TIMESONLINE: Catching or killing Osama bin Laden will be one of the key targets of Barack Obama's administration as it is "critical" to American national security, the US president-elect confirmed last night.
In his first televised interview since his historic election, Mr Obama made good on his rhetoric from the campaign trail that the hunt for bin Laden would remain top priority for the US.
He told CBS that "it is a top priority for us to stamp out Al-Qaeda once and for all" and that killing or capturing the group’s mastermind Osama bin Laden was "critical" to the US.
"Particularly in light of the problems that we’re having in Afghanistan, which has continued to worsen. We’ve got to shore up those efforts," the President-elect said.
Mr Obama also revealed that he is taking very seriously the threat of a major terrorist attack on America in the next few weeks, after warnings from both sides of the Atlantic that terrorists would step up the activity during the transition period during and after the dying days of the Bush presidency.
"I think it’s important to get a national security team in place because transition periods are potentially times of vulnerability to a terrorist attack. We want to make sure that there is as seamless a transition on national security as possible," he said.
The Bush Administration has been defined largely by the 9/11 attacks, which came within a year of his taking office, and President Bush has repeatedly described the acute vulnerability of the US during a transition. >>> Jenny Booth | November 17, 2008
BBC: Obama 'to Rebuild Moral Stature'
US President-elect Barack Obama has promised to rebuild his country's "moral stature in the world".
In his first television interview since the election, Mr Obama told CBS he would pull troops out of Iraq, shore up Afghanistan, and close Guantanamo Bay.
"I'm going to make sure that we don't torture," he said of the prison camp.
Mr Obama also promised to do "whatever it takes" to stabilise the US economy, including rescuing the struggling auto industry and assisting homeowners.
On Saturday, he said the US was facing "the greatest economic challenge of our time" and urged Congress to help with "at least a down-payment on a rescue plan that will create jobs".
His advisers later said he would support the co-ordinated response to the global financial crisis agreed by the G20 on Saturday. >>> | November 17, 2008
LE FIGARO: Obama veut sortir l'Amérique de la crise à tout prix
Invité de l'émission «60 minutes» sur CBS dimanche, le nouveau président américain a souligné l'importance de la lutte contre la récession, quitte à laisser s'aggraver le déficit budgétaire.
Un subtil mélange de questions politiques et personnelles. Voilà comment résumer la première interview télévisée de Barack Obama depuis son élection à la tête des Etats-Unis, le 4 novembre. Escorté de sa femme et future First Lady Michelle, «Mr. président Obama» est apparu dimanche dans l'émission «60 minutes» sur la chaîne CBS, où il a confirmé des promesses de campagne, abordé le sujet brûlant de la crise et distillé des anecdotes sur sa vie familiale.
«J'ai dit plusieurs fois que je voulais fermer Guantanamo, et je vais m'y tenir», a assuré avec vigueur Barack Obama. Cette fermeture et l'arrêt de la torture, a-t-il ajouté, «font partie d'un effort pour permettre à l'Amérique de retrouver son rang sur le plan moral». Le centre de détention de Guantanamo, ouvert en 2002 sur une base navale américaine située à Cuba, retient aujourd'hui 255 détenus sur les 800 qui y sont passés. A plusieurs reprises pendant sa campagne, le prochain président américain avait promis de fermer ce symbole des excès de «la guerre contre le terrorisme» menée par George W. Bush. >>> Ophélie Wallaert (lefigaro.fr) avec agences | 17.11.2008
WIENER ZEITUNG: Obama will Rezession abwenden
Ankurbelung der Wirtschaft wichtiger als Staatsdefizit.
Das Budgetdefizit der USA bereitet dem künftigen Präsidenten Barack Obama keine so große Sorge wie die Gefahr einer Rezession. Letztere müsse unbedingt vermieden werden, während die Verschuldung vorerst keine so hohe Priorität genießen könne, sagte der demokratische Politiker am Sonntag dem Sender CBS in seinem ersten Fernsehinterview seit seinem Wahlsieg. So sei noch nicht genug unternommen worden, um die in Not geratenen Eigenheimbesitzer vor einer Zwangsräumung zu schützen.
Unter den Wirtschaftsexperten beider Parteien im Kongress bilde sich ein Konsens heraus, dass zur Abwendung einer schweren Rezession teure Maßnahmen nötig seien, sagte Obama. "Der Konsens ist, dass wir tun müssen, was immer nötig ist, um diese Wirtschaft wieder zum Laufen zu bringen."
Einige Analysten hatten das Staatsdefizit der USA als Ursache für die derzeitige Finanzkrise bezeichnet. Obama erklärte jedoch, die Amerikaner sollten sich darüber in den kommenden zwei Jahren keine so großen Gedanken machen. Wichtiger sei es, die Wirtschaft zu stabilisieren, das Vertrauen der Verbraucher wiederherzustellen und Arbeitsplätze zu schaffen. >>> Von WZ Online | 17. November 2008
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