US here to stay as Pacific power: Obama tells Asia

CANBERRA, Nov 16: In a clear message to China, President Barack Obama said that US will maintain its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region despite budget cuts, saying that America was "here to stay" as a Pacific power.

"The United States is a Pacific power, and we are here to stay," Obama said in a speech to the Australian parliament, a day after announcing that the US would send military aircraft and up to 2,500 Marines to northern Australia.

China immediately questioned the US move and said it deserved further scrutiny.

Addressing the special joint sitting of the Australian Parliament, Obama told MPs and senators he had directed his national security team to make "our presence and mission in the Asia-Pacific a top priority"."As a result, reductions in United States defence spending will not, I repeat, will not come at the expense of the Asia-Pacific," he said. While he stressed that the US was "here to stay" as a Pacific power, he said the US is focused on the region as the one that will define the future of the world. "The United States has and always will be a Pacific nation," he said.

"Let there be no doubt, in the AsiaPacific in the 21st century, the United States of America is all in," he added.

Obama said that given its size, resources and the economic growth that the region had witnessed in recent years, Asia-Pacific countries were playing an increasingly important role globally.

"As the world's fastest-growing region - and home to more than half the global economy - Asia is critical to achieving my highest priority: creating jobs and opportunity for the American people," Obama said.

"With most of the world's nuclear powers and nearly half of humanity, this region will largely define whether the century ahead will be marked by conflict or co-operation, needless suffering or human progress," he said.

He said that the US was keen to increase its presence in the region and play a bigger role in its development and progress. "As president, I've therefore made a deliberate and strategic decision - as a Pacific nation, the United States will play a larger and long-term role in shaping this region and its future, by upholding core principles and in close partnership with allies and friends."

Obama said US military, along with Australians, had fought and died in the region and its mission now was to promote security, prosperity and human dignity.

"Americans have bled with you for this progress and we will never allow it to be reversed," he said. "That's what we stand for, that's who we are, that's the future we will pursue in league with our allies and friends with every element of American power."

Obama and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced an expansion of US military activity in Australia, beginning with an increase in the presence of US Marines from mid-2012, a move that angered China.

Obama addressed the Chinese unease, pledging to seek greater cooperation with Beijing. He welcomed the rise of China as a world economic and military power but said he wanted more engagement between US and Chinese armed forces "to avoid misunderstandings".

"All of our nations have a profound interest in the rise of a peaceful and prosperous China," he said, adding the US would welcome it. "We've seen that China can be a partner from reducing tensions on the Korean Peninsula to preventing proliferation." The US would seek more opportunities for cooperation with China including greater "communication" between their respective militaries to promote understanding and avoid "miscalculation", he said.

Obama also referred to China's poor record on human rights, free trade, intellectual property theft, its refusal to fully float its currency and the lack of freedoms granted to the Chinese people. "We will do this even as we continue to speak candidly to Beijing about the importance of upholding international norms and respecting the universal human rights of the Chinese people."

According to local media reports here, the military build-up announced last night was a response to the rising power of China and India. In addition, American military aircraft - including bombers, fighters, tankers and spy planes - will increase their use of the Tindall Air Force base. Further down the track, US ships and submarines will use the Stirling naval base near Perth.

US apologises to Kalam for frisking incident

NEW DELHI, Nov 13: The US has apologised to former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam for subjecting him to frisking at New York's JFK Airport, an incident that had provoked sharp reactions from India which threatened retaliatory action.

In a written apology to Kalam and the Indian government, the US said, "Appropriate procedure for expedited screening of dignitaries had not been followed".

"We deeply regret the inconvenience that resulted for him (Kalam) as a result of the September 29 incident involving the security screening at JFK Airport in New York," a statement from the US Embassy here said, noting that it had the utmost respect for Kalam.

They also said that US was actively working to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.

Taking serious note of the incident, India had threatened retaliatory action with External Affairs Minister SM Krishna directing Indian Ambassador to US Nirupama Rao to take up the matter in writing at the "highest level" with Washington.

