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| Barack Obama launches key Mid-East mission | Barack Obama launches key Mid-East mission |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| US President Barack Obama has arrived in Saudi Arabia at the start of a Middle East tour aimed at increasing US engagement with the Islamic world. | US President Barack Obama has arrived in Saudi Arabia at the start of a Middle East tour aimed at increasing US engagement with the Islamic world. |
| Mr Obama will spend a few hours in Riyadh before heading for Egypt, where he will make a keynote speech in Cairo. | Mr Obama will spend a few hours in Riyadh before heading for Egypt, where he will make a keynote speech in Cairo. |
| He says he wants to open dialogue with Muslims, overcome misapprehensions, and revive Middle East peace negotiations. | He says he wants to open dialogue with Muslims, overcome misapprehensions, and revive Middle East peace negotiations. |
| Apart from a stop-over in Iraq in April, it is Mr Obama's first time in the region since becoming president. | Apart from a stop-over in Iraq in April, it is Mr Obama's first time in the region since becoming president. |
| Barack Obama hopes to set a new tone which is designed to isolate extremists in the region and re-establish the understanding the US gained after 9/11 and lost over Iraq, says the BBC's Paul Reynolds. | Barack Obama hopes to set a new tone which is designed to isolate extremists in the region and re-establish the understanding the US gained after 9/11 and lost over Iraq, says the BBC's Paul Reynolds. |
| OBAMA'S TOUR 3 June: Saudi Arabia - talks with King Abdullah on Israel-Palestinian peace negotiations4 June: Egypt - talks with President Hosni Mubarak, keynote speech at Cairo university5 June: Germany - meets Chancellor Angela Merkel, visits to Dresden and to Buchenwald concentration camp6 June: France - meets President Nicolas Sarkozy, attends D-Day events in Normandy | OBAMA'S TOUR 3 June: Saudi Arabia - talks with King Abdullah on Israel-Palestinian peace negotiations4 June: Egypt - talks with President Hosni Mubarak, keynote speech at Cairo university5 June: Germany - meets Chancellor Angela Merkel, visits to Dresden and to Buchenwald concentration camp6 June: France - meets President Nicolas Sarkozy, attends D-Day events in Normandy |
| The visit takes in Washington's two most important Arab allies, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. | The visit takes in Washington's two most important Arab allies, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. |
| The Saudis are sponsors of the only comprehensive peace plan for relations between the Arab world and Israel, although peace negotiations are at a standstill. | The Saudis are sponsors of the only comprehensive peace plan for relations between the Arab world and Israel, although peace negotiations are at a standstill. |
| Egypt is intimately involved with the Palestinian problem, acting as an intermediary between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. | Egypt is intimately involved with the Palestinian problem, acting as an intermediary between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. |
| Mr Obama was given a red-carpet reception in Riyadh before holding talks with King Abdullah. As well as regional issues, Mr Obama said he would raise the issue of oil prices with the Saudi ruler. | Mr Obama was given a red-carpet reception in Riyadh before holding talks with King Abdullah. As well as regional issues, Mr Obama said he would raise the issue of oil prices with the Saudi ruler. |
| 'Action not words' | 'Action not words' |
| Mr Obama is not expected to make any public statements in Riyadh, but on Thursday, he is to deliver a speech at Cairo University which our correspondent says could be one of the most important of the Obama presidency. | |
| Saudi Arabia is gearing up for the visit by the US leader | Saudi Arabia is gearing up for the visit by the US leader |
| The tour itinerary does not include Israel, but shortly before departing for Saudi Arabia, Mr Obama had a meeting with Israel's defence minister, Ehud Barak, in Washington. | The tour itinerary does not include Israel, but shortly before departing for Saudi Arabia, Mr Obama had a meeting with Israel's defence minister, Ehud Barak, in Washington. |
| The president is reported to have used the meeting to reiterate that the US intends to be tough with Israel on the question of settlement building in the West Bank. | The president is reported to have used the meeting to reiterate that the US intends to be tough with Israel on the question of settlement building in the West Bank. |
| Israel is resisting calls to freeze building activity in all settlements, but Palestinian leaders have said there can be no progress towards peace without a halt to such construction. | Israel is resisting calls to freeze building activity in all settlements, but Palestinian leaders have said there can be no progress towards peace without a halt to such construction. |
| Speaking to the BBC ahead of his visit, Mr Obama said he believed the US was "going to be able to get serious negotiations back on track" between Israel and the Palestinians. | Speaking to the BBC ahead of his visit, Mr Obama said he believed the US was "going to be able to get serious negotiations back on track" between Israel and the Palestinians. |
| He said his visit offered the US and the Islamic world the chance "to listen to each other a little bit more". | He said his visit offered the US and the Islamic world the chance "to listen to each other a little bit more". |
| But there were no silver bullets, he warned. | But there were no silver bullets, he warned. |
| "There are very real policy issues that have to be worked through that are difficult. Ultimately, it's going to be action and not words that determine the path, the progress from here on out," he said. | "There are very real policy issues that have to be worked through that are difficult. Ultimately, it's going to be action and not words that determine the path, the progress from here on out," he said. |
| HAVE YOUR SAYLet's get real. This is a bunch of propagandaDean Smith, Toronto Send us your comments | |
| After Cairo, Mr Obama will travel on to Europe for D-Day commemorations. | After Cairo, Mr Obama will travel on to Europe for D-Day commemorations. |
| The Middle East stage of his tour came amid a flurry of messages purporting to come from al-Qaeda militant leaders, including a rare recording from the group's figurehead, Osama Bin Laden. | |
| According to a tape transmitted by Arabic TV station al-Jazeera as Air Force Once arrived in Riyadh, Bin Laden accuses the US president and his predecessor, George W Bush, of planting seeds to increase hatred of America. | |
| On the eve of his visit, a deputy leader of al-Qaeda class="inlineText" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/8080311.stm">Ayman al-Zawahiri urged Muslims to ignore the new tone from Washington, because Mr Obama's "bloody messages" - in Iraq and Afghanistan - would not be concealed by "polished words". | |
| Meanwhile, al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia issued an internet statement vowing to target President Obama's convoy in Riyadh. | |
| The BBC News website will carry a fully-annotated transcript of President Obama's Cairo speech, with analysis of key passages by BBC world affairs correspondent Paul Reynolds. | The BBC News website will carry a fully-annotated transcript of President Obama's Cairo speech, with analysis of key passages by BBC world affairs correspondent Paul Reynolds. |