tagged w/ State Visits
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On the second day of her state visit to Slovenia, the Queen was given a Lipizzaner, a rare breed of horse. On the second day of her state visit to Slovenia, the Queen was given a Lipizzaner, a... more
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ClareW
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3 years ago
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Barack Obama began Monday his first on-the-ground inspection of Iraq since launching his bid for the White House, with U.S. commanders ready to brief him on progress in a war he long opposed and Iraqi leaders wanting more details of his proposals for troop withdrawals.
His stops in Baghdad — and other areas of the country — marked the second major leg of a war zone tour that opened in Afghanistan. The contrasts in tone and message were distinct.
Obama sees the battle against the resurgent Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan as America's most crucial fight and supports expanding troop strength to counter a sharp rise in attacks.
But Obama had stood against the Iraq invasion and now worries that an open-ended U.S. combat mission will sap military resources and focus — at a time when Iraq violence has dropped to its lowest level in four years.
The Illinois senator — traveling in a congressional delegation with Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Chuck Hagel, R-Neb. — arrived in the country early Monday. Their first stop was Basra, the U.S. Embassy said.
Basra is the center for about 4,000 British troops involved mostly in training Iraqi forces. An Iraqi-led offensive begun in March reclaimed control of most of the city from Shiite militia believed linked to Iran.
Travel plans for the Democratic presidential candidate were kept secret, but he was seen arriving for a meeting with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in the heavily protected Green Zone.
Obama has made no public statements since arriving in Iraq. There was no noticeable tightening of security on Baghdad's streets and inside the Green Zone.
The meetings were expected to include the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, and other military chiefs outlining the significant gains in recent months against both Shiite militia and Sunni insurgents including al-Qaida in Iraq.
The White House and military leaders — and many residents of Baghdad — trace the momentum back to last year's buildup of more than 30,000 troops in areas around Iraq's capital. Obama's challenger, Sen. John McCain, has tried to hammer Obama on his critical remarks before the so-called "surge."
In an interview Monday on ABC's "Good Morning America," McCain said he hoped Obama would now "have the opportunity to see the success of the surge." Barack Obama began Monday his first on-the-ground inspection of Iraq since launching... more
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kushan
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3 years ago
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British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Sunday demanded that Israel cease settlement construction and promised more money to jump-start the battered Palestinian economy.
In his first trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories as Britain's leader, Brown repeatedly stressed that economics are key to Mideast peace, and said Israel should ease travel restrictions in the West Bank that have hindered commerce.
But his strongest comments were reserved for the settlements: "I think the whole European Union is very clear on this matter: We want to see a freeze on settlements."
"Settlement expansion has made peace harder to achieve. It erodes trust, it heightens Palestinian suffering, it makes the compromises Israel needs to make for peace more difficult," Brown said at a news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.
Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said he would reserve comment on Brown's remarks until the British leader meets with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem later Sunday.
Abbas went further in his criticism of Israel's construction in disputed east Jerusalem and the adjacent West Bank, telling Brown that Israel lacks commitment to the "principles and spirit" of Mideast peace efforts. He singled out stepped-up construction of homes for Jews in areas of Jerusalem the Palestinians claim for their capital.
Israel and the Palestinians resumed peace talks late last year at a U.S.-backed conference in Annapolis, Md. Both sides had originally aspired to reach a final peace deal by the end of the year, but have backed away from that goal somewhat because of arguments over settlements and whether the Palestinians are capable of enforcing security in areas they control.
Under the first phase of the internationally backed "road map" peace plan, which forms the basis of the negotiations, Israel was to freeze all settlement construction and the Palestinians were to crack down on militant groups.
The international community is trying to bolster Abbas' moderate government, and Brown said Britain would donate $60 million on top of $500 million the British government has pledged to the Palestinians over the next three years. He spoke of the need to create jobs by building industrial parks, promoting small businesses and putting up desperately needed housing. He also promised to help the Palestinians train their security forces.
Peace efforts are also complicated by the fact that the Gaza Strip is ruled by militants from Hamas. Ismail Haniyeh, who heads the Hamas government in Gaza, said Sunday that Brown should visit Gaza to see the "humanitarian crisis" caused by Israel's blockade of the territory, "unfortunately with the participation of several countries, including European countries and the British themselves."
