Posted on Monday, January 12th, 2009 by campaign2008
President-elect Barack Obama says it “is more difficult than I think a lot of people realize” to close the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He told ABC News in an interview Sunday he was committed to closing the center but it would take time and must be done “in a way that doesn’t result in releasing people who are intent on blowing us up.”
MEXICO: In a statement, Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s office said he would press Obama on “better conditions for Mexicans in the United States, based on respect for their rights” when they meet on Monday.
Posted in Latin America, Morning Update, Terrorism, Transition | 0 Comments »
Posted on Friday, January 9th, 2009 by campaign2008
“As DNI, Dennis will be the leader and manager of our intelligence community. He will have my full support as he develops our capabilities, strengthens information sharing, enhances cooperation with foreign governments, and provides policymakers with the information we need – even if it’s not always the information we want.”
–President-elect Barack Obama, in remarks Friday announcing Retired Adm. Dennis Blair as his nominee for Director of National Intelligence.
Posted in Quote of the Day, Transition | 0 Comments »
Posted on Friday, January 9th, 2009 by campaign2008
President-elect Barack Obama is expected to announce his intelligence team (AP) at a press conference this morning in Washington.
PANETTA: The New York Times looks at the challenges ahead for Leon Panetta, the expected nominee for head of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Posted in Morning Update, Transition | 0 Comments »
Posted on Thursday, January 8th, 2009 by campaign2008
President-elect Barack Obama has a plan to overhaul the Bush administration’s domestic counterterrorism program, the New York Time reports. Under the plan, the duties of the homeland security adviser would be transfered to the National Security Council.
Posted in Homeland Security, Morning Update, Transition | 0 Comments »
Posted on Wednesday, January 7th, 2009 by Joanna Klonsky
Cuban President Raul Castro has warned against pinning “excessive hopes” on U.S. President-elect Barack Obama. “[T]hough he may be an honest man, and I think he is, and a sincere man, and I think he is, one man cannot change the destiny of a nation, much less the United States,” Castro said, speaking on state-run television. Still, a Washington Post report from Havana published Wednesday shows many Cuban citizens are hopeful that Obama will end the embargo on Cuba and lift travel restrictions.
Policy experts in the United States continue to speculate about potential shifts to U.S.-Cuba policy under Obama. In a new podcast with CFR.org, Daniel Erikson, director of Caribbean programs at the Inter-American Dialogue, is doubtful that Obama will bring dramatic changes to U.S.-Cuba policy, citing “virtual paralysis” on Congress on the topic of Cuba policy.
Freedom House, a non-governmental organization devoted to promoting democracy around the world, issued a new release urging Obama to “reexamine the embargo and to immediately lift the restrictions on remittances and travel to and from the island.”
Posted in Cuba, Transition | 0 Comments »
Posted on Wednesday, January 7th, 2009 by campaign2008
After meeting with his top economic advisers on Tuesday, President-elect Barack Obama warned of the potential of “trillion-dollar deficits for years to come” (NYT). He promised to enforce tighter fiscal discipline in his government.
BIDEN: Vice President-elect Joe Biden will visit Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan during his trip beginning at the end of the week, he told reporters Tuesday (Politico).
Posted in Afghanistan, Economy, Iraq, Morning Update, Pakistan | 0 Comments »
Posted on Tuesday, January 6th, 2009 by campaign2008
President-elect Barack Obama has reportedly chosen Leon Panetta (San Jose Mercury News), former chief of staff to Bill Clinton, as director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Obama also tapped retired Adm. Dennis Blair to be director of national intelligence.
SOUTHWEST ASIA: Vice President-elect Joe Biden will travel to Southwest Asia (Reuters) on a fact-finding trip later this week. The countries Biden will visit have not yet been announced for security reasons, according to his spokeswoman.
Posted in Morning Update, Transition | 0 Comments »
Posted on Monday, January 5th, 2009 by campaign2008
President-elect Barack Obama discussed his American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan on Saturday in his weekly radio address. Obama said his plan will create three million new jobs, more than eighty percent of which will be in the private sector.
GAZA: The Chicago Tribune looks at Arab perceptions of Obama’s response to the conflict surrounding Gaza.
Posted in Economy, Palestinian-Israeli | 0 Comments »
Posted on Tuesday, December 30th, 2008 by campaign2008
Senior International Monetary Fund economist Olivier Blanchard endorsed (WSJ) President-elect Barack Obama’s economic stimulus plan, saying the size of the program “corresponds roughly to what we think is needed.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) expressed skepticism (Politico) over the stimulus package on Monday. McConnell said the bill should not be passed without “appropriate hearings to scrutinize how tax dollars are being spent.”
Posted in Economy, Morning Update | 0 Comments »
Posted on Monday, December 29th, 2008 by campaign2008
President-elect Barack Obama spoke with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice by phone Sunday to discuss the situation in Gaza (CNN).
Politico and the Wall Street Journal consider the potential impact of Israel’s strikes in Gaza on Obama’s plan for Middle East peace.
Posted in Morning Update, Palestinian-Israeli | 1 Comment »
