil gears up for general elections in October, with President Lula’s chief of cabinet Dilma Rousseff and governor of São Paulo José Serra the likely rivals in the race for president.”, according to Peter DeShazo of the Centre for International and Strategic Studies.
Argentina may prove to be yet another disappointment. With the Secretary meeting Ms. Kirchner at the peak of a dispute with Britain over sea-routes access to the Falkland Islands, her unexplained cancellation of a visit to Buenos Aires is likely to have bruised egos further.
In Chile, where Ms Clinton will again meet a newly elected leader, President-elect Sebastián Piñera, post-earthquake recovery is likely to crowd out any prior agenda. Trade may especially be marginalised, a likely concern for the U.S. given China’s growing dominance in this area.
The recent creation of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, a rival to the Organisation of American States marks some of the frustrations with American hegemonic tendencies. The Community is “a regional organization, whose only clear feature so far is that it will exclude the U.S. and Canada”, according to Kevin Casas-Zamora of Brookings.
If there were any hopes here that things would be different under President Obama, they were belied by U.S. hostility towards Manuel Zelaya in Honduras, an ally of leaders like Chavez and Kirchner. The persistent embargo against all things Cuban has not won them any points for popularity either.
If Ms. Clinton is to win hearts and minds in the Lat-Am region, she will have to convince her audiences over the rest of the week that substantive changes in U.S. foreign policy engagement in the region will follow her earnest interlocutory efforts.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Obama calls Chilean President to express condolence
President Barack Obama called his Chilean counterpart Michelle Bachelet to express condolence in the aftermath of the massive earthquake in the country in which hundreds are feared dead, even as he said that US is ready to provide assistance in relief efforts.
“This afternoon, President Obama spoke with President Michelle Bachelet to express his condolences for the losses Chile suffered as a result of this morning’s tragic earthquake,” the White House said in a statement.
Mr. Obama commended President Bachelet for the Chilean government’s response to the disaster and recognised Chile’s capacity and expertise in responding to earthquakes.
“He reiterated that the United States stands ready to assist the Chilean government’s rescue and recovery efforts.
President Bachelet thanked President Obama for his call, and said that she would be in touch should Chile require any support,” the White House said.
“Early indications are that hundreds of lives have been lost in Chile, and the damage is severe,” Mr. Obama said in a statement at the White House after he was briefed by his national security team after a massive earthquake hit Chile Saturday.
Noting that the devastating earthquake has affected millions of people in Chile, he said: “This catastrophic event was followed by multiple aftershocks, and has prompted tsunami warnings across the Pacific Ocean.”
Mr. Obama said the US stands ready to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts.
“We have resources that are positioned to deploy should the Chilean government ask for our help,” he said.
Observing that Chile is a close friend and partner of the US, Mr. Obama said, “I’ve reached out to President Bachelet to let her know that we will be there for her should the Chilean people need assistance, and our hearts go out to the families who may have lost loved ones.”
The US President said his administration is also preparing for a tsunami that could reach American shores later today, particularly in Hawaii, American Samoa, and Guam.
“A tsunami warning is in place, and people have been alerted to evacuate coastal areas.
I urge citizens to listen closely to the instructions of local officials, who will have the full support of the federal government as they prepare for a potential tsunami, and recover from any damage that may be caused,” he said.
“I also urge our citizens along the West Coast to be prepared as well, as there may be dangerous waves and currents throughout the day.
In the hours ahead, we’ll continue to take every step possible to prepare our shores and protect our citizens.
And we will stand with the people of Chile as they recovery from this terrible tragedy,” said the US President.Sunday, February 28, 2010
Quake, tsunami kill at least 214 people in Chile
An 8.8-magnitude quake and a resulting tsunami killed at least 214 people in Chile, Chilean Interior Minister Edmundo Perez Yoma has said.
“This was a cataclysm of immense proportions, and it will be very difficult to have a single figure,” he said Saturday.
Perez Yoma asked the community to help, as the government seeks to coordinate aid. People should follow government instructions to remain calm in the face of continuing aftershocks, he said.
Twenty-two people were rescued from a collapsed building in the city of Concepcion, where a team of firefighters had laboured to find and free them.
Hundreds of people were missing and feared trapped under the rubble of buildings which buckled under the force of the quake, the worst to hit the South American nation since 1960.
The earthquake occurred at 3.34 a.m. (0634 GMT), some 90 km northeast of Concepcion, a city of 630,000 in Chile’s central coastal region. It also caused damage in the capital Santiago, 320 km north of the epicentre, affecting buildings, roads and closing the international airport.
The Pacific region was bracing for a tidal wave, with Japan, New Zealand and Hawaii going on alert. On Hawaii, sirens wailed and officials began moving people from low-lying areas to higher ground.
The capital’s modern international airport was knocked out of operation and will remain closed to incoming and outgoing flights for at least three days. The city’s underground rail network was also closed.
Overturned cars littered motorway flyovers, which buckled and crumbled during the quake.
Power lines were down, water supplies were cut and burst gas pipes raised fears of explosions. Internet communications were also cut and the mobile phone network badly disrupted.
In Concepcion, where according to television reports there was hardly a street without damaged buildings, the extent of the devastation remain unclear hours after the quake struck.
The offices of the region government were reported to have been destroyed and the walls of the city’s prison collapsed, leading to fears that convicts might have escaped.
The European Union (EU) granted three million euros ($4.1 million) in immediate aid. “We stand ready to do whatever it takes to help the Chilean authorities at this time of need,” EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed condolences for the victims and the UN “is on standby to offer rapid assistance to the Chilean government and people”.
President Barack Obama also expressed his condolences and said the US “have resources to deploy should the Chilean people need our help”.
A forward-planning team from Germany’s THW civil-defence agency left by air Saturday evening for the quake zone.
The quake was 50 times more powerful than the one which claimed more than 200,000 lives in the Caribbean nation of Haiti Jan 12, said the head of the University of Santiago’s Seismological Institute, Sergio Barrientos.
The worst earthquake to hit Chile was in 1960 when a 9.5 magnitude quake claimed 1,600 lives.Friday, February 19, 2010
China, U.S. clash over Dalai Lama meeting
China has voiced its strong opposition to the United States President Barack Obama’s meeting with the Dalai Lama, warning it had “seriously damaged” Sino-U.S. ties.
The Chinese government on Friday summoned the U.S. Ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, in Beijing, lodging “a solemn representation” to express its displeasure at the U.S. “obstinately” arranging the meeting.
“The U.S. has grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs, gravely hurt the Chinese people’s national sentiments and seriously damaged Sino-U.S. ties,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ma Zhaoxu said.
Mr. Ma’s was the fourth strongly-worded statement the Chinese government has issued in recent weeks over Thursday’s meeting, warning Mr. Obama that holding talks with the exiled Tibetan religious leader would damage the two countries’ relationship.
Political analysts in Beijing have dubbed this week’s sparring “the Dalai round of tensions” – only the latest in a growing list of spats the year has seen, including Chinese anger over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, Washington criticising China’s valuation of its currency and the cyber-attacks on Google, which the U.S. says originated from China.
Last month, China suspended military exchanges with the U.S. following Washington’s announcement of a $6.4 billion arms sale to Taiwan, including Patriot missiles and Black Hawk helicopters. In a stronger-than-usual response to the arms sales, China also imposed sanctions on the U.S. companies involved in deals with Taiwan.
Officials in Beijing have, however, privately underplayed the longer-term impact of the Tibetan religious leader’s meeting on China’s ties with Washington. While they accept it has further strained an already tense atmosphere, they point to the interdependence between the two countries on a range of issues, from trade to international matters such as nuclear proliferation and North Korea, to stress that overall engagement will continue unaffected.
On Thursday, China granted permission for the USS Nimitz, the American aircraft carrier, to dock in Hong Kong, amid concerns the visit would be stopped in light of the recent tensions. It was a signal, analysts said, that engagement would continue as before.
U.S. officials defended Thursday’s meeting with the Dalai Lama, stressing that Mr. Obama met with him only in the context of his being “an internationally respected religious leader”.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said: “We think we have a mature enough relationship with the Chinese that we can agree on mutual interests, but also have a mature enough relationship that we know the two countries are not always going to agree on everything.”
China, however, accuses the Tibetan leader of being a “splittist”.
“The Dalai Lama’s words and deeds have shown that he is not a pure religious figure, but a political exile who has all along been engaged in separatist activities under the pretext of religion,” Mr. Ma said.
The Chinese government on Friday summoned the U.S. Ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, in Beijing, lodging “a solemn representation” to express its displeasure at the U.S. “obstinately” arranging the meeting.
“The U.S. has grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs, gravely hurt the Chinese people’s national sentiments and seriously damaged Sino-U.S. ties,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ma Zhaoxu said.
Mr. Ma’s was the fourth strongly-worded statement the Chinese government has issued in recent weeks over Thursday’s meeting, warning Mr. Obama that holding talks with the exiled Tibetan religious leader would damage the two countries’ relationship.
Political analysts in Beijing have dubbed this week’s sparring “the Dalai round of tensions” – only the latest in a growing list of spats the year has seen, including Chinese anger over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, Washington criticising China’s valuation of its currency and the cyber-attacks on Google, which the U.S. says originated from China.
Last month, China suspended military exchanges with the U.S. following Washington’s announcement of a $6.4 billion arms sale to Taiwan, including Patriot missiles and Black Hawk helicopters. In a stronger-than-usual response to the arms sales, China also imposed sanctions on the U.S. companies involved in deals with Taiwan.
