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| Barack Obama set for keynote Egypt speech | Barack Obama set for keynote Egypt speech |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| US President Barack Obama is preparing to give a much-anticipated speech in Cairo, on the second leg of his tour of the Middle East and Europe. | US President Barack Obama is preparing to give a much-anticipated speech in Cairo, on the second leg of his tour of the Middle East and Europe. |
| Correspondents say the speech, aimed at young Arabs in the region, will avoid specific proposals but focus instead on improving US-Middle East relations. | Correspondents say the speech, aimed at young Arabs in the region, will avoid specific proposals but focus instead on improving US-Middle East relations. |
| Earlier, Mr Obama held talks in Riyadh with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. | Earlier, Mr Obama held talks in Riyadh with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. |
| Meanwhile, a new audio message said to be from al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden has emerged, condemning Mr Obama. | Meanwhile, a new audio message said to be from al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden has emerged, condemning Mr Obama. |
| The White House said the recording was an attempt to shift attention from Mr Obama's historic visit. | The White House said the recording was an attempt to shift attention from Mr Obama's historic visit. |
| Barack Obama's Middle East tour is aimed at increasing US engagement with the Islamic world and overcoming misapprehensions on both sides. | Barack Obama's Middle East tour is aimed at increasing US engagement with the Islamic world and overcoming misapprehensions on both sides. |
| 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 | |
| His aides say the speech, to be given at Cairo University and broadcast to an audience of millions around the world, will be a "truth-telling" exercise. | His aides say the speech, to be given at Cairo University and broadcast to an audience of millions around the world, will be a "truth-telling" exercise. |
| The BBC's Christian Fraser in Cairo says Barack Obama wants to give a message of respect to a region which has often felt ignored, misunderstood or patronised by the US. | The BBC's Christian Fraser in Cairo says Barack Obama wants to give a message of respect to a region which has often felt ignored, misunderstood or patronised by the US. |
| The president is expected to use the speech to discuss the current state of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians and to set out how he views the conflict. | The president is expected to use the speech to discuss the current state of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians and to set out how he views the conflict. |
| He will not include any specific proposals, but will articulate what he believes both sides need to do to resolve the current stalemate, says our correspondent. | He will not include any specific proposals, but will articulate what he believes both sides need to do to resolve the current stalemate, says our correspondent. |
| White House officials have said that one speech alone will not heal divisions but could start a process to "re-energise the dialogue with the Muslim world". | White House officials have said that one speech alone will not heal divisions but could start a process to "re-energise the dialogue with the Muslim world". |
| 'Seeds of hate' | 'Seeds of hate' |
| After arriving in Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah presented Barack Obama with the King Abdul Aziz Order of Merit, the kingdom's highest honour. | After arriving in Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah presented Barack Obama with the King Abdul Aziz Order of Merit, the kingdom's highest honour. |
| King Abdullah said the medallion was "only given to the very few friends of the king" and that Mr Obama was "certainly one of those". | King Abdullah said the medallion was "only given to the very few friends of the king" and that Mr Obama was "certainly one of those". |
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| King Abdullah greeted Obama in a ceremony at Riyadh's main airport | King Abdullah greeted Obama in a ceremony at Riyadh's main airport |
| King Abdullah said Barack Obama was "a distinguished man who deserves to be in this position | King Abdullah said Barack Obama was "a distinguished man who deserves to be in this position |
| Mr Obama said he believed it was "important to come to the place where Islam began and to seek his majesty's counsel and to discuss with him many of the issues that we confront here in the Middle East". | Mr Obama said he believed it was "important to come to the place where Islam began and to seek his majesty's counsel and to discuss with him many of the issues that we confront here in the Middle East". |
| "I am confident that working together, the United States and Saudi Arabia can make progress on a whole host of issues of mutual interest," he said. | "I am confident that working together, the United States and Saudi Arabia can make progress on a whole host of issues of mutual interest," he said. |
| As Mr Obama arrived in Saudi Arabia, Arabic television station Al Jazeera broadcast a message said to be from al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. | As Mr Obama arrived in Saudi Arabia, Arabic television station Al Jazeera broadcast a message said to be from al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. |
| The message accused Mr Obama of ordering Pakistan to crack down on militants in the Swat valley and said Mr Obama and his administration had "sown new seeds to increase hatred and revenge on America". | The message accused Mr Obama of ordering Pakistan to crack down on militants in the Swat valley and said Mr Obama and his administration had "sown new seeds to increase hatred and revenge on America". |
| Earlier, a deputy leader of al-Qaeda 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". | Earlier, a deputy leader of al-Qaeda 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". |
| White House spokesman Robert Gibb said it was not surprising that al-Qaeda "would want to shift attention away from the president's historic and continued efforts to have an open dialogue with the Muslim world". | White House spokesman Robert Gibb said it was not surprising that al-Qaeda "would want to shift attention away from the president's historic and continued efforts to have an open dialogue with the Muslim world". |
| Important allies | |
| Apart from a stop-over in Iraq in April, this is Mr Obama's first time in the region since becoming president. | Apart from a stop-over in Iraq in April, this 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. |
| class="lp" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/default.stm">HAVE YOUR SAYLet's get real. This is a bunch of propagandaDean Smith, Toronto class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/default.stm">Send us your comments | |
| 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 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. |
| 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 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. |