Obama and Sarkozy Speak on Middle East Peace Video

Obama spoke (transcript) from France today. He heads to Poland next. See Obama's schedule here.
Entire video:

Joint Op-Ed on Libya by Obama, Cameron, Sarkozy

The article appears in the New York Times, International Herald Tribune, Le Figaro, and Times of London.

Libya’s Pathway to Peace
Joint Op-ed by Barack Obama, David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy

Together with our NATO allies and coalition partners, the United States, France and Britain have been united from the start in responding to the crisis in Libya, and we are united on what needs to happen in order to end it.

Even as we continue our military operations today to protect civilians in Libya, we are determined to look to the future. We are convinced that better times lie ahead for the people of Libya, and a pathway can be forged to achieve just that.

We must never forget the reasons why the international community was obliged to act in the first place. As Libya descended into chaos with Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi attacking his own people, the Arab League called for action. The Libyan opposition called for help. And the people of Libya looked to the world in their hour of need. In an historic resolution, the United Nations Security Council authorized all necessary measures to protect the people of Libya from the attacks upon them. By responding immediately, our countries, together with an international coalition, halted the advance of Qaddafi’s forces and prevented the bloodbath that he had promised to inflict upon the citizens of the besieged city of Benghazi.

Tens of thousands of lives have been protected. But the people of Libya are still suffering terrible horrors at Qaddafi’s hands each and every day. His rockets and shells rained down on defenseless civilians in Ajdabiya. The city of Misurata is enduring a medieval siege, as Qaddafi tries to strangle its population into submission. The evidence of disappearances and abuses grows daily.

Our duty and our mandate under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 is to protect civilians, and we are doing that. It is not to remove Qaddafi by force. But it is impossible to imagine a future for Libya with Qaddafi in power. The International Criminal Court is rightly investigating the crimes committed against civilians and the grievous violations of international law. It is unthinkable that someone who has tried to massacre his own people can play a part in their future government. The brave citizens of those towns that have held out against forces that have been mercilessly targeting them would face a fearful vengeance if the world accepted such an arrangement. It would be an unconscionable betrayal.

Furthermore, it would condemn Libya to being not only a pariah state, but a failed state too. Qaddafi has promised to carry out terrorist attacks against civilian ships and airliners. And because he has lost the consent of his people any deal that leaves him in power would lead to further chaos and lawlessness. We know from bitter experience what that would mean. Neither Europe, the region, or the world can afford a new safe haven for extremists.

There is a pathway to peace that promises new hope for the people of Libya — a future without Qaddafi that preserves Libya’s integrity and sovereignty, and restores her economy and the prosperity and security of her people. This needs to begin with a genuine end to violence, marked by deeds not words. The regime has to pull back from the cities it is besieging, including Ajdabiya, Misurata and Zintan, and return to their barracks. However, so long as Qaddafi is in power, NATO must maintain its operations so that civilians remain protected and the pressure on the regime builds. Then a genuine transition from dictatorship to an inclusive constitutional process can really begin, led by a new generation of leaders. In order for that transition to succeed, Qaddafi must go and go for good. At that point, the United Nations and its members should help the Libyan people as they rebuild where Qaddafi has destroyed — to repair homes and hospitals, to restore basic utilities, and to assist Libyans as they develop the institutions to underpin a prosperous and open society.

This vision for the future of Libya has the support of a broad coalition of countries, including many from the Arab world. These countries came together in London on March 29 and founded a Contact Group which met this week in Doha to support a solution to the crisis that respects the will of the Libyan people.

Today, NATO and our partners are acting in the name of the United Nations with an unprecedented international legal mandate. But it will be the people of Libya, not the U.N., who choose their new constitution, elect their new leaders, and write the next chapter in their history.
Britain, France and the United States will not rest until the United Nations Security Council resolutions have been implemented and the Libyan people can choose their own future.

Barack Obama is the 44th president of the United States, David Cameron is prime minister of Britain and Nicolas Sarkozy is president of France.

Obama and Sarkozy's Press Conference Jan. 10 Video

Obama's Schedule Jan. 10 2011

11:00 AM
Barack and Michelle Obama observe a moment of silence to honor the victims of the shooting in Tucson, Arizona. Live stream 

11:15 AM
Obama meets with senior advisers.

12:05 PM
Obama holds a bilateral meeting with President Sarkozy of France

12:55 PM
Obama and President Sarkozy deliver statements to the press.

1:10 PM
Obama holds a working lunch with President Sarkozy.

Sarkozy Visits White House Jan. 10

Update: Michelle Obama will host Carla Bruni for lunch.