Officials in Beijing have, however, privately underplayed the longer-term impact of the Tibetan religious leader’s meeting on China’s ties with Washington. While they accept it has further strained an already tense atmosphere, they point to the interdependence between the two countries on a range of issues, from trade to international matters such as nuclear proliferation and North Korea, to stress that overall engagement will continue unaffected.
On Thursday, China granted permission for the USS Nimitz, the American aircraft carrier, to dock in Hong Kong, amid concerns the visit would be stopped in light of the recent tensions. It was a signal, analysts said, that engagement would continue as before.
U.S. officials defended Thursday’s meeting with the Dalai Lama, stressing that Mr. Obama met with him only in the context of his being “an internationally respected religious leader”.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said: “We think we have a mature enough relationship with the Chinese that we can agree on mutual interests, but also have a mature enough relationship that we know the two countries are not always going to agree on everything.”
China, however, accuses the Tibetan leader of being a “splittist”.
“The Dalai Lama’s words and deeds have shown that he is not a pure religious figure, but a political exile who has all along been engaged in separatist activities under the pretext of religion,” Mr. Ma said.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Obama speaks to Manmohan, condemns Pune blast
US President Barack Obama on Thursday spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and condemned last week’s terror blast in Pune that has claimed 11 lives.
In the brief telephonic conversation, Mr. Obama condoled the loss of lives, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
“The two leaders took the opportunity to review developments in Indo-US relations,” it said.
The Obama administration has offered FBI help in the investigation into Saturday’s blast at the German Bakery, a popular eatery in Pune’s posh Koregaon Park area.
The US State Department has said it is working with India and Pakistan to combat the threats the three countries face from terrorist and extremist groups.
“The information we have shared so far has been quite unprecedented, and we intend to continue to working with the Government of India to try and protect our two societies from these types of attacks,” Acting US State Department Spokesman Gordon Duguid said.
In the brief telephonic conversation, Mr. Obama condoled the loss of lives, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
“The two leaders took the opportunity to review developments in Indo-US relations,” it said.
The Obama administration has offered FBI help in the investigation into Saturday’s blast at the German Bakery, a popular eatery in Pune’s posh Koregaon Park area.
The US State Department has said it is working with India and Pakistan to combat the threats the three countries face from terrorist and extremist groups.
“The information we have shared so far has been quite unprecedented, and we intend to continue to working with the Government of India to try and protect our two societies from these types of attacks,” Acting US State Department Spokesman Gordon Duguid said.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Nuclear energy key to climate change: Obama
US President, Barack Obama, on Wednesday said nuclear energy and clean coal energy technology is key to the successful fight against climate change and on the latter it is important to bring India and China on board.
“I know it’s controversial in some quarters, but if you’re serious about dealing with climate change then you’ve got to take a serious look at the nuclear industry,” Mr. Obama said at a Town Hall meeting in Nashua, New Hampshire.
“If you are serious about climate change, you’ve got to figure out is there technology that can allow us to sequester coal and the emissions that are set out,” he said.
The reason for that is not just for the US, Mr. Obama observed.
“China is building a coal-fired plant once a week, just about -- India is doing the same -- because coal is cheap,” he said.
“Unless we can come up with some energy alternatives that allow us to franchise that technology so that they are equipped to burn that coal cleanly, we’re going to have problems no matter what we do in this country when it comes to the environment,” Mr. Obama said.
So technology is the key, he argued. “We can make significant profits and create huge jobs just upgrading traditional technologies”.
“Then you’ve got the whole clean energy sector, which is ready to take off if we provide the kind of seed capital, the kind of R&D credits that are necessary,” he said.
Mr. Obama said this recession almost killed a lot of US homegrown clean energy sectors.
“You talk to the wind industry or the solar industry, if we hadn’t passed the Recovery Act and all the support for clean energy, a lot of them would have completely gone under and we would have been ceding leadership as we already have, unfortunately, to a lot of countries like Spain and Germany and Japan that are doing a lot more work on it“.
“So this is a huge engine for job creation, and we’ve got to make those investments,” he said.
Mr. Obama said the US is one of the least efficient advanced economies when it comes to energy usage.
“It is estimated that we could probably lop off 30 per cent of our energy consumption just on efficiency without changing our lifestyles significantly“.
I say “significantly” because you’d have to start buying LED batteries or LED light bulbs. But it’s still a light bulb. You don’t have to sit in the dark. You don’t have to use gas lanterns. You just have to make the investment.
“And one of the things that a company like ARC Energy is doing is trying to bring down the unit cost for each of those light bulbs,” he said.
“I know it’s controversial in some quarters, but if you’re serious about dealing with climate change then you’ve got to take a serious look at the nuclear industry,” Mr. Obama said at a Town Hall meeting in Nashua, New Hampshire.
“If you are serious about climate change, you’ve got to figure out is there technology that can allow us to sequester coal and the emissions that are set out,” he said.