Israel imposed a partial blockade on Gaza in response to rocket fire from the territory on southern Israel. A cease-fire currently in effect has decreased the rocket fire and has led Israel to increase the trickle of goods entering Gaza.
Brown's two-day visit to the region has been overshadowed by a claim from a Shiite militia holding five British hostages in Iraq that one of the captives killed himself.
The British leader arrived in the region after visiting Iraq, where he met with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and discussed the plight of the British hostages kidnapped by a Shiite group a year ago. Shortly after his departure, he called the report that one of the men had committed suicide "a very distressing development" and demanded that the Shiite militia "immediately and unconditionally" release the Britons.
The British government has yet to authenticate the group's claim.British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Sunday demanded that Israel cease settlement... more
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kushan
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3 years ago
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Sen. Barack Obama dined with U.S. troops at an American base in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday before an expected meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
"This is my favorite thing to do," Obama said, as he sat with about two dozen soldiers, sailors and airmen in a military mess hall in Kabul.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee was visiting Afghanistan before he embarks on a tour of the Middle East and Europe, a trip aimed at boosting his foreign policy credentials.
The trip, which comes four months ahead of the presidential election, marks Obama's first visit to Afghanistan.
"The food is excellent, but the company's even better," Obama said. His loaded his plate with bacon and scrambled eggs, but he sidestepped the grits, saying "I'm going to try to be healthy."
Obama spoke briefly to a military reporter covering the event.
"To see young people like this, who are doing such excellent work with so much dedication and pride, it makes you feel good about the country," he said. "You want to make sure that everybody back home understands how much pride people take in their work here and how much sacrifice people are making. It's outstanding." Video Watch analyst discuss Obama's visit in Afghanistan »
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Anthony Lewis, a Houston, Texas, native who sat near Obama, said he was impressed with the senator's knowledge of football "and he also was in tune with what's going on."
"He's in tune with the people and the great part is he took time out of his schedule to come over and visit us not just at this camp but other surrounding camps in Afghanistan," Lewis said. "That says a lot about his trying to get in touch with the military, and that's great."Sen. Barack Obama dined with U.S. troops at an American base in Kabul, Afghanistan, on... more
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kushan
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3 years ago
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British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Saturday that plans are being made to scale back troops in Iraq, but he would not set an "artificial timetable."
According to the Associated Press, Brown's comments -- made during an unannounced visit to the Iraqi capital to hold talks with counterpart Nuri al-Maliki -- come in advance of next week's scheduled address to British lawmakers on Iraq, when he is expected to give more details on troop reduction plans.
Britain has about 4,000 troops in Iraq, based around the southern city of Basra. British troops handed over security control to Iraqis late last year, but still maintain a presence in Basra province.
According to AP, Brown said "enormous progress" had been made to lower violence and begin economic reconstruction around Iraq. "There has been a very big turnaround," he added.
Both leaders stressed the importance of building long-term relations between Iraq and Britain, the future of the British presence in Iraq and economic issues, the Iraqi government confirmed.
Brown also met with President Jalal Talabani and other Iraqi leaders, including Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, Shiite Vice President Adel Abdul Mehdi and Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, according to a statement from the Iraqi presidency. VideoWatch Gordon Brown's meeting with Iraqi leaders »
Other attendees of that meeting included the deputy president of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Kosart Rassoul, and other Kurdish officials.
"Talabani briefed Brown and the accompanying delegation on the political, security and economic developments Iraq has witnessed over the recent months which spread security and stability across the country," the presidential statement said.
They discussed issues concerning both countries "in a way that strengthens relations between Iraq and the United Kingdom in the upcoming period," according to the statement.
During the discussion, the British prime minister cited what he called, "positive political developments achieved recently," which he attributed to a drop in violence, the statement said.
Limiting militia and outlaw activity in Basra, Mosul and other areas contributed as well, he said.
Violence has decreased recently in Iraq, and there have been improvements in the performance of the Iraqi security forces.
Brown also paid particular attention to economic cooperation between Britain and Iraq, the statement said, specifically what role his country and British companies would play in the reconstruction and rebuilding of Iraq.
Talabani emphasized the importance of national harmony, and pointed to the return of the Accord Front -- the country's Iraq's largest Sunni Arab bloc -- rejoining the Cabinet on Saturday.