The US said that subsequent to the frisking incident, US Charge d' Affairs Peter Burleigh personally hand delivered a letter from the US Transportation Security Administrator to Kalam and a similar letter was delivered to the government of India regretting the incident.

Maintaining that it "deeply values and appreciates" the strong relationship and partnership with India, the US said, "We are confident that despite this regrettable incident, we will continue working closely with India in the many areas of our strategic partnership".

80-year-old Kalam was frisked in New York on September 29 before boarding an Air India flight.

Sources said that even after Kalam had taken his seat in the aircraft, the US security personnel forced the crew to open the door and took away the jacket and boots of the former president to check for explosives since they had forgotten to do so before his boarding. The items were later returned to Kalam.

Anti-Wall St. movement grows in US, globally

NEW YORK, Oct 18: Protesters in at least four U.S. cities who were part of a growing anti-Wall Street sentiment were arrested over the weekend for refusing to obey police orders to leave public areas, including 175 people in Chicago, where the arrests brought about a new phase of civil disobedience, organizers there said.

The arrests were mostly peaceful and came as somewhat of a contrast to earlier demonstrations, where protesters took care to follow laws in order to continue protesting Wall Street’s role in the financial crisis and other grievances. The arrests came after a day of protests in cities around the world where thousands gathered to rally against what they see as corporate greed.

Most of those marches Saturday were largely nonconfrontational, though dozens were arrested in New York and elsewhere not for refusing to obey orders but when police moved to contain overflowing crowds or keep them off private property. Two officers in New York were injured and had to be hospitalized.

At least one protest overseas grew violent. In Rome, rioters hijacked what had been a peaceful gathering and smashed windows, tore up sidewalks and torched vehicles. Repair costs were estimated at $1.4 million, the mayor said Sunday.

In addition to the arrests in Chicago, 46 people in Phoenix were arrested for misdemeanor criminal trespass after refusing to leave a park, Phoenix police spokesman Sgt. Trent Crump said. And police said some protesters were arrested after they remained in a Tucson, Ariz., park past the 10:30 p.m. closing time. An exact number wasn’t available Sunday.

At least two dozen people were arrested at a rally that attracted hundreds to downtown Denver for refusing to move out of the street, police said.

In Chicago, about 500 people had set up camp at the entrance to Grant Park on Saturday evening after a protest earlier in the day involving about 2,000. Police said they gave protesters repeated warnings after the park closed at 11 p.m. and began making arrests when they refused to leave.

Officers also asked protesters to take down their tents before beginning to cut them down to clear the area, police said. Protesters were released Sunday and face court dates.

The decision to stay in the park “was very much a choice and calculated,” said Randy Powell, a 27-year-old student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago who was arrested. “I feel like I had to.”

The tactic to occupy a city park has been used in other places with city officials often working to accommodate them. For example, protesters in Iowa reached a deal with Des Moines’ mayor to move from the state Capitol to a city park, avoiding arrests. Plans to temporarily evict New York protesters from a park so the grounds could be power-washed were postponed at the request of political leaders Friday.

So far in Salt Lake City, protesters have worked hard to function within the law.

“We’ve gotten 24-hour permits” to camp overnight in Pioneer Park “and [we] work with the parks department and the city on a daily basis to maintain those permits,” said Occupy SLC spokesman William Rutledge,

A 30-day permit has been discussed, Rutledge said, but would be more difficult to obtain.

Occupy SLC, now in its 11th day of organized protests, launched on a cold wet day. It also has had to temporarily decamp on two successive Saturdays to make way for the Farmers Markets.

“I think (officials) wanted to wait and see if we’d be around long enough to warrant working on the 30-day permit,” Rutledge said, adding that relations with the city parks and police departments have been good.

“There have been no arrests concerning the actual protests,” Rutledge said. “People have been cited for intoxication or for smoking in nonsmoking areas in the park, but they were not part of the group.”

