Barack Obama has taped his first formal television interview as President. He chose the Arabic cable TV network Al-Arabiya for this event. Read about it below. We have the transcript and video here.
Barack Obama
Barack Obama has already taped his first formal interview with a major news outlet as President of the United States. The news outlet he has chosen for this honor is the Dubai based Arabic cable TV network Al-Arabiya.
The Obama Al-Arabiya interview was taped earlier this evening and is airing at 11 p.m. (ET) tonight. Al-Arabiya boasts an audience of over 23 million throughout the Gulf region in the Middle East.
This interview happens as Special Envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, is in the air on his way there to start negotiating a cease fire between Israel and Hamas, the ruling party of Palestine.
Obama announced he was sending Mitchell to the Middle East to fix things up there earlier today with Mitchell and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sitting on either side of him. Obama stated of Mitchell’s charge in the Middle East: “Compared to steroids, this is going to be a breeze,”. He was referring to Mitchell heading up the 2006 and 2007 investigation into steroid abuse in Major League baseball.
Baseball or Peace in the Middle East. I guess which one is more difficult to deal with would depend on one’s frame of reference.
He went on to give a long rambling statement about the importance of the Middle East Peace process. The point of which was basically that he was going to fix it all and everything would be okay because he is the arbiter of hope and change. That’s just my summary of it. Besides, if you don’t like it, he’ll just remind you that he won so naner naner naner.
We are familiar with how he communicates with the American people, now we will be able to see and hear how he communicates to the enormous Arabic audience he will command in his interview on Al-Arabiya television tonight. We have the transcript and video for you below.
* transcript will be included as soon as it is available.
Obama Al-Arabiya Interview - Video
Photo: wenn.com
January 26th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Only rightwinged morons would requier a “translation” for an enterview that was conducted intirely in english…
God help you all.
January 26th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Sean, the English language can be a better friend.
Nice post, Beth. One wonders why Obama thinks he can solve a 4,000 year old problem when our economy is the real problem. Does he think that he is Abraham?
January 26th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Sean. morons? Really? surely you can do better than that. Why does the left only know a few words to insult Americans when they don’t agree with them? When you have no argument you call us ‘morons’. That’s so 2008! Come up with something new. Sheesh.
January 26th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
It’s “transcript” not “translation”. It’s entirely in English. Get a dictionary, or an education.
January 26th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
McCain - Not Abraham - THE ONE!
He said in his interview that if only America quits being aggressive and understands them better, then that will solve it all. Didn’t Jimmy Carter try that just before Iran grabbed American hostages and held them until Carter left office?
January 26th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Beth,
Kirk and Sean seem to be drinking again.
Yes, Carter was the last Democrat president to believe that simplistic humility wins hearts in the middle east. This is a 30 year old retread strategy that already failed, and made America weaker in the process.
January 26th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Holy Taquiyah Fatwa Cheese Quesadilla…
I feel like I need a translation of that double dhimmi speak the Messiah is uttering!
January 26th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Dinah - you have a point actually. That’s why I offered my translation of what he was saying when he was talking about sending Mitchell to the Middle East. It DOES make heads hurt to try to figure out if there’s a point in the midst of all the grandiose soliloquies. Ha - that’s a mouth full!
January 26th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
hey Mccain, I did have a nice Cab but I was merely dis-ing Sean’s confusion of “transcript” (posted asa available) with the idea of a “translation”. He seemed confused, and he’s a bad speller. I think you lumped me in with him too quickly; but you were right about the Cab.
January 27th, 2009 at 12:43 am
My goodness i luv how some of these clowns come out and DISS Carter , i was in diaper when the poor man was in power, and at least he tried in the AREA where it all has to come back to in the end and thats sitting down and tyring to iron stuff out .
Since carter was in power.. which is the turn of the 80’s , America have tried the other way to solve the mideast crisis which is bombs and WARS more bombs and we are NO way near a solution… and thats been close to 30 years.
President Obama is trying the peace path again.We saw the WAR path didn’t bring us any closer. if peace dont happen under Pres Obama watch.. it will never happen.
January 27th, 2009 at 12:47 am
In that one interview President Obama expressed more leadership, intelligence and rationality to the Muslim world than President Bush did in 8 years. No matter our differences, it is evident that the world has become too small to hold on to the failed principles and strategies of the past. You have the full support of this American President Obama.
January 27th, 2009 at 4:02 am
maybe it’s time to let go of that left/right paradigm while we’re at it. so 2008.
January 27th, 2009 at 4:41 am
MRMA = Mutual Respect My @$$! The only way to secure peace in the middle east is to keep every Arab nation in poverty except Israel and the ones with oil. If the Islams get uppity, we bomb them into the stone age until there is peace. Or pieces.
January 27th, 2009 at 7:07 am
“MRMA = Mutual Respect My @$$! The only way to secure peace in the middle east is to keep every Arab nation in poverty except Israel and the ones with oil. If the Islams get uppity, we bomb them into the stone age until there is peace. Or pieces.”
And this will stop terrorism how? It’s like a recipe for accelerated terrorist recruitment.
January 27th, 2009 at 7:33 am
Hah !
I just E mailed McCain and tood him he might wanna do a post on this story.
Oh well, paradise has its drawbacks being 3 to 6 hours behind.
I noticed in the interview the messiah wanted the message out to other Muslims that he has relatives who are Muslim.
Smart move, lets remind them that you’re a Christian who supposedly was a Muslim at one time so they can behead you.
I dont know, and I dont care, but theres still those out there that believe hes a Muslim converted to christianity and Muslims dont take kindly to that.
You should see the way Paul Schem from the AP puts out the story on AOL.
http://news.aol.com/main/obama-presidency/article/obama-interview-arab-tv/318769
“Obama said the U.S. had made mistakes in the past but “that the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago, there’s no reason why we can’t restore that.”
And then the author moves on to do the obligatory Bush bash.
“During his presidency, former President George W. Bush gave several interviews to Al-Arabiya but the wars he launched in Iraq and Afghanistan prompted a massive backlash against the U.S. in the Muslim world.”
What would good journalism be these days without at least one or two shots at Bush ?
———————————————–
Ryan.
I was not in diapers during that fiasco of failure that Carter calls a presidency.
If you look at all the various methods of obtaining peace that have been tried in the middle east between Iran and the US, Israel and Arabs, just about everything that could be tried has been tried.
And so what does Obama do ?
The same damn thing that has failed time and time again.
Only a freaking ego like his could make him believe that it is him who will do the same thing the same way and get different results.
Carters term was tha last time we saw as many Dems in power as we see today, and look what happened then. Were on our way to seeing that all over again, and then they’ll try to fix it with more failed methods from the 30s and drag this out for at least another 6 to 8 years.
Jay.
Give it up.
Were not coming together.
January 27th, 2009 at 7:33 am
If you have rats in your house, Liberals talk about what should be done to help rats not want to live in someones home that it your fault because you have a nice house and they don’t have anywhere to live and that we should have a place for the rats to live peacefully with everyone. Then they blame Bush because rats are just misunderstood and if Conservatives would just try and understand why rats have such a negative image, but that they really are funny loving and peaceful, then we could stop the fighting and live happy ever after. But that won’t happen if we try and kill them. We should talk. Maybe go on Oprah and cry some. Mean conservatives.
Conservatives kill the rats and remove them. Problem soved.
Obama should feel right at home on Arab TV. Can you imagine the attacks that George Bush would have gotten if he had gone on Arab TV.
I guess that if there was video of Obama killing a guy, the left would say, “The guy was going to die anyway and Obama was just helping him.” I think we all now know that Mr. Obamas poop does not stink.
January 27th, 2009 at 7:55 am
First Post-Inauguration Interview Goes To Al-Arabiya and Keeping America and Israel Safe…
Well isn’t this interesting … United States President Barack Hussein Obama gives his first post-inauguration sit down interview to a correspondent from al-Arabiya, the Dubai-based satellite network that is one of the largest English-language TV outl…
January 27th, 2009 at 7:57 am
I am truly amazed at the willingness to not even give the guy a try at this type of diplomacy. We have had a horrible past 8 years and the majority of Americans seem to want to put that behind. The guy has been in office a week and because his views differ from yours, you decide that he is automatically wrong. Your views have given this country nothing but heartache. It is time to try something new. And, for many of you, please, please, PLEASE….learn the english language. Your spelling and grammar are atrocious and just serve to keep the stereotype that extreme right-wingers as uneducated.
January 27th, 2009 at 8:18 am
Jay,
You guys did what we are doing for that last 8 years. Except we don’t hate Obama, we just disagree with him. You all should be happy. You have control of 2 out of 3 branches of the government.
We happen the think that Obama is a lightweight and in over his head. If anything comes of this, we will give credit to him. But I am pretty sure that this will not work no matter who is trying. These people are not interested in getting along. They are rats.
January 27th, 2009 at 8:25 am
Alex.
Let me explain something to you.
Of all the 1.84 billion Muslims in this world 50 % of them say that there is always some justification for a suicide bombing. 50% of the Muslim population in Pakistan has a favorable image of Bin Laden.
Now, that group of people are not even the ones that are out to kill us, and then lets look at how little we see the Muslim population coming out to condemn radical Muslim movements.
Where’s the outcry from these people ? HUH ?
If the US did to Canada what Al Queda did to us on 911 the American population would be appalled, and the perpetrators would be hunted down like rats and brought to justice.
Do you see the Muslim population acting that way ?
Not at all. They just give the generic obligatory acts of condolence that deep inside I suspect is equivalent to them just them shrugging their shoulders.
No matter what brand of Islam Muslims decide to believe in they all teach that those who are not Muslim should die.
Even moderate Muslims see our way life as a sin whether we are Christians or not.
Obama kissing Arab a$$ in this interview is going to do nothing more than give radicals more ammo and justification for their actions when it appears as if we have something to apologize for.
Jay, his views are not new.
That is how we are able to criticize them.
Our views have saved hundreds, maybe thousands of American lives and even some foreigners and other Mualims.
And lay off being the damn grammar police.
Dont let it bother you so much, it clearly shows a lack of priorities.
Their are plenty of people out there that can spell with perfection but are still as dumb as rock.
If ya gitcher point across who cares ?
January 27th, 2009 at 8:52 am
Micky,
They don’t see your point because they are smarter then us. Alex misses the point that Muslims don’t care about human conditions. They treat women like property and see America and Christians as evil and lower the dogs or women.
Jay thinks that Obama will just walk in and find out what they want to play nice and he will do it even if it is against Israel.
The problem in the Middle East is Iran. It has been Iran for the last 32 years. Remember how Iran took hostage our embassy and how inept Carter was. Ocarter is just as inept.
Muslims want the world to return to 900 BC. No America, no Christians. And the left is somehow okay with that.
January 27th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Part of the difficulty here is that our past policies (Dem and Rep) have been to support Arab rulers who are both incompetent and harsh. What would we think of the English if they had for 100 years sought to support a “President for life”?
Islamic extremism is an outgrowth of the lack of expression and economic opportunity possible in the Arab street. Add to that the unnerving experience of globalization and you have a ripe mix for anti-Americanism, anti-Westernism etc. In fact there have been and will be more attacks on Chinese and Indians going to work in these countries as they now also represent the globalization threat felt by the average Arab—specifically the Arab male who is not free, under-employed if employed at all, had to bribe someone to get his job in the first place and then faces marrying a woman who likely has seen Sex and the City on satellite! Our support for Israel only exacerbates this fear and uncertainty.
I agree that there is a long row to hoe here, but in the end, we cannot move forward the goal of free trade/free speech without understanding the context in which Arabs find themselves today.
Our battle with Al Qaeda is cultural, and economic—any cracks we can induce in their paradigm serves our long term interests. They are not offering a viable alternative, just a nostalgic trip into the past, and as we keep the pressure on (yes through engagement ala Nixon in China), we will find more and more internal allies that will choose our side over the 16th century vision of Al Qaeda.
Consider how successful our stonewalling with Cuba has been vs. our openness with China—we face the same choice today with regards to the Arab/Persian world.
The youth want what they see on satellite TV—just like the kids here.
January 27th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Forgot—George—no, Arabs (and Iranians) want jobs. Look at Indonesia, or Malaysia–both majority Muslim countries that have had significant successes economically by being secular, transparent and free-market-oriented.
Iran was for most of its history our BEST ally in the Middle East. Once we decided to help overthrow their elected government, we pretty much choose the wrong side—then the Shah falls and we’ve been at odds ever since.
That does not make the Iranian/Persian people any less likely to be an ally again someday. Iran is strategically located, has a wealth of natural resources, and has had a large, multi-cultural society for centuries (including large Christian and Jewish populations though many have emigrated since the fall of the Shah).
Again our demonization has legitimized their current theocracy who is playing the Castro card—anytime a ruler can point at an external threat, we only support their further rule.
Of course there is a long way to go, but you can’t make broad statements like that without seeming like you have no clue. *Some* Muslims are nostalgic for the Caliphate, but that is only because their current alternatives are relatively bleak! They long to be culturally, and economically relevant, no different than anyone else.
January 27th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Good points Eric.
We might add that having a theocratic government based on Islam doesnt help Arab trade and commercial infrastructure much either.
Arabs should really look around the world so they can see that theocrasies have never worked.
I guess maybe they think that only Arabs/Muslims have special genes or something and are immune to the effects of this type of rulership and being treated like subjects.
January 27th, 2009 at 9:47 am
Eric you make some good points. But I think you know that the muslims were are fighting are the extreme muslims that want a world like 900 BC. They would kill their own children to get it.
There are so many that are so full of hate. Why is that so hard to see?