The bloc -- which includes 44 lawmakers in the 275-member parliament -- pulled six ministers from the Cabinet last August for several reasons, including the monopolization of power by Shiites and Kurds and what had been regarded as the unjust detention of Sunni Arabs.
The Accord Front's return was part of a deal announced July 1 in which al-Maliki accepted proposals from the bloc for five candidates to fill the several ministries that bloc members vacated last summer.
Brown's visit comes less than a week after the head of the British armed forces said troop levels in Iraq should start to come down over the course of 2009.
Air Chief Marshal Jock Stirrup, the chief of the defense staff, told the BBC that troop numbers will have be more "sustainable" given Britain's military involvement in Afghanistan.
On Friday, the White House said that President George W. Bush and Iraq's prime minister have agreed to set a "general time horizon" for bringing out more U.S. troops -- marking a dramatic shift from the administration's past refusals to discuss any kind of deadline or timetable.
The two men "agreed that the goals would be based on continued improving conditions on the ground and not an arbitrary date for withdrawal," the White House said in a statement.British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Saturday that plans are being made to scale... more
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kushan
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3 years ago
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Presidential hopeful Obama is expected in Iraq, which offers a different landscape than his last visit in 2006.
The future of Iraq promises to be a central issue in the November election battle for the White House.
Deborah Lutterbeck reports.
SOUNDBITES: Rear Admiral Patrick Driscoll, U.S. NavyPresidential hopeful Obama is expected in Iraq, which offers a different landscape... more
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kushan
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3 years ago
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There is a Baghdad that Sen. Barack Obama probably won't see.
It's places like the dirt strip that crosses under a highway and leads to a small home — and a couple and their six grown children seeking to move forward in a city where violence has eased but life for many remains mired in economic miseries and few opportunities.
"I want to believe that the future for Baghdad is now better, that we've turned a corner," said Abdul-Karim Sami, a reed-thin 60-year-old who once hobnobbed with Baghdad's elite as a tennis coach. "I truly want to believe that."
Then he ticks off the family's list of woes: food costs so high they have cut back on all but essentials; jobs so scarce his oldest son peddles trinkets on the street despite a university degree in economics; not enough money left over for a doctor visit or any emergency.
"I pray every day that nobody gets sick," Sami said.
Obama's visit to Iraq — the timing is being kept secret for security reasons — is expected to be brief and dominated by meetings with Iraqi officials and U.S. military commanders in the heavily guarded Green Zone.
Discussions about future U.S. troop withdrawals and the transition to Iraqi security control should be high on the agenda.
There likely will be less attention to other long-term challenges facing whoever next occupies the White House: how to help rebuild Iraq and lift an economy flattened by sanctions and war, but holding oil riches and potential paydirt for investors willing to gamble that security gains will stick.
Both Washington and Iraqi officials have shifted more resources toward reconstruction and development projects of all kinds. The U.S. military announced Friday the completion of a water pumping station south of Baghdad and an elementary school in eastern Baghdad. On Saturday, a groundbreaking ceremony was planned for a new hotel in the Green Zone.
Like many Iraqis, Sami and his family are impatient for some direct benefits to come their way.There is a Baghdad that Sen. Barack Obama probably won't see.
It's places... more
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kushan
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3 years ago
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So it's the first State visit that any French President has been on in 12 years. I hadn't realised that things had gotten so bad, apparently France has tried to call but we've not been answering. It's been going straight onto the answer phone for more than a decade before Nicolas Sarkozy finally came over personally to deliver his message of reconciliation.
He wants England and France to "move from being cordial to being friendly," a bold move indeed, but I for one like his style... and his wife.
"It has been long enough now that we have not been at war, that we are not wrangling...this friendship shouldn't simply be a matter of principle. I want [it] fleshed out by concrete projects on the economy, immigration, security, defence."
Sarkozy will meet with our very own Gordon Brown in an event that will no doubt set in stone so many stereotypes about the French and English; where they have style, we have Gordon Brown.
With France always distancing itself from the United States, is this the beginnings of a diplomatic tug of war in which England is pulled into a stronger relationship with Europe or remaining locked in policy with the States? If so, which way should we be heading?So it's the first State visit that any French President has been on in 12 years.... more
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