Obama sets priorities; poised to tackle Gaza crisis

Source: USA Today

WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama, who has focused mostly on the nation's economic travails, says he will appoint a team immediately after his inauguration Tuesday to address "on Day One" the crisis in Gaza and brewing troubles across the Middle East.

"We've got a regional set of problems," Obama said in a wide-ranging interview with USA TODAY, noting challenges in Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as Gaza. "They're not going to be solved in isolation. We've got to be active in all these areas in order for us to be successful in any of these areas."

The diplomatic offensive, which could include the appointment of special envoys, contrasts sharply with President Bush's approach to the volatile region. Bush put less emphasis on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict early in his tenure and tended to deal with Middle East problems separately.

Obama bristled a bit when asked about Bush's comments in a USA TODAY interview Tuesday suggesting the new president might reconsider his opposition to such anti-terrorism tactics as "enhanced" interrogation techniques once he's in the Oval Office."I don't make these decisions blindly," Obama replied. Since the election, he noted, he has been receiving the same daily intelligence briefing as Bush. "We're not leaping before we look here. I understand exactly what issues are at stake."

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2009-01-15-obama-interview_N.htm

To dive ?

We can't be telling them to stop, and at the same time send them millions of pounds of weapons to use on their neighbors.

Get real!! I'm for cutting ties with israel until they show some positive signs for peace. These bastards have NO desire to stop the killing!