The reason for that is not just for the US, Mr. Obama observed.
“China is building a coal-fired plant once a week, just about -- India is doing the same -- because coal is cheap,” he said.
“Unless we can come up with some energy alternatives that allow us to franchise that technology so that they are equipped to burn that coal cleanly, we’re going to have problems no matter what we do in this country when it comes to the environment,” Mr. Obama said.
So technology is the key, he argued. “We can make significant profits and create huge jobs just upgrading traditional technologies”.
“Then you’ve got the whole clean energy sector, which is ready to take off if we provide the kind of seed capital, the kind of R&D credits that are necessary,” he said.
Mr. Obama said this recession almost killed a lot of US homegrown clean energy sectors.
“You talk to the wind industry or the solar industry, if we hadn’t passed the Recovery Act and all the support for clean energy, a lot of them would have completely gone under and we would have been ceding leadership as we already have, unfortunately, to a lot of countries like Spain and Germany and Japan that are doing a lot more work on it“.
“So this is a huge engine for job creation, and we’ve got to make those investments,” he said.
Mr. Obama said the US is one of the least efficient advanced economies when it comes to energy usage.
“It is estimated that we could probably lop off 30 per cent of our energy consumption just on efficiency without changing our lifestyles significantly“.
I say “significantly” because you’d have to start buying LED batteries or LED light bulbs. But it’s still a light bulb. You don’t have to sit in the dark. You don’t have to use gas lanterns. You just have to make the investment.
“And one of the things that a company like ARC Energy is doing is trying to bring down the unit cost for each of those light bulbs,” he said.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
China warned US President against meeting Dalai Lama
China on Tuesday warned US President Barack Obama against meeting the Dalai Lama, saying it would "seriously undermine" Sino-US ties -- the latest salvo in an escalating row between the two powers.
Beijing also said no progress was made in the latest round of talks between Chinese officials and envoys of the Buddhist monk, saying the two sides remain "sharply divided" on the future of the Himalayan region.
The comments came after the first negotiations between the two sides in more than a year, which wrapped up at the weekend. The envoys of the Dalai Lama returned to their exile base in India on Monday.
The exiled monk, whom China accuses of seeking independence for his homeland, is due in the United States this month for a visit that includes a stop in Washington, but a meeting with Obama has not been announced.
Such a meeting would "seriously undermine the political foundation of Sino-US relations," Zhu Weiqun, executive vice minister of the Communist Party body that handles contact with the Dalai Lama, told a news conference.
"If the US leader chooses to meet with the Dalai Lama at this time, it will certainly threaten trust and cooperation between China and the United States," Zhu said.
"We oppose any attempt by foreign forces to interfere in China's internal affairs using the Dalai Lama as an excuse," he added.
The warning added to mounting tensions between Washington and Beijing, with relations already badly strained over US arms sales to Taiwan, Google's threat to leave China, and a host of trade and currency disputes.
Obama was roundly criticised at home for avoiding a meeting with the Dalai Lama ahead of the US leader's maiden trip to China in November.
Illustrating the divide over Tibet, Zhu blasted the monk as a "separatist" and "troublemaker" bent on inciting world hatred of China over its control of his mountainous homeland.
The Dalai Lama rejects such charges, saying he seeks only greater autonomy for Tibet under Chinese rule. He has warned Tibetan culture is in danger of being extinguished.
Zhu indicated the secretive talks between China and the Dalai Lama's envoys -- the ninth round since the dialogue began in 2002 -- made no progress.
"As in previous rounds of negotiations, the positions of the two sides are sharply divided," said Zhu of the Communist Party's United Front Work Department.
Zhu said the Tibetan side stuck to a memorandum it submitted during the last round in November 2008 that insisted their autonomy demands were in line with China's constitution, but slammed the document as an "independence" ploy.
He said the talks could not move forward if the Dalai Lama "continues to devote himself to anti-China propaganda and sabotage on the international stage."
The Tibetan envoys, who flew to China on January 25, held meetings with Chinese officials first in the central province of Hunan and then in Beijing at the weekend, the Dalai Lama's senior secretary Chhime Chhoekyapa told AFP.
The Dalai Lama, 75, fled his homeland after a failed uprising in 1959 against Chinese rule. That came nine years after Chinese troops were sent to take control of the region.
Since the 2008 round of talks, China has maintained a tough crackdown in Tibet launched following a wave of anti-Chinese unrest that erupted in March of that year and which Beijing blamed on the Dalai Lama.
Several people have reportedly been executed for their roles in the violence, and earlier this month China named a military veteran, Padma Choling, as Tibet's new governor.
Zhu said another round of talks "depends on the Dalai Lama."
Beijing also said no progress was made in the latest round of talks between Chinese officials and envoys of the Buddhist monk, saying the two sides remain "sharply divided" on the future of the Himalayan region.