US Senate passes China currency bill

WASHINGTON, Oct 12: Defying Chinese anger and White House warnings, the US Senate passed legislation to punish Beijing for alleged currency manipulation widely blamed in Washington for costing American jobs.

Lawmakers voted 63-35 to approve the measure, which faced a gloomy future in the Republican-led House of Representatives amid warnings from leaders there that it could spark a trade war between the two economic giants.

"We are in trade war. But today we're fighting back," said Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, one of the bill's chief champions, celebrating an end to "the unilateral disarmament approach we've taken for the past decade."

The proposal, powered by a tide of US voter frustration at a sour economy and high unemployment ahead of November 2012 elections, envisions retaliatory duties on Chinese exports if the value of the yuan is unfairly "misaligned."

Republican House Speaker John Boehner has signalled that he will not bring the legislation to a vote, calling it "dangerous" to economic relations between the world's number-one and number-three economies.

"You could start a trade war. And a trade war, given the economic uncertainty here and all around the world -- it's just very dangerous, and we should not be engaged in this," Boehner said recently.

President Barack Obama last week declined to back the legislation and worried it could violate World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules even as he accused China of "gaming the trade system" in a way that hurts the US economy.

US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner reiterated Obama's concerns about breaking international trade rules but, asked whether senators had fired the first shot in a trade war, replied: "They did not."

Few in Washington dispute the charge that China keeps the yuan unfairly low against the dollar, giving its goods as much as a 30 percent edge over similar US products, widening the American trade deficit and costing jobs in Washington.

But the measure's opponents warn that it risks worsening ties with China, and say a rise in the yuan would merely boost manufacturing and jobs in countries such as Vietnam or Malaysia not in the United States.

They also contend that, if successful, the bill will increase the cost of commodities or consumer goods from China, hurting rather than helping US businesses and families.

The legislation's backers, an unusual coalition of Democrats and Republicans, have said it's time for Washington to take on Beijing, and predict a boost in the yuan will make Chinese workers wealthier and more likely to buy US goods, thus creating jobs and narrowing the trade gap.

Obama concerned over Pak military, intel links with extremists

WASHINGTON DC, Oct 6: United States President Barack Obama voiced concern over Pakistan's military and intelligence links with extremists, observing the US finds this "troubling."

Obama also said that Pakistan should realize that a peaceful approach towards India would be in "everybody's interests."

Without naming the Haqqani network with whom Pakistan's spy agency ISI is suspected to be having links, Obama described the extremists as "unsavoury characters".

"And there is no doubt that there's some connections the Pakistani military and intelligence services have with certain individuals that we find troubling," he told a White House news conference.

Obama said Pakistan saw its "security interest threatened by an independent Afghanistan, in part because they think it will ally itself to India and Pakistan still considers India their mortal enemy."

"Part of what we want to do is actually get Pakistan to realize that a peaceful approach towards India would be in everybody's interests."

About the connections that the Pakistani military and intelligence services have with "certain individuals", Obama said he had mentioned this publicly and said it privately to Pakistani officials as well."

"I think they have hedged their bets in terms of what Afghanistan would look like and part of hedging their bets is having interactions with some of the unsavory characters who they think might end up regaining power in Afghanistan after coalition forces have left," he said.

Obama remained non-committal on the question of consequences that Pakistan might face with regard to ISI having links with Haqqani network.

"We will constantly evaluate our relationship with Pakistan based on is overall this helping to protect Americans and our interests," he said.

The President said the US has tried to persuade Islamabad that it is in their interest to have a stable Pakistan.
"What we've tried to persuade Pakistan of is that it is in their interest to have a stable Afghanistan, that they should not be feeling threatened by a stable, independent Afghanistan," he added.

Obama's remarks on Pakistan's links with extremists came in response to a question about the recent statement by Admiral Mike Mullen as the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, in which he said the Haqqani network is a veritable arm of the ISI.

Elaborating on his remarks that it was in Pakistan's interest to have a stable Afghanistan, Obama said," We've tried to get conversations between Afghans and Pakistanis going more effectively than they have been in the past." He highlighted some of the pressing problems that Pakistan is facing such as poverty, illiteracy, a lack of development and weak civil institutions.

"...one of the biggest problems we have in Pakistan right now is poverty, illiteracy, a lack of development, you know, civil institutions that aren't strong enough to deliver for the Pakistani people," he said.

"And in that environment you've seen extremism grow, you've seen militancy grow, that doesn't just threaten our efforts in Afghanistan but also threatens the Pakistani government and the Pakistan people, as well. So trying to get that reorientation is something that we're continuing to work on. It's not easy," he added.

"We have a great desire to help the Pakistani people strengthen their own society and their own government. And so, you know, I'd be hesitate to punish, you know, aid for flood victims in Pakistan because of poor decisions by their intelligence services," Obama said.

"But there's no doubt that, you know, we're not going to feel comfortable with a long-term strategic relationship with Pakistan if we don't think that they're mindful of our interests as well," he said.

The US president said the his number one goal is to make sure that terror outfit Al Qaida cannot attack the US homeland and cannot affect US interests around the world.

"We have done an outstanding job, I think, in going after, directly, Al Qaida in this border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

We could not have been as successful as we have been without the cooperation of the Pakistan government. And so on a whole range of issues they have been an effective partner with us," he said.

Obama further said, "What is also true is that our goal of being able to transition out of Afghanistan and leave a stable government behind, one that is independent, one that is respectful of human rights, one that is democratic.Pakistan, I think, has been more ambivalent about some of our goals there."

Pak making 'strategic error' by supporting terror groups against India: Hillary

WASHINGTON DC, Oct 1: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned Islamabad that it is making "a serious, grievous, strategic error" by supporting the terror groups in Kashmir against India.

She said Pakistan believes that it can keep a "wild animal in the backyard" and it will only go after its neighbour. But, there are too many stories where that doesn't turn out like that, she added.

"We are pressing and pushing on every lever that we have in the relationship, and we have to be effective in trying to achieve our strategic goal, which is to prevent any attacks against us emanating from Pakistan, as well as to try to help stabilise Pakistan against this internal threat, and to create the best possible circumstances for Afghanistan to be able to have control over its own future," Clinton said.

"Those are all extremely difficult and we are learning it, each piece of that, every single day," she said in response to a question after she delivered her remarks at the "Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series" here.

Clinton said Pakistani people are trying to navigate through a very difficult security environment.

"And I like to remind myself and my colleagues of that because they have a great stake in trying to end terrorism against themselves, but they bring to their fight against terrorism deep concerns about the relationship with India, about what happens in Afghanistan after US and coalition troops draw down, what happens in the greater region that could destabilise them further," she said.

Referring to the support US provided to these insurgent groups during the fight against the Russians in Afghanistan, Clinton said when she meets Pakistani officials, they rightly say, "You're the ones who told us to cooperate with these people. You're the ones who funded them.

"You're the ones who equipped them. You're the ones who used them to bring down the Soviet Union by driving them out of Afghanistan. And we are now both in a situation that is highly complex and difficult to extricate ourselves from."

That is how they see it, she noted. "They also have used groups in the past to support their ongoing conflict with India over Kashmir. And when I became Secretary of State, they were trying to basically appease the Pakistani Taliban who were attacking them. So they were trying to draw a distinction between the good terrorists and the bad terrorists, because we had funded the good terrorists together."

"So they were dealing with this network of terrorism that had been better organised and directed because of al-Qaeda, which brought a lot more funding into the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan and much more of a sense of mission, because (Osama) bin Laden and those who worked with him had a very highly developed idea about how to inflict damage on the United States and others," Clinton said.

So, one of the US' first rounds of discussions with the Pakistanis was how it was not in their interest to permit terrorists to take over territory, something they thought would appease them, which obviously did not and could not, she said. "So they began moving troops off their Indian border. They began going after the Pakistani Taliban."

