Obama Promises Swift Action on Economy
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US president-elect says his administration will immediately begin efforts to restore economy when he is sworn into office January 20
President-elect Barack Obama answers a question during a news conference in Chicago, 7 Nov. 2008U.S. President-elect Barack Obama says his administration will immediately begin efforts to restore the economy when he is sworn into office on January 20.During the Democratic weekly radio address Saturday, Mr. Obama said the country has no time to lose and that an economic stimulus package should be passed as soon as possible. He promised to move swiftly on a plan for working class families to stem the economic crisis and restore long term economic prosperity. He also said his administration would evaluate the U.S. bailout of the financial industry to ensure it is not "unduly" rewarding managers of corporations that received government help. The president-elect also promised to push ahead with priorities like developing clean energy, reforming healthcare, and improving education. Mr. Obama warned that difficult choices will have to be made. But he said America will succeed if everyone sets partisanship aside and works together as one nation.U.S. President George Bush Saturday said Mr. Obama can count on the White House to help ensure he makes a seamless transition to power. During his weekly radio address, Mr. Bush said a smooth transfer of power is his top priority.Mr. Bush and president-elect Obama will meet on Monday to discuss the transition.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
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Obama Moves Quickly to Staff Administration
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Political analysts say transition to new administration particularly important with US facing economic emergency, wars in Iraq, Afghanistan
President-elect Barack Obama is moving quickly to fill important jobs in his administration and develop his response to the economic crisis. Political analysts say the transition to the new administration is particularly important with the nation facing an economic emergency as well as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. VOA correspondent Meredith Buel has more from Washington. President-elect Obama with Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, and Vice President-elect Joe Biden during a meeting with his economic advisory team in Chicago, 7 Nov. 2008After meeting with his newly-formed Transition Economic Advisory Board Friday Mr. Obama left no doubt about the top priority of his administration."Immediately after I become president, I am going to confront this economic crisis head on by taking all necessary steps to ease the credit crisis, help hard working families and restore growth and prosperity," he said.But Mr. Obama was also careful to point out the United States has only one president at a time and the Bush administration will run the government until January 20 when he is sworn in as America's 44th president. In this June 6, 2008 file photo, Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., left, talks with then-Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack ObamaStill, Mr. Obama has indicated he wants to move quickly during the transition and within days of the election he announced his selection of Representative Rahm Emanuel as his White House Chief of Staff.Leon Panetta, who served as chief of staff to former President Bill Clinton, says Mr. Obama's next appointments should focus on the economy."Hopefully the next step will be to put an economic team in place, early, because of the importance of transitioning now on economic issues," he said. "This is an unusual situation, where the president-elect of the United States not only is facing huge deficits and an economy in recession, but has a $700 billion rescue plan, which puts the president right in the middle of running the banks and the credit systems in this country."Panetta says as soon as the economic team is in place Mr. Obama needs to make important appointments to deal with national security issues, especially the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.Panetta says the president-elect must also move swiftly to improve America's image overseas."I do think it is really important for the president, obviously to reach out to the international world and reestablish relations with the world and reintroduce the United States to the rest of the world," he said. "Reaffirm our alliances, listen to people abroad."The Director of Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, Darrell West, says Mr. Obama needs to lower expectations about how much can be accomplished in the days and weeks after he is sworn in. West says during the transition Mr. Obama needs to explain just how difficult it will be to solve the economic crisis."Obama joked about being Superman. The problem he faces is that there are too many people in the United States, as well as around the world, who actually see him that way and expect him to perform miracles," he said. "Now he is an individual who has extraordinary leadership and communications abilities, but he is also taking office at the time of our most challenging transition since the Great Depression."Terry Edmonds was the director of speechwriting for President Clinton. He says Mr. Obama maybe the best communicator in the White House since Ronald Reagan.Edmonds says the skills that helped Mr. Obama win the election will serve him well during the transition and when he takes office."Barack Obama will begin his administration with some strong qualities that he has demonstrated throughout the campaign, which are steadfastness, a consistent message," he said. "He is a great communicator."On Monday, Mr. Obama will meet with President Bush to discuss the transfer of power. No recent president-elect from an opposing party has been received at the White House so quickly after an election, underscoring how rapidly the transition is occurring in a time of war and financial crisis.