The comments came after the first negotiations between the two sides in more than a year, which wrapped up at the weekend. The envoys of the Dalai Lama returned to their exile base in India on Monday.
The exiled monk, whom China accuses of seeking independence for his homeland, is due in the United States this month for a visit that includes a stop in Washington, but a meeting with Obama has not been announced.
Such a meeting would "seriously undermine the political foundation of Sino-US relations," Zhu Weiqun, executive vice minister of the Communist Party body that handles contact with the Dalai Lama, told a news conference.
"If the US leader chooses to meet with the Dalai Lama at this time, it will certainly threaten trust and cooperation between China and the United States," Zhu said.
"We oppose any attempt by foreign forces to interfere in China's internal affairs using the Dalai Lama as an excuse," he added.
The warning added to mounting tensions between Washington and Beijing, with relations already badly strained over US arms sales to Taiwan, Google's threat to leave China, and a host of trade and currency disputes.
Obama was roundly criticised at home for avoiding a meeting with the Dalai Lama ahead of the US leader's maiden trip to China in November.
Illustrating the divide over Tibet, Zhu blasted the monk as a "separatist" and "troublemaker" bent on inciting world hatred of China over its control of his mountainous homeland.
The Dalai Lama rejects such charges, saying he seeks only greater autonomy for Tibet under Chinese rule. He has warned Tibetan culture is in danger of being extinguished.
Zhu indicated the secretive talks between China and the Dalai Lama's envoys -- the ninth round since the dialogue began in 2002 -- made no progress.
"As in previous rounds of negotiations, the positions of the two sides are sharply divided," said Zhu of the Communist Party's United Front Work Department.
Zhu said the Tibetan side stuck to a memorandum it submitted during the last round in November 2008 that insisted their autonomy demands were in line with China's constitution, but slammed the document as an "independence" ploy.
He said the talks could not move forward if the Dalai Lama "continues to devote himself to anti-China propaganda and sabotage on the international stage."
The Tibetan envoys, who flew to China on January 25, held meetings with Chinese officials first in the central province of Hunan and then in Beijing at the weekend, the Dalai Lama's senior secretary Chhime Chhoekyapa told AFP.
The Dalai Lama, 75, fled his homeland after a failed uprising in 1959 against Chinese rule. That came nine years after Chinese troops were sent to take control of the region.
Since the 2008 round of talks, China has maintained a tough crackdown in Tibet launched following a wave of anti-Chinese unrest that erupted in March of that year and which Beijing blamed on the Dalai Lama.
Several people have reportedly been executed for their roles in the violence, and earlier this month China named a military veteran, Padma Choling, as Tibet's new governor.
Zhu said another round of talks "depends on the Dalai Lama."
Friday, January 29, 2010
It is cheaper to offshore jobs
The U.S. President Barack Obama, on Thursday, said that he would end tax breaks to American firms that shipped jobs out of the country.
Will India, which is known as the world’s back-office, suffer the most by this move?
According to software services industry body Nasscom, the IT sector accounts for 5.8 per cent of India’s gross domestic product in 2008-09, up from 1.2 per cent in 1997-98.
Though the objective of the move is to arrest the flow of jobs out of America, industry sources aren’t quite sure if the move will have the desired impact? If the U.S. Government disallows offshoring costs as expenses in the books of the U.S. companies, it will increase the cost of offshoring by 35 to 40 per cent for the U.S. firms.
Cost competitiveness
The on-site or onshore cost of a starting level engineer in an IT company is about $50 to 60 an hour. The correspondent cost for the same job if done offshore either in India or China works out to around $25-30 an hour. Assuming that the U.S. Government actually disallows offshore payments as expenses, then the cost of offshoring will go up. Industry experts estimate that the offshoring cost in that event could go up to $35-45. Still it is cheaper for the U.S. companies to offshore jobs to locations such as India or China.
Industry sources aver that the move could at best result in stoppage of fresh flow of transitional works from the U.S. into India and other countries which do offshoring. However, they are of the view that it will not result in any pull-back of jobs already shipped out of the U.S. Nevertheless, they agreed that the move could trigger some hard bargaining by the U.S. companies to hammer down offshoring prices, which could impact the top line and bottomline of IT companies in India and China which are America-centric in their businesses. Industry observers predict that Obama’s move may prod the Indian IT firms to look beyond the U.S. and explore business opportunities in Europe and elsewhere.
Commercial decisions
According to Ameet Nivsarker, Vice-President of Nasscom, the move is all about the American companies which have set up their outfits in lower tax areas and booking profits. In any case, the tax difference between India and the U.S. is very minimal. According to Chief Financial Officer of Hinduja Gobal Solutions Ltd., Anand Vora, “companies outsourcing are doing it based on financial implications and cost structures. The decisions are commercial and based on economic implications.”
Will India, which is known as the world’s back-office, suffer the most by this move?