"So I think it's important that we appreciate their perspective about where we both are right now. That in no way excuses the fact that they are making a serious, grievous, strategic error supporting these groups, because you think that you can keep a wild animal in the backyard and it will only go after your neighbour? We have too many stories where that doesn't turn out like that," Clinton said.

Growing clamor in US to punish Pakistan for 'act of war'

WASHINGTON, Sept 26: A leading US Senator has indicated Congress would support American military action against Pakistan amid growing clamor in Washington for a punitive response against a two-timing ally even as ties between the two countries grow more toxic by the hour.

While a television journalist openly described Pakistan's allegedly proxy attack on the US embassy in Kabul as an "act of war" to foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar's face, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told a Sunday talk show that "The sovereign nation of Pakistan is engaging in hostile acts against the United States and our ally Afghanistan that must cease."

"I will leave it up to the experts, but if the experts believe that we need to elevate our response, they will have a lot of bipartisan support on Capitol Hill," Graham, a South Carolina senator who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told "Fox News Sunday" in remarks that were seen as a call for military strikes against Pakistan.

The sharp escalation of US rhetoric came even as Pakistan defiantly said it would not take any action against the so-called Haqqani group, which was described as a "veritable fighting arm" of the Pakistani spy agency ISI by a top US general, and has been held responsible for the several terrorist attacks on US and its allies in Afghanistan. Following a meeting of Pakistani army core commanders over the weekend, Pakistan indicated that acting against the Haqqani group would be against its national interests which involved establishing a foothold in Afghanistan after the US withdrawal as part of its "strategic depth" strategy, mainly to forestall Indian influence.

But a growing number of western and even Pakistani analysts have said such a strategy is foolhardy given Afghan revulsion of Pakistan and the Talibanist worldview that led to them hosting Al Qaeda, leading to 9/11. Some of them are now concluding that the Pakistani army and ISI's terrorist policy has the sanction of the civilian government and are demanding stronger action against Islamabad from US and its allies.

The influential writer Christopher Hitchens, among them, invoked Joseph Heller's Catch-22 to describe ISI as "the the most adroit double-dealing profiteer from terrorism in the entire region." Maintaining that Pakistan was in breach of post 9/11 U.N resolution 1368 on terrorism, which states that those found to be "supporting or harboring the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of these acts will be held equally accountable," Hitchens said Pakistan risked being identified as a terrorist nation.

"This indictment would easily stretch to cover another gross violation of international law and diplomatic immunity, in that the ISI was also found culpable in the destruction of the Indian Embassy in Kabul in July 2008," Hitchen reminded Washington, which did not stop bankrolling Pakistan despite multiple terrorist attacks on Indian interests over the years.

Amid such scathing commentary, Pakistan's foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar, in interviews to television networks, defiantly and obdurately stuck to the Pakistani military's pro-forma denials and its script that it will go to any extent to preserve its perceived equity and strategic interests in Afghanistan, even if it meant going up against US and its allies, and international isolation.

Seeking cover against US anger, Pakistan also took public comfort in the visit of a senior Chinese leader to Islamabad and played up its proposed energy pipeline with Iran. While some analysts see this as Islamabad's ploy to raise its price for eventually being bought out by US, there is growing recognition and weariness in Washington that Pakistan is playing America for suckers. Hitchens said in his Slate commentary that at the very least Pakistan must lose access to US Treasury.

Lisa Curtis, a former CIA analyst with the Heritage Foundation, recommended a graduated series of responses in the event that Pakistan maintains its defiant attitude and refuses to take action against the perpetrators of the attacks on the US embassy. Among them: Suspend all assistance programs to Pakistan, including civilian aid, and reverse US withdrawal plans from Afghanistan.

US: We will not allow terrorist safe havens in Pak

WASHINGTON, Sept 22: The US has made it clear that it will not allow safe havens for terrorists in Pakistan which are used to launch attacks on American forces, as Washington mulled options to force Islamabad to confront the issue.

