[wvns] Obama pledges to defeat Al Qaeda

Obama pledges to defeat Al Qaeda By Masood Haider and Anwar Iqbal
Thursday, 24 Sep, 2009
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/obama-pledges-to-defeat-al-qaeda-499

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 23: US President Barack Obama pledged on Wednesday to defeat Al Qaeda and said the United States would permit no safe havens for terrorists to launch attacks from Afghanistan or any other country.

"The violent extremists who promote conflict by distorting faith have discredited and isolated themselves," the US president told the 192-member UN General Assembly.

"They (terrorists) offer nothing but hate and destruction," he said, adding that the "United States will stand by its friends on the front lines" — in a reference to Pakistan.

Without mentioning the summit level meeting of Friends of Democratic
Pakistan to be held here on Thursday, he said that the US and many nations would "pledge support for the Pakistani people tomorrow".

"We will pursue positive engagements that build bridges among faiths and new partnerships for opportunity."

President Obama asked the world leaders to step up and do their part in tackling global challenges in promoting security and prosperity, rather than waiting for America to do it alone.

"The people of the world want change," Mr Obama said. "They will not long tolerate those who are on the wrong side of history."

About the war against extremism, he said: "We have set a clear and focused goal: to work with all members of this body to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat Al Qaeda and its extremist allies — a network that has killed thousands of people of many faiths and nations, and that plotted to blow up this very building."

He pointed out that "in Afghanistan and Pakistan, we — and many nations here — are helping those governments develop the capacity to take the lead in this effort, while working to advance opportunity and security for their people".

On the US decision to withdraw all forces from Iraq, Mr Obama said: "In Iraq, we are responsibly ending a war. We have removed American combat brigades from Iraqi cities, and set a deadline of next August to remove all of our combat brigades from Iraqi territory. And I have made clear that we will help Iraqis transition to full responsibility for their future, and keep our commitment to remove all American troops by the end of 2011."

On the issue of nuclear non-proliferation issue on which he has called a special UN Security Council meeting on the sidelines of the assembly debate, Mr Obama said: "I have outlined a comprehensive agenda to seek the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. In Moscow, the United States and Russia announced that we would pursue substantial reductions in our strategic warheads and launchers. At the conference on disarmament, we agreed on a work plan to negotiate an end to the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons.

And this week, my Secretary of State will become the first senior American representative to the annual Members Conference of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty."

Obama pointed out that upon taking office, he had appointed a special envoy for Middle East peace, and America had worked steadily and aggressively to advance the cause of two states — Israel and Palestine — in which peace and security take root, and the rights of both Israelis and the Palestinians are respected."

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