According to software services industry body Nasscom, the IT sector accounts for 5.8 per cent of India’s gross domestic product in 2008-09, up from 1.2 per cent in 1997-98.
Though the objective of the move is to arrest the flow of jobs out of America, industry sources aren’t quite sure if the move will have the desired impact? If the U.S. Government disallows offshoring costs as expenses in the books of the U.S. companies, it will increase the cost of offshoring by 35 to 40 per cent for the U.S. firms.
Cost competitiveness
The on-site or onshore cost of a starting level engineer in an IT company is about $50 to 60 an hour. The correspondent cost for the same job if done offshore either in India or China works out to around $25-30 an hour. Assuming that the U.S. Government actually disallows offshore payments as expenses, then the cost of offshoring will go up. Industry experts estimate that the offshoring cost in that event could go up to $35-45. Still it is cheaper for the U.S. companies to offshore jobs to locations such as India or China.
Industry sources aver that the move could at best result in stoppage of fresh flow of transitional works from the U.S. into India and other countries which do offshoring. However, they are of the view that it will not result in any pull-back of jobs already shipped out of the U.S. Nevertheless, they agreed that the move could trigger some hard bargaining by the U.S. companies to hammer down offshoring prices, which could impact the top line and bottomline of IT companies in India and China which are America-centric in their businesses. Industry observers predict that Obama’s move may prod the Indian IT firms to look beyond the U.S. and explore business opportunities in Europe and elsewhere.
Commercial decisions
According to Ameet Nivsarker, Vice-President of Nasscom, the move is all about the American companies which have set up their outfits in lower tax areas and booking profits. In any case, the tax difference between India and the U.S. is very minimal. According to Chief Financial Officer of Hinduja Gobal Solutions Ltd., Anand Vora, “companies outsourcing are doing it based on financial implications and cost structures. The decisions are commercial and based on economic implications.”
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Obama pledges to create jobs in key speech
An embattled President Barack Obama vowed in his first State of the Union address on Wednesday to make job growth his topmost priority, as he looked to reignite his stalling presidency.
Speaking to a before a politician-packed House of Representatives chamber and a television audience of millions, Mr. Obama urged lawmakers to come together around new stimulus spending and short-term economic relief.
Defiant despite stinging setbacks, he said he would not abandon ambitious plans for longer-term fixes to health care, energy, education and more.
“Change has not come fast enough,” Mr. Obama said.
He compared the United States to other nations: “Washington has been telling us to wait for decades, even as the problems have grown worse. Meanwhile, China’s not waiting to revamp its economy. Germany’s not waiting. India’s not waiting.”
Mr. Obama looked to use the high-profile speech to change America’s conversation from how his presidency is troubled -- over the messy health care debate, a limping economy and the missteps that led to Christmas Day’s barely averted terrorist attack -- to how he is seizing the reins on the economic worries foremost on Americans’ minds. He spoke to a nation gloomy over double-digit unemployment and federal deficits soaring to a record $1.4 trillion, and to fellow Democrats dispirited about the fallen standing of a president they hoped would carry them through this fall’s midterm congressional elections.
Democrats fear that the fallen standing of the president could hurt them in November’s congressional and gubernatorial elections. Just last week, Republicans scored a stunning victory by winning the Senate seat long held by the late Edward M. Kennedy.
Republicans applauded the president when he entered the chamber, and even craned their necks and welcomed Michelle Obama when she took her seat. But the warm feelings of bipartisanship disappeared early.
Democrats jumped to their feet and roared when Obama said he wanted to impose a new fee on banks, while Republicans sat stone-faced. Democrats stood and applauded when Mr. Obama mentioned the economic stimulus package passed last February. Republicans sat and stared.
The president devoted about two-thirds of his speech to the economy, emphasizing his ideas for restoring job growth, taming budget deficits and changing a polarized Washington “where every day is Election Day.” These concerns are at the roots of voter emotions that drove supporters to Obama but now are turning on him as he governs.
He looked to rescue the health care plan, his top domestic priority. The plan was on the verge of passage, then got derailed after opposition Republicans captured the Massachusetts seat. The United States lacks universal health care.
“Do not walk away from reform,” he implored. “Not now. Not when we are so close.”
In a remarkable shift from past addresses, and notable for a president whose candidacy caught fire over his opposition to the Iraq war, foreign policy was taking a relative back seat.
On national security, Mr. Obama proclaimed some success, saying that “far more” al-Qaeda terrorists were killed under his watch last year in the U.S.-led global fight than in 2008.
Also, hoping to salve growing disappointment in a key constituency, Mr. Obama said he would work with Congress to repeal the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. But in a concession to concern among Republicans and in his own party’s right flank, Obama neither made a commitment to suspend the practice in the interim nor issued a firm deadline.