President Obama will welcome President Nicolas Sarkozy of France to the White House on Monday, January 10. As France assumes the Presidency of the G-8 and the G-20 for 2011, the President looks forward to working with President Sarkozy to sustain the global economic recovery and create jobs. The two Presidents will also discuss a broad range of current foreign policy and security issues.

Carla Bruni Visits D.C. School Video

Carla and her hubby, Nicolas Sarkozy, the President of France, will dine tonight with the Obamas. The Sarkozys had lunch at Ben's Chili Bowl. From CBS' Mark Knoller:

Obama also hailed Sarkozy's "discriminating pallette" for choosing to have lunch at Ben's Chili Bowl, famous for chili dogs & half-smokes.

And here they are visiting Ben's:

Obama and Sarkozy Joint Press Conference Live Stream March 30

Full video:

Event over. Nothing but tweets until we get some video up. These are from Mark Knoller:

Obama says he doesn't meddle in the DOD procurement process but promises Sarkozy the rebidding process will be open and fair.

Sarkozy says he raised French concerns about its company losing bid to build air tankers for US, but says he trusts Obama.

Sarkozy says there may be disagreements between him and Obama, but never for the wrong reasons. "There's a lot of trust," says Sarkozy.

Sarkozy says Obama is "easy to work with." "When Obama says something he keeps his word. His word is his bond."

Obama says of pressuring Iran: "‘we think that we can get sanctions within weeks."

Obama and Sarkozy agree on Israel:

During the press conference, Sarkozy also joined Obama in condemning Israeli settlement activity in east Jerusalem.

Sarkozy said his own commitment to Israel's security was well known, but added that the settlement activity in an area claimed by the Palestinians "contributes nothing."

Sarkozy praised Obama for trying to engage the two sides in peace talks. Sarkozy said the "absence of peace" in the region "is a problem for all of us" — and that it feeds terrorism around the world. MSNBC

Obama and Sarkozy Speak to the Press March 30

The Obamas greet the Sarkozys in France

Obama and Joe Biden will meet with France's President Nicolas Sarkozy at 3 pm eastern. Obama and Sarkozy will speak to the press at 4:45 pm. It will be live streamed at WhiteHouse.gov.
Later, the Obamas will host Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni, at the White House for din din.

Scenes from G8: Obama Pals Around With World Leaders

Can't embed this video but a few more interesting scenes from the G8, including Michelle and the girls. Malia is wearing a giant peace t-shirt Watch it here.
Watch world leaders riding around at the G8 in Ducati electric eco-buggies.

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Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Obama and Sarkozy Press Conference

For Immediate Release

June 6, 2009

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA

AND PRESIDENT SARKOZY OF FRANCE

IN PRESS AVAILABILITY

Prefecture

Caen, France

1:06 P.M. (Local)

PRESIDENT SARKOZY: (As translated.) Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon to all of you. Welcome. I would like to say to the President of the United States of America how proud France is to welcome him for the second time this year.

This afternoon we will be talking about the ceremonies and the commemoration of the D-Day landings, but I want to say in the strongest, most sincere terms that never in the history, perhaps, of our two countries, has the United States and France been so close to one another on major issues, major questions.

I said to the President that we are determined to help him in his decision to close down -- shut down Guantanamo. I told President Barack Obama to what extent we support his open, outstretched hand initiative to Russia. We approve and endorse this policy.

I said to the President that we totally agreed with him on the Israeli and Palestinian issue -- two states that need to live alongside one another, an Israeli state whose security we're very attached to, and a secure Palestinian state; and to what extent we support American diplomacy when it requested that an end, a stop and a hold be put to settlements.

On the Iranian matter, I've said this in very frank and open terms to the Iranian Foreign Secretary how important it is that he take the hand outstretched by President Obama, that we -- we, France, Europe and the United States -- are totally aligned on this and we cannot in any way accept the insane statements made by President Ahmadinejad.

On North Korea, we have total convergence of views with the American President. And of course, France is delighted to have fully reintegrated NATO, as I said to the American President.

So really it is a pleasure to work with Barack Obama. We work regularly together. He knows that France is a friend of the United States. We basically coordinate on all major issues and we are determined to continue that.

Barack, welcome. Welcome to your family.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: It's wonderful to be back in France, particularly on this day, because this day marks not only the triumph of freedom, but it also marks how the transatlantic alliance has allowed for extraordinary prosperity and security on both sides of the Atlantic. The fact that France fully reintegrated into NATO this year, under President Sarkozy's leadership, is just one further indication of the degree to which U.S.-French cooperation can help to underpin not only security in Europe, but also a more secure and prosperous world beyond Europe.