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Iran Criticizes Obama for Comment on Nuclear Program
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Iranian state media (IRNA) quotes parliament speaker as saying US president-elect's remark signifies pursuit of same 'erroneous US policy of past'
Ali Larijani (file photo)Iran's parliament speaker has criticized U.S. President-elect Barack
Obama for saying Tehran's pursuit of nuclear weapons is unacceptable.Iranian
state media (IRNA) quotes Ali Larijani as saying Mr. Obama's remark
signifies pursuit of what Larijani called the same "erroneous U.S.
policy of the past."Larijani said the United States should send
appropriate signals to Middle Eastern countries if it wants to change
the situation in the region.Mr. Obama referred to Iran's atomic
program on Friday in his first news conference since winning the U.S.
presidential election. He also said Iran's support for terrorist
groups must cease.He also said he will review a letter of
congratulation sent to him by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and
respond appropriately.The United States and its Western allies
accuse Iran of working to produce a nuclear weapon. Iran says its
atomic program is intended solely to generate electricity.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
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Secretary of State Rice to Meet Lavrov, Other Quartet Participants
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Group to hear progress report from Israeli and Palestinian negotiators; expected to affirm support for continuing negotiations
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other participants in the
Middle East Quartet are due to meet in Egypt's resort town of Sharm
el-Sheikh Sunday, to discuss the progress in peace talks between Israel
and the Palestinians. The group will hear a progress report from
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, and is expected to affirm support
for continuing the negotiations despite upcoming government changes in
Israel and the U.S. Edward Yeranian reports for VOA from Cairo.The
Middle East Quartet, which include United States, the U.N., the EU and
Russia, are set to meet Sunday in the Egyptian Sinai peninsula resort
town of Sharm el-Sheikh, amid a wait-and-see attitude following the
recent U.S. presidential election and upcoming Israeli elections, early
in 2009.Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit (r) shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during a meeting after her arrival in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, 08 Nov 2008Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is on her 19th
visit to the Middle East, and will meet with Russian Foreign Minister
Serguei Lavrov, Saturday night, before a late dinner meeting with
Quartet host, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit.Rice
is "concentrating on narrowing the distance to peace," between Israel
and the Palestinians, while admitting frankly that she doesn't expect a
major breakthrough in the waning weeks of the Bush administration.Security
in the Sinai Peninsula has been extremely tight in the leadup to the
meeting, with Al-Arabiya TV reporting that Egyptian police seized a ton
of TNT, Friday, although it was believed that the explosives were
headed for the Gaza Strip.French Foreign Minister Bernard
Kouchner, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, and the Quartet's special
envoy Tony Blair will also participate in the weekend get-together.The
Sharm el-Sheikh gathering comes almost a year after a peace conference
in Annapolis, Maryland reignited peace negotiations, which had been
stalled for the first seven years of the Bush administration.Secretary
Rice has called the Annapolis conference "vital and vibrant" and urged
that its work continue, despite the lack of progress over the thorny
issues of Palestinian refugees, the ultimate status of Jerusalem, and
the borders of a yet-to-be Palestinian state.The goal of the Quartet has been to reach a peace deal that would set up an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.Former
Egyptian Foreign Minister, Esmet Abd al-Meguid says that Egypt has long
worked to find a solution to the Palestinian problem and meetings such
as this one are a step in the right direction, even if no immediate
results are to be expected."I consider that this is an attempt
to reach a solution to the problem, and by having a meeting like that
happening in Sharm el-Sheikh, we have to help in achieving results," he
said. "If there is no success, than this should take place later on. I
think it is needed because any attempt to reach a solution to help in
solving a problem is something we should support ... this is my belief."Abd
al-Meguid thinks that both the United States and Israel need to make a
concerted effort to find a solution to the Palestinian problem, and
that the Palestinians should not always be the ones that are pressured
to make concessions:"According to what we try in Egypt to find
a solution to a problem, this should be encouraged, but also the other
side, the Israelis must be helpful in that," he said. "I am not aware
of what they are doing, but certainly there is a responsibility on the
United States to support and to find a solution to the problem, this is
my opinion according to what I was dealing with many years ago."
"I'm not
criticizing. I'm trying to find a solution. this is something that
should be helpful, it should be reaching a solution to a problem…the
Palestinians have problems, I think, they are entitled to reach a
solution for them, and not to put pressure on them," he added.The Arab
press is putting extremely low expectations on the Quartet meeting,
with the daily Asharqalawsat running a caricature of two empty chairs,
representing the United States and Israe,l and indicating that both
countries will soon have new leaders.In Sharm el-Sheikh, few
are expecting any dramatic developments in the peace process, but none
of the participants are overtly criticizing the talks, and their mere
presence appears to be a step in the right direction.