Throughout the speech, Mr. Obama aimed to show he understands Americans’ struggles to pay bills while big banks get bailouts and bonuses. Trying to position himself as a fighter for regular people, he urged Congress to blunt the impact of a Supreme Court decision last week handing corporations greater influence over elections.
“I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, and worse, by foreign entities,” he said.
Declaring that “I know the anxieties” of Americans’ struggling to pay the bills while big banks get bailouts and bonuses, Mr. Obama prodded Congress to enact a second stimulus package “without delay,” specifying that it should contain a range of measures to help small businesses and funding for infrastructure projects.
Also, Mr. Obama said he will initiate a $30 billion program to provide money to community banks at low rates. The money would come from balances left in the $700 billion Wall Street rescue fund -- a program “about as popular as a root canal” that he made of point of saying “I hated.”
Even before Mr. Obama spoke, many of the proposals the White House revealed in advance were being dismissed -- on the right or the left {mdash} as poorly targeted or too modest to make a difference.
Republicans sought to capitalize on the Democrats’ tough straits with their choice for the traditional Republican response: Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia, who took his state from Democratic hands two months ago.
Mr. McDonnell, in excerpts of his speech released in advance, said Democratic policies are resulting in an unsustainable level of debt. He said Americans want affordable health care, but they don’t want the government to run it.
“Top-down, one-size-fits-all decision-making should not replace the personal choices of free people in a free market,” Mr. McDonnell said.
In his speech, Mr. Obama hoped to rekindle the energy of his historic election. Though aides worked up until the last minute to whittle it down, it still ran to an hour and nine minutes, with applause, longer than any State of the Union since the Clinton era and surely taxed viewers’ patience.
Speaking to a before a politician-packed House of Representatives chamber and a television audience of millions, Mr. Obama urged lawmakers to come together around new stimulus spending and short-term economic relief.
Defiant despite stinging setbacks, he said he would not abandon ambitious plans for longer-term fixes to health care, energy, education and more.
“Change has not come fast enough,” Mr. Obama said.
He compared the United States to other nations: “Washington has been telling us to wait for decades, even as the problems have grown worse. Meanwhile, China’s not waiting to revamp its economy. Germany’s not waiting. India’s not waiting.”
Mr. Obama looked to use the high-profile speech to change America’s conversation from how his presidency is troubled -- over the messy health care debate, a limping economy and the missteps that led to Christmas Day’s barely averted terrorist attack -- to how he is seizing the reins on the economic worries foremost on Americans’ minds. He spoke to a nation gloomy over double-digit unemployment and federal deficits soaring to a record $1.4 trillion, and to fellow Democrats dispirited about the fallen standing of a president they hoped would carry them through this fall’s midterm congressional elections.
Democrats fear that the fallen standing of the president could hurt them in November’s congressional and gubernatorial elections. Just last week, Republicans scored a stunning victory by winning the Senate seat long held by the late Edward M. Kennedy.
Republicans applauded the president when he entered the chamber, and even craned their necks and welcomed Michelle Obama when she took her seat. But the warm feelings of bipartisanship disappeared early.
Democrats jumped to their feet and roared when Obama said he wanted to impose a new fee on banks, while Republicans sat stone-faced. Democrats stood and applauded when Mr. Obama mentioned the economic stimulus package passed last February. Republicans sat and stared.
The president devoted about two-thirds of his speech to the economy, emphasizing his ideas for restoring job growth, taming budget deficits and changing a polarized Washington “where every day is Election Day.” These concerns are at the roots of voter emotions that drove supporters to Obama but now are turning on him as he governs.
He looked to rescue the health care plan, his top domestic priority. The plan was on the verge of passage, then got derailed after opposition Republicans captured the Massachusetts seat. The United States lacks universal health care.
“Do not walk away from reform,” he implored. “Not now. Not when we are so close.”
In a remarkable shift from past addresses, and notable for a president whose candidacy caught fire over his opposition to the Iraq war, foreign policy was taking a relative back seat.
On national security, Mr. Obama proclaimed some success, saying that “far more” al-Qaeda terrorists were killed under his watch last year in the U.S.-led global fight than in 2008.
Also, hoping to salve growing disappointment in a key constituency, Mr. Obama said he would work with Congress to repeal the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. But in a concession to concern among Republicans and in his own party’s right flank, Obama neither made a commitment to suspend the practice in the interim nor issued a firm deadline.
Throughout the speech, Mr. Obama aimed to show he understands Americans’ struggles to pay bills while big banks get bailouts and bonuses. Trying to position himself as a fighter for regular people, he urged Congress to blunt the impact of a Supreme Court decision last week handing corporations greater influence over elections.
“I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, and worse, by foreign entities,” he said.
Declaring that “I know the anxieties” of Americans’ struggling to pay the bills while big banks get bailouts and bonuses, Mr. Obama prodded Congress to enact a second stimulus package “without delay,” specifying that it should contain a range of measures to help small businesses and funding for infrastructure projects.
