Obama calls for a new beginning

QUOTING from the Quran for emphasis, US president Barack Obama called for a “new beginning between the United States and Muslims” and said together they could confront violent extremism across the globe and advance the search for peace in the Middle East.

“This cycle of suspicion and discord must end,” Obama said in a widely anticipated speech in one of the world’s largest Muslim countries, an address designed to reframe relations after 9/11 and the US-led war in Iraq.

The White House said Obama’s speech contained no new policy proposals on the Middle East. He said American ties with Israel are unbreakable, yet issued a firm, evenhanded call to the Jewish state and Palestinians alike to live up to their international obligations.