"We cannot allow terrorists to have safe havens from which they launch attacks and kill our forces. We cannot allow that to happen. And we have to bring pressure on the Pakistanis to do their part to confront that issue," US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee.

Without elaborating the options that the US has on its table, Panetta told the lawmakers that America can't allow terrorist safe havens to operate in Pakistan from where carry out strikes against its personnel.

Testifying before the powerful Senate panel, Panetta identified it as one of the major challenge for the US in Afghanistan.

"I've made clear that we are going to do everything we have to do to defend our forces. I don't think it would be helpful to describe what those options would look like and talk about what operational steps we may or may not take," Panetta said in response to a question from Senator Carl Levin, Chairman of the Committee.

Panetta said the first order of business right now is to "put as much pressure on Pakistan as we can to deal with this issue from their side."

He said Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has met with the Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and CIA Director David Petraeus met with ISI chief General Pasha over the issue.

"There's been a very clear message to them and to others that they must take steps to prevent the safe haven that the Haqqanis (terror network) are using," Panetta said.

US designates Indian Mujahideen as a terrorist organisation

WASHTINGTON, Sept 15: The US on Thursday slapped sanctions on India-based terrorist group Indian Mujahideen (IM) by designating it as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and said it has significant links with Pakistan-based groups like the LeT.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton slapped sanctions on the organisation. The State Department said IM maintains close ties to other US- designated terrorist entities including Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HuJI).

"IM's stated goal is to carry out terrorist actions against non-Muslims in furtherance of its ultimate objective an Islamic Caliphate across South Asia," it said.

IM is responsible for dozens of bomb attacks throughout India since 2005, and has caused the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians.

"These designations highlight the threat posed by IM not only to Western interests, but to India, a close US partner. The Indian populace has borne the brunt of IM's wanton violence and today's actions illustrate our solidarity with the Indian Government," stated Daniel Benjamin, the Department of State's Coordinator for Counter terrorism.

These designations play a critical role in our fight against terrorism and are an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to abandon terrorism. The State Department said, IM's primary method of attack is multiple coordinated bombings in crowded areas against economic and civilian targets to maximise terror and casualties.

One in six Americans living below poverty line: Census

NEW YORK, Sept 14: One in six Americans are now living below poverty line, the Census Bureau said in a report, reflecting the adverse impact of economic crisis on common man.

"The nation's official poverty rate in 2010 was 15.1 per cent, up from 14.3 per cent in 2009 - the third consecutive annual increase in the poverty rate," Census Bureau said in its report.

"There were 46.2 million people in poverty in 2010, up from 43.6 million in 2009 - the fourth consecutive annual increase and the largest number in the 52 years for which poverty estimates have been published," it said.

These findings are contained in the report 'Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010.'

The government defines the poverty line as income of USD 22,314 (about Rs 10 lakh) a year for a family of four and USD 11,139 (about Rs 5 lakh) for individual.

Census Bureau said, the number of people without health insurance coverage rose from 49.0 million in 2009 to 49.9 million in 2010, while the percentage without coverage - 16.3 per cent was not statistically different from the rate in 2009.

Since 2007, the year before the most recent recession, real median household income has declined 6.4 per cent and is 7.1 per cent below the median household income peak that occurred prior to the 2001 recession in 1999.

The percentages are not statistically different from each another, the Census Bureau said.

The poverty rate increased for children younger than 18 (from 20.7 per cent in 2009 to 22.0 per cent in 2010) and people 18 to 64 (from 12.9 per cent in 2009 to 13.7 per cent in 2010), while it was not statistically different for people 65 and older (9.0 per cent), it said.

Similar to the patterns observed for the poverty rate in 2010, the number of people in poverty increased for children younger than 18 (15.5 million in 2009 to 16.4 million in 2010) and people 18 to 64 (24.7 million in 2009 to 26.3 million in 2010) and was not statistically different for people 65 and older (3.5 million), the Census Bureau said.