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US Official: Taliban Tactics Deliberately Endanger Afghan Civilians
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Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher says Taliban fighters also adopting more terrorist-like tactics to undermine trust in government
A top U.S. diplomat says Taliban militants in Afghanistan are deliberately putting civilians in harms way when engaging coalition forces. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said Taliban fighters also are adopting more terrorist-like tactics to undermine trust in the government. VOA's Barry Newhouse reports from Kabul. With international confidence in Afghanistan's government faltering and violence on the rise, Afghan officials recently have voiced as much concern over civilian deaths from coalition forces as the rising power of the Taliban. Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks during press conference at presidential palace in Kabul, 05 Nov 2008This week President Karzai called on U.S. President elect Barack Obama to make ending the civilian deaths a top priority when he takes office. He cited an airstrike on Monday that Afghan officials says killed 37 civilians and 26 militants in Kandahar. Many of the civilians were believed to be part of a wedding party. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher says Taliban fighters appear to be choosing to attack coalition forces from civilian areas. "We are dealing with an enemy that often deliberately inserts itself in villages or compounds - the other day they were fighting from within a wedding party and put them in harm's way. So it's very difficult to avoid these incidents," he said.Boucher says U.S. officials are acutely aware of the need to reduce civilian casualties and are examining ways to use air power more responsibly. He says conducting more joint patrols with Afghan forces has helped.Richard Boucher (file photo)"We do a lot more now with Afghan troops," he said. "I think over half the operations actually now have Afghan forces in the lead now - they tend to operate with a little more cultural sensitivity that tends to reduce civilian casualties."U.S. officials are considering a wide array of options to counter the Taliban insurgency, including recruiting Afghan tribes to turn against militants. Boucher said a key factor will be the government's ability to conduct community outreach in Afghanistan's vast rural areas, to try to undermine the local support base for the Taliban.
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75 Killed in Haiti School Collapse
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Church-run 'La Promesse' school in Petionville caved in heap of cement slabs, steel rods, destroying nearby residences
Scene at school collapse in Haiti, 7 Nov 2008
Emergency workers in Haiti are searching for survivors trapped in the rubble of a three-story school that collapsed Friday, killing at least 75 people - mostly children.The church-run "La Promesse" (The Promise) school in Petionville, outside Port-au-Prince, collapsed into a heap of cement slabs and steel rods, destroying nearby residences. At the scene, crying parents searched desperately for their children, while bodies lay crushed under piles of concrete.About 700 students were enrolled at the school, but it is unclear how many were inside the building at the time of collapse. Officials fear the death toll will rise.Haitian President Rene Preval visited the scene early Saturday to oversee rescue efforts. U.N. peacekeeping troops are also assisting. Police say they will investigate the collapse, which some speculate was caused by shoddy construction work. The school's top story had been under construction when the building caved in.Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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Britain Revokes Thailand's Ousted PM's Visa
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Media reports say British Embassy in Bangkok sent e-mail to airlines advising them not to transport Thaksin Shinawatra, his wife to Britain from any port
Thailand's deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra (2nd-R) and his wife Pojaman (L) leave court in Bangkok, 31 Jul 2008Airline officials say Britain has revoked the visas of Thailand's ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Pojanan.British officials would not comment, but media reports Saturday said the British Embassy in Bangkok sent an e-mail to airlines advising them not to transport the couple to Britain from any port.Thaksin, ousted in a 2006 military coup, jumped bail in early August and fled to Britain, where he has been living in exile. He has since been sentenced in absentia to two years in prison for corruption.Thai prosecutors have said they would seek Thaksin's extradition.The former Thai leader's whereabouts are unknown, but media reports say he is traveling in China.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
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US Calls Bolivian Drug Charges Absurd
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Morales charges DEA encouraged drug trafficking instead of fighting it
The State Department Friday rejected as patently absurd a charge by Bolivian President Evo Morales that U.S. drug enforcement agents encouraged drug trafficking in Bolivia. Mr. Morales has given the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the DEA, three months to cease operations in the country. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.In another sign of frayed U.S.-Bolivian relations, the Bush administration has sharply rejected a charge by the country's leftist president of U.S. involvement in the local drug trade. Bolivia's President Evo Morales waves to supporters during a political rally in La Paz, 5 Nov 2008Mr. Morales, in comments Thursday defending his decision to expel the U.S. drug agency, said the DEA had instead of fighting drug trafficking actually encouraged it, and said he had ample evidence to back up the charge.The Bolivian leader had earlier accused the DEA of encouraging anti-government unrest in Bolivia in September.At a news briefing, State Department Deputy Spokesman Robert Wood dismissed the Morales charges as totally unfounded:"The charges that have been made are just patently absurd. We reject them categorically," said Wood. "The United States has had good cooperation with the Bolivian government over 35 years with regard to counter-narcotics cooperation. Should the Bolivian government decided to sever its working relationship with us with regard to counter-narcotics, it's going to impact the Bolivian people," he said.Wood said if the U.S. agency does leave Bolivia, the United States will look for other ways to counter the drug trade in the region.President Bush last month suspended trade preferences for Bolivia after a State Department report said the Morales government had failed to fully cooperate with U.S.-led anti-drug efforts.In September, President Morales expelled U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg over charges, similar to those made against the DEA, that the U.S. mission in La Paz was conspiring with the political opposition.
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Ivory Auctions in Southern Africa Raise Over $15 Million
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Funds to support African elephant conservation, local communities
Conservationists say ivory auctions in four Southern African countries this week have raised more than $15 million for conservation efforts. The ivory sale was organized by CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. The organization says the money will go for African elephant conservation and to support local communities. Lisa Schlein reports from Geneva. Tusks are displayed in Windhoek at the first legal auction of elephant tusks in nearly a decade, 28 Oct 2008 Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe sold more than 100 tons of ivory to Chinese and Japanese accredited traders. CITES says all the ivory sold was from legal, government-owned stocks.CITES Senior Officer in the Anti-smuggling, Fraud and Organized Crime Office, John Sellar, said most of the ivory came from elephants that died of natural causes during the last 20 years or were culled before 1994 as part of a population control program."They were not killed in order to get their ivory. And, often the story seems to be out in the media that these countries have gone out and slaughtered elephants in order to get ivory to sell. That is not the case at all. They are selling ivory that is being naturally accumulated. They would have this ivory whatever else they did," he said.CITES banned all international commercial ivory trade in 1989. In a first experiment, it allowed Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe to sell their legal stocks of raw ivory in 1997. It says the five million dollars they made from the sales were used for elephant conservation activities. As a consequence, CITES said the poaching levels in Africa decreased for two consecutive years following the sale. Sellar rejected criticism that the sale of legal ivory promotes elephant poaching. He said there is an incredible misconception that the CITES ban put an end to poaching.He said the illegal trade and poaching of elephants never stopped. And, in recent years there have been major seizures of illegal ivory leaving Africa and going to Asia.He said markets awash in illegal ivory can be found in some African countries that supposedly are vehemently opposed to this trade."There is, I am afraid, incredible hypocrisy attached to all this and misconceptions attached to all this," Sellar said. "We are convinced that by allowing this legal trade that should help impact upon the illegal activities. There is a legal demand that exists in China and Japan. It has existed there for centuries. That demand is not going to go away. I have explained that you have this legal supply in southern Africa. CITES believes that it makes sense to connect these two and by doing so, hopefully, one removes the need for poaching and illegal trade," he said. Sellar calls the illegal trade in ivory a big rip-off. He says ivory that has entered the market illegally over the past year has sold for between $750 and $850 a kilogram. He says the average price of ivory sold at the legal auctions was about $160 per kilogram.He says this is clearly an instance where crime does not pay, at least for the buyer.
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James Taylor 'Covers' Wide Musical Ground on Latest Release
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Singer known for reinventing classics
Singer James Taylor has been known to search high and low for just the right "cover" song. His knack for reinventing the classics has earned him some of his biggest hits dating back almost four decades. As VOA's Doug Levine tells us, Taylor's latest search has paid off with a brand new collection of "Covers." This is not your typical album of cover songs, but on it, James Taylor covers a lot of musical ground, from Leiber and Stoller's "Hound Dog" to "Why Baby Why" by country star George Jones.James Taylor, who turned 60 this year, admits that he has been doing cover songs since the beginning of his career, and probably for years even before he signed his first recording contract in 1968.
He says, "This is not uncharted water for me."One of Taylor's most famous covers, from his 1975 release "Gorilla," is "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)," written by legendary Motown songwriters Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland and his brother Eddie Holland. Now, more than 30 years after recording it, Taylor tackles another Holland-Dozier-Holland hit, "(I'm A) Road Runner."Taylor gives us a second Motown favorite, "It's Growing" by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, as well as new versions of songs by Leonard Cohen, Jimmy Webb, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran and The Dixie Chicks.A special edition of Covers offered by a cable television shopping channel includes four bonus tracks, featuring James Taylor singing Wilson Pickett's "In The Midnight Hour," Eddie Floyd's "Knock On Wood," The Silhouettes' "Get A Job," and "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'" by Rogers and Hammerstein.Also included is Taylor's pop-jazz update of "On Broadway," a Top 10 hit for The Drifters in 1963.
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