Also, Mr. Obama said he will initiate a $30 billion program to provide money to community banks at low rates. The money would come from balances left in the $700 billion Wall Street rescue fund -- a program “about as popular as a root canal” that he made of point of saying “I hated.”
Even before Mr. Obama spoke, many of the proposals the White House revealed in advance were being dismissed -- on the right or the left {mdash} as poorly targeted or too modest to make a difference.
Republicans sought to capitalize on the Democrats’ tough straits with their choice for the traditional Republican response: Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia, who took his state from Democratic hands two months ago.
Mr. McDonnell, in excerpts of his speech released in advance, said Democratic policies are resulting in an unsustainable level of debt. He said Americans want affordable health care, but they don’t want the government to run it.
“Top-down, one-size-fits-all decision-making should not replace the personal choices of free people in a free market,” Mr. McDonnell said.
In his speech, Mr. Obama hoped to rekindle the energy of his historic election. Though aides worked up until the last minute to whittle it down, it still ran to an hour and nine minutes, with applause, longer than any State of the Union since the Clinton era and surely taxed viewers’ patience.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Asian stock markets tumble after Obama’s proposed banking reform
Asian stock markets tumbled Friday after President Barack Obama proposed a sweeping overhaul of Wall Street banks to avert future financial crises.
Losses spread across most markets and sectors across the region, following an overnight retreat in the U.S.
Commodity prices eased while the dollar lost ground against the yen and euro.
Obama said he would seek to limit the size and complexity of large financial companies so their collapse wouldn’t imperil the broader financial system and economy, leading to more bailouts at taxpayers’ expense. The move comes amid growing public frustration with Wall Street and bank rescues.
As in the U.S., bank stocks fell in Asia but other industries also suffered steep drops as investors scaled back their riskier bets amid uncertainty about the ultimate effects of the U.S. proposal.
Japan helped lead Asia’s declines, with the Nikkei 225 stock average plummeting 330.15 points, or 3 percent, to 10,538.26.
Elsewhere, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 593.28 points, or 2.8 percent, to 20,269.39 and Korea’s main market index lost 52.08 points, or 3 percent, to 1,669.93.
China’s Shanghai benchmark fell 2.2 percent, India’s market shed 1.8 percent and Australian stocks retreated 1.8 percent.
In the U.S. Thursday, Wall Street was yanked lower by heavy selling in bank stocks.
The Dow fell 213.27, or 2 percent, to 10,389.88, its biggest point and percentage drop since Oct. 30.
The broader Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 21.56, or 1.9 percent, to 1,116.48. The Nasdaq composite index fell 25.55, or 1.1 percent, to 2,265.70.
Oil prices fell in Asia, with benchmark crude for March delivery down 19 cents at $75.89 a barrel. The contract dropped $1.66 to settle at $76.08 overnight.
The dollar weakened to 89.91 yen from 90.49 yen. The euro was higher at $1.4120 from $1.4082.
Ties with India very important: U.S.
As Obama Administration completed its first year in office, the White House has said that partnership with India is “critical and very important“.
“It should be clear that we continue here at the White House and in the National Security Council to view the partnership with India is critical and very important,” Mike Hammer, White House spokesman told PTI on Thursday on the occasion of U.S. President Barack Obama completing one year in office.
In the words of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, it launched third phase —— Indo-US 3.0 —— of relationship with New Delhi.
For Indo-US relationship, one of the key features of the second year of Obama Administration would be Obama’s visit to India sometime this year.
“The President very much looks forward to visit India this year, but do not have any concrete announcement to make regarding that visit,” Mr. Hammer said.
It was during the State Visit of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November that Mr. Obama said he has accepted the invitation to visit India this year.
Mr. Obama is expected to take his entire family to India on his first ever visit to the country.
“President Obama had made priority in the first year of his Administration to a develop close partnership with India to build on the previous administration’s work.
And fully realising that there is a great potential for growth and further work between our two countries in advancing a common agenda on major issues of concern to the global community, which include issues like economic development, like climate change, energy, and also promoting peace around the globe,” Mr. Hammer said reviewing Indo-US relationship in the first year of the Administration.
“In that spirit the President had his first and the only State Dinner with Prime Minister Singh.
That event marked really the closeness and bonds between our two countries and really reflected the deep affection that there is for India and the contributions as well the Indian-Americans make to American society,” said the White House spokesperson.
It was during this administration that the White House appointed a senior director level official at the National Security Council to exclusively handle America’s relationship with India, he pointed out.
The first year also included important visits by the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defence Secretary Robert Gates, National Security Advisor James Jones.
“So we see a continuing already of that deep engagement this year with the recent visit of Secretary Gates.
I fully anticipate that every effort would be made on the part of the United States to forge an even deeper partnership with India in this coming year,” Mr. Hammer said.
