Posted on 04/26/2010 9:08:42 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Barack Obama laid a key plank of his strategy to mend ties with the Islamic world on Monday hosting a summit to boost economic development in Muslim nations.
In a step the White House hopes will help shift relations beyond decades of talk about terrorism and conflict, Obama brought entrepreneurs from 50 countries to Washington for two days to spur economic ties.
The president pledged to host the meeting in a landmark speech in Cairo last June, when he also called for a "new beginning" to relations between the United States and the Muslim world.
Opening the meeting, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said boosting Muslim business would not only help the Islamic world, but would also help US security and trade.
"There are over a billion people living in Muslim-majority countries today, and they represent a vast reserve of under-utilized potential in the global economy," Locke told delegates.
"It is very much in America's -- and indeed, the entire world's -- interest that you succeed."
"Strong and balanced international trade only works if countries have growing economies and a growing middle class that are fully engaged in the international marketplace."
Speaking ahead of the meeting, a senior administration official said there were also hard-headed political goals to the summit.
"One of the principal goals of that vision was to broaden our relationship, which has been dominated by a few different issues, a small set of issues, for at least the last decade, and going back further than that."
"We don't see this as a replacement for our work on things like Middle East peace or work on counter-terrorism, our work on Iran. We see this as part of establishing a more multifaceted set of relationships. It is yet another pillar."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Did he offer them a beer?
An Indonesian student displays a picture of President Barack Obama with a sign reading 'Obama, the Muslim's enemy' during an anti-Obama protest at Parliament building in Jakarta in March. US President Barack Obama is to lay a key plank of his strategy to mend ties with the Islamic world when he hosts a summit to boost economic development in Muslim nations. (AFP/File/Bay Ismoyo)
OMG!.....Thanks again all you independent voters for this fart cloud!
LLS
a finely brewed Egyptian beer.. Pharaoh Ale
America once had two pillars ... lost from misapplication of technology.
the piece closes..
—
A recent BBC World Service poll of attitudes in 28 countries showed that Turks and Pakistanis still overwhelmingly believe the United States is a negative influence on the world.
The failure to broker a Middle East peace and still-bloody wars in Muslim countries loom large.
“This is a generational issue, this is something that is going to take time,” the administration official said.
—
something that is going to take time, ??
as long as President Bush’s WoT, decades.. perhaps?
Commerce Secretary Locke ought to take a cab out to Dulles airport sometime and check the number of flights to and from the Middle East, South, Central and Southwest Asia and check their manifests. Business has sprung to life and really needs no Washington dog and pony show to spur interest.
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2009/10/obama-offers-multi-million-dollar-technology-fund-for-muslim-nations.html
Perfect for all your beheadings! Right now selling at a discount, we can't do this all day!Perfect for removing the heads of infidels, no more fussing with sloppy chops caused by poor sword grip!
How about Lutherans, Baptists, Jews, Catholics, Hindus, etc. Guess we all have to be muslims to get his attention.
WE been pillaried .. or are about to be..
this guy sure does have a lot of summits. I am sure he will actually listen to the “muslim entrepreneurs”, which was a luxury that he simply refused to bestow on american republicans during the health care summit/charade.
Is anyone really surprised at this?
He will offer them millions upon million of no risk loans...probably just another front to funnel our taxpayer money back to radical charities so they can continue fund our destruction!!!
Saudi Arabia
China
India?
We can count on Obama for a new relationship with ALL cultures . . . and an iPod with his speeches or US videotapes for our (former) allies.
NOT!
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