I very much appreciate President Sarkozy's leadership on a whole range of issues -- he mentioned a number of them: France's leadership within Europe in understanding the need for us to have tough diplomacy with the Iranians, to reach out to them, but also insist that we can't afford a nuclear arms race in the Middle East; our close collaboration on a whole host of issues with Russia; France's willingness to accept a Guantanamo detainee, but more broadly, to help us as we want to deal with the terrorist threat, but do so in a way that is consistent with our values and our ideals; the assistance that all NATO allies, as well as others, are providing in helping to bring about a more peaceful and democratic Afghanistan.

On all of these issues, President Sarkozy has not just cooperated, he's led. And that kind of approach I think is serving the interest of France, but it's also serving the interest of the world. And we're very grateful for that.

Obviously I also want to make mention of the extraordinary tragedy of the Air France plane that we believe may have gone down. We don't know yet what exactly happened, but it is heartbreaking obviously for the families, who the American people offer thoughts and prayers. We have already authorized all of our resources to coordinate with the French in trying to discover where the plane went down and to find as much information as possible. But our deepest condolences to the people of France, as particularly to the families involved. And we are determined to find out what happened and support France in that regard.

So with that, I think that we can take a question.

Q Mr. President -- (inaudible) --

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Apparently you're speaking without a microphone, so the translator cannot hear you. Do we have a mic anywhere?

Q Yes, right here. Mr. President, you said yesterday that you hoped to see significant progress in the Middle East by the end of this year. What did you mean by that?

And, President Sarkozy, you had a meeting earlier this week with the Iranian Foreign Minister. What message was he able to give you to pass on to the President? Thank you.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: I think all of us understand what would constitute progress when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Progress would mean that the parties involved supported by not just the United States, not just by France, but also by other Arab states, are in serious, constructive negotiations about how to achieve a two-state solution.

I don't expect that a 60-year problem is solved overnight, but as I said before, I do expect both sides to recognize that their fates are tied together and that it is in the interests of Israel, its security interest, as well as the interest of the Palestinians, to resolve this in a peaceful way.

There are whole host of difficult questions out there. We all know what those questions are. But I believe President Sarkozy and I agree that we have to move beyond the current stalemate. Both sides are going to have obligations. I've discussed the importance of a cessation of settlement construction, but I also want to reemphasize, because that's gotten more attention than what I've also said, which is the Palestinians have to renounce violence, end incitement, improve their governance capacity so that Israelis can be confident that the Palestinians can follow through on any commitments they make across the table.

Now, I cannot impose such negotiations or, certainly, the terms of a final settlement on the parties. That's their task. President Sarkozy cannot impose peace in that region. But what we can do is to be friends to Israel, honest in our assessments of what it's going to take, hold the Palestinians accountable for their end of the bargain, and move the process forward. And we are going to try to put as much energy as we can into it. My special envoy, George Mitchell, is going to be returning to the region this week and we are going to systematically work through as many of these issues as possible.

One last point I want to emphasize: The Arab states have to be a part of this process. It's not sufficient just to point at the Palestinian problem and then say we are not going to engage, we're not going to take responsibility. They are going to have to step up as well because the Arab states not only are important politically, they're also important economically. And to the extent that they put their shoulder behind the wheel, that can move the process forward in a significant way. Read the rest here

Obama and Sarkozy to Iran: Don't Develop Nukes

Michelle Obama and Daughters Arrive in Paris

Not since the Kennedys' Paris tour of 1961 has France been so eager to see the US first family out on a sight-seeing weekend. Barack Obama arrived in Paris today ahead of tomorrow's commemorations of the 65th anniversary of the D-Day Normandy landings, accompanied by his two daughters on their first foreign visit since the presidential election.

Michelle Obama flew into Paris with Malia, 10, and Sasha, seven, on the children's first trip to Europe. The first lady and her daughters, who are on school holiday, will stay in Paris until Monday, staying at the US embassy not far from the Elysée Palace, where the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, and his wife, Carla Bruni, spend their weekends.

And while Sarkozy's attempts to get the families together for a weekend family photo opportunity – an important tool in the French president's media strategy – seems to have been thwarted, Parisians were not to be denied a sighting of Michelle Obama and her daughters out on a trip to the Eiffel Tower tonight. One potential trip that the French media had been speculating on had been dinner at Alain Ducasse's restaurant at the top of the tower, or a possible tour of Notre Dame. Read more at Guardian

The Party of Nuