He says the consequences of decisions made by the U.S. during the Vietnam War didn’t necessarily serve America’s interests. “I continue to believe Guantanamo is a recruitment tool for terrorism”.
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HE came, he left and he stole the show.
At a news conference in Laos, Mr. Obama said he hasn’t given up on closing Gitmo before he leaves office in January.
United States President Barack Obama on Thursday said he did not take Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial statements personally.
Responding to criticism the Filipino suggested America keep their opinions to themselves, pointed out that the Philippines was a sovereign nation and concluded by saying “son of a whore” in his native tongue.
Let’s take Duterte as Exhibit A. His fight against drugs have been the driving force of his campaign, arguably borrowed from the former US president Richard Nixon.
A key focus will be efforts to secure a short-term funding measure to prevent a government shutdown after money runs out at the end of the month.
He says aides are still “working diligently” to shrink the prisoner population.
“This is my ancestors being killed, so why now we are talking about human rights?”
That is the vision and the hope President Obama expressed in his remarks to the people of Laos in Vientiane. Time notes that National Security Advisor Susan Rice “seemed to shake her head in exasperation” in response to Obama’s explanation.
“I think it’s just a habit, a way of speaking for him”, Obama concluded. The deal awaits ratification in the U.S. Congress, where there is opposition from both parties.
Obama notes that he has told the region’s leaders that he is committed to advancing a free trade agreement called the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Obama added that he doesn’t expect the controversy to affect the relationship of the two countries.
Obama opened his two-country visit to Asia last Saturday by joining Chinese President Xi Jinping to formally commit their countries to a global climate change agreement. China has refused to recognise the ruling by the court in The Hague.
Obama’s trip to Asia began and ended on awkward notes.
The Growth Area, consisting of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines benefits agri-industry, fisheries, tourism, transportation, and shipping, as well as energy.
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The leaders played down differences over the South China Sea in a carefully worded statement, mentioning only that several of them were “seriously concerned over recent developments” in the waterway that is the most volatile hotspot in the region.
