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Obama to Muslims:
The U.S. is not your enemy

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Barack Obama Presidential Transition

Obama's first formal interview on Al-Arabiya TV

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Obama to pursue Middle East peace

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington, January 26, 2009

President Barack Obama presented a diploatic face of America to the Islamic world Monday January 26th, 2009 in his first formal interview since he inauguaration. He mentioned his own Muslim relationships and his hopes for a Palestinian state. He did not employ belligerence in the outreach to the Muslim world — even when he was asked if America could "live with" an Iranian nuclear weapon.

The interview was with the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya Network.

It was a public diplomacy aimed at making use of President Obama's international popularity, while balancing America's commitment to Israel. President Obama called America's commitment to Israel "paramount."

"I have Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim countries," Obama said, according to a White House transcript. "My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy."

The Al Arabiya interview, was broadcast and aimed directed at Muslims around the world.

Obama was reiterating his continuing belief and using his personal power as a symbol of America against the influence of Islamic militancy.

The interview preceded the departure of Obama's special envoy to the Middle East, , George Mitchell, and a more aggressive and optimistic approach to that conflict than some argued that the circumstances dictated. President Obama gave no timeline for peace, but gave a firm view that a Palestinian state remains within reach.

"What I told him is start by listening, because all too often the United States starts by dictating — in the past on some of these issues — and we don't always know all the factors that are involved," Obama said. "What we want to do is to listen, set aside some of the preconceptions that have existed and have built up over the last several years. And I think if we do that, then there's a possibility at least of achieving some breakthroughs."

Obama attempted to sympathize with the concerns of ordinary Muslims on the question of living conditions in the West Bank.

"Will the United States ever live with a nuclear Iran? And if not, how far are you going in the direction of preventing it?" asked Hisham Melhem, the Al Arabiya Washington Bureau Chief.

Obama expressing disapproval of an Iranian bomb.

"You know, I said during the campaign that it is very important for us to make sure that we are using all the tools of U.S. power, including diplomacy, in our relationship with Iran," he said. "Now, the Iranian people are a great people, and Persian civilization is a great civilization. Iran has acted in ways that's not conducive to peace and prosperity in the region: their threats against Israel; their pursuit of a nuclear weapon which could potentially set off an arms race in the region that would make everybody less safe; their support of terrorist organizations in the past -- none of these things have been helpful."

During the campaign and transition periods, Obama's condemnations of an Iranian nuclear weapon were more direct: "(Iran's) development of nuclear weapons would be unacceptable," Obama said on Meet the Press on December 7, 2008.

A senior Obama aide said Monday night that Obama had not changed his views on Iran.

Obama also signaled a move away from President Bush's confrontational, generalizing language. Melhem noted to Obama that "President Bush framed the war on terror conceptually in a way that was very broad, 'war on terror,' and used sometimes certain terminology that the many people -- Islamic fascism. You've always framed it in a different way, specifically against one group called al Qaeda and their collaborators."

"I think that you're making a very important point. And that is that the language we use matters," Obama replied. "(...)what we need to understand is, is that there are extremist organizations -- whether Muslim or any other faith in the past -- that will use faith as a justification for violence. We cannot paint with a broad brush a faith as a consequence of the violence that is done in that faith's name."

"And so you will I think see our administration be very clear in distinguishing between organizations like al Qaeda -- that espouse violence, espouse terror and act on it -- and people who may disagree with my administration and certain actions, or may have a particular viewpoint in terms of how their countries should develop," he said. "We can have legitimate disagreements but still be respectful. I cannot respect terrorist organizations that would kill innocent civilians and we will hunt them down."

"Israel is a strong ally of the United States. They will not stop being a strong ally of the United States. And I will continue to believe that Israel's security is paramount," he said. "But I also believe that there are Israelis who recognize that it is important to achieve peace. They will be willing to make sacrifices if the time is appropriate and if there is serious partnership on the other side."

Asked why Al Arabiya had been granted the president's first interview, and aide said: "We want to communicate directly to the entire world America's new foreign policy."