Among race groups, real median income declined for white and black households between 2009 and 2010, while changes for Asian and Hispanic-origin households were not statistically different.

Real median income for each race and Hispanic-origin group has not yet recovered to the pre-2001 recession all-time highs, the report said.

The Census Bureau said there has been considerable impact of the economic crisis on the people in Washington.

Median household income declined the first full year following the December 2007 to June 2009 recession, as well as in the first full year following three other recessions (March 2001 to November 2001, January 1980 to July 1980 and December 1969 to November 1970).

However, household income increased the first full year following the November 1973 to March 1975 recession, and the changes following the July 1990 to March 1991 and July 1981 to November 1982 recessions were not statistically significant, it said.

The poverty rate and the number of people in poverty increased in the first calendar year following the end of the last three recessions.

For the recessions that ended in 1961 and 1975, the poverty rate decreased in the next full calendar year, it said.

9/11 anniversary: Barack Obama says nothing can break the will of the US

NEW YORK, Sept 11: President Barack Obama has said the post-September 11 decade had proven that despite divisions, wars and recession, nothing could shatter the will of America if it remained united.

Wrapping up a day of solemn 10th anniversary commemorations in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, Mr Obama said that his nation's response to the world's worst terror attack exactly 10 years ago had shown its ideals were "timeless" and its resilience unquestioned.

The president said generations to come would visit memorials to the dead of September 11, 2001 and subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"They will know that nothing can break the will of a truly United States of America," Mr Obama said, stressing the word united, and cast the fight against terrorism as victory alongside some of his nation's greatest achievements.

"They will remember that we have overcome slavery and Civil War, we have overcome bread lines and fascism, and recession and riots, communism and, yes, terrorism," he said at an tribute event at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

"They will be reminded that we are not perfect, but our democracy is durable, and that democracy - reflecting, as it does, the imperfections of man - also gives us the opportunity to perfect our union."

Mr Obama said that much had changed since Al-Qaeda's attacks on New York and Washington, which killed nearly 3,000 people and sparked passionate debates and political divides.

"On September 12, 2001, we awoke to a world in which evil was closer at hand, and uncertainty clouded our future," he said.

"In the decade since, much has changed for Americans. We've known war and recession, passionate debates and political divides.

"We can never get back the lives we lost on that day, or the Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice in the wars that followed."

"Yet today, it is worth remembering what has not changed. Our character as a nation has not changed.

"Our belief in America, born of a timeless ideal that men and women should govern themselves, that all people are created equal ... that belief, through test and trials, has only been strengthened."

"These past 10 years have shown that America does not give in to fear."

Mr Obama also paid tribute to his predecessor George W. Bush, with whom he had deep political disagreements.

"We have not succumbed to suspicion and mistrust. After 9/11, President Bush, to his great credit, made clear what we reaffirm today: the United States will never wage war against Islam or any religion.

Throughout the September 11 commemorations, there has been a sense that Mr Obama is trying to move his nation on from the fierce recriminations over the war in Iraq - which he opposed - and anger sparked by the 'war on terror.'

The president appeared to be mustering another great national effort, to overcome the worst economic crunch in decades, at the same time as he pushes a $447 jobs bill and seeks a second term in office.

His call for patriotism and national purpose will likely be heard often in the run up to the 2012 election, as the president seeks a narrative that will convince voters to send him back to the White House despite tough times.

Indo-US ties serve to advance peace in Asia, world: Obama

WASHINGTON, Sept 9: Describing the Indo-US strategic partnership as a "defining and indispensable" collaboration for the 21st century, President Barack Obama has said the two countries share a dynamic and broad relationship that serves to advance peace and prosperity in Asia and the world.

Obama conveyed this to new Indian Ambassador to the US, Nirupama Rao, at a ceremony at the White House last evening during which she presented her credentials.

"President Obama described the India-US global strategic partnership as a defining and indispensable collaboration for the 21st Century," the Indian embassy said in a statement after the ceremony that took place at the Oval Office of the White House.

"He said the two countries enjoy a natural friendship and that the India-US partnership has proven to be dynamic and broad and serves to advance peace and prosperity in Asia and the world," according to the statement.

During the ceremony, Obama warmly welcomed Rao to Washington and wished her every success in her high responsibilities as India's new ambassador to the US.

Rao, in her remarks to Obama, conveyed warm greetings from the President and Prime Minister of India to him and First Lady Michelle Obama, adding that India was greatly encouraged by his strong personal commitment to take the bilateral strategic partnership forward.

Obama unveils jobs plan to 'jolt' economy

WASHINGTON, Sept 8: US President Barack Obama has laid out a jobs package worth $447bn, staking his re-election hopes on a call for urgent action to revive the economy and challenging Republicans who have consistently opposed his initiatives.

Addressing members of Congress on Thursday, Obama said the plan, which he called the "American Jobs Act", would "jolt" the country's ailing economy - which is currently experiencing an unemployment rate of 9.1 per cent.

"It will create more jobs for construction workers, more jobs for teachers, more jobs for veterans, and more jobs for the long-term unemployed. It will provide a tax break for companies who hire new workers, and it will cut payroll taxes in half for every working American and every small business.

"It will provide a jolt to an economy that has stalled, and give companies confidence that if they invest and hire, there will be customers for their products and services," Obama said.

Describing the plan as bipartisan, Obama urged Congress to pass it without delay.

"There should be nothing controversial about this piece of legislation. Everything in here is the kind of proposal that's been supported by both Democrats and Republicans – including many who sit here tonight. And everything in this bill will be paid for," he said.

Surprisingly weak jobs data has heightened fears that the US economy, the world's largest, may be headed for another recession. The Federal Reserve, the US central bank, is considering ways to bolster demand but has said the onus for recovery mainly lies with legislators who control spending.

If his jobs plan is deemed a success, it might provide a boost in time to help Obama's re-election prospects next year. If it fails, his strategy will be to paint congressional Republicans as obstructionist and blame them for the stagnating economy.

Already on Thursday morning, White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley criticised Obama's opponents over what he described as a do-nothing climate on Capitol Hill.

"It's time for Congress, after a five-week vacation, to come back and do something and not just say 'no' to everything that gets proposed in this town," Daley said on CBS news channel.

The bruising battle in July over the country's debt levels that led to a Standard & Poor's ratings downgrade highlighted a wide chasm between Obama's Democrats and Republicans, who control the House of Representatives.

Republicans see a $800bn economic stimulus package Obama pushed through in 2009 as wasteful and want immediate cuts in the deficit. Democrats say while long-term deficits must be trimmed, the economy needs a fiscal boost.

The White House has said the jobs package will be paid for with future cuts but has not offered details. Obama will urge the congressional "super committee" that convened on Thursday to find more than $1.2tr in budget savings, but not unveil his suggestions until next week or later.

House Republican leaders John Boehner and Eric Cantor have signalled they are open to some infrastructure spending and to a programme Obama will pitch to help train unemployed workers.

"The proposals the president outlined tonight merit consideration. We hope he gives serious consideration to our ideas as well," Boehner said on Thursday.

But Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate, said the president's readiness to accuse those who don't support his ideas of being overly partisan was a political smokescreen.

"There is a much simpler reason to oppose the president's economic policies that has nothing whatsoever to do with politics - they simply don't work," he said. "This isn't a jobs plan, it's a re-election plan."

Harry Reid, the Democrats' leader in the Senate, meanwhile, said that Republicans also had their eyes squarely on the 2012 vote.

"The other side seems convinced that a failing economy is good Republican politics. They think if they kill every jobs bill and stall every effort to revive the economy, President Obama will lose," Reid said.

"Republicans aiming at the President have caught innocent Americans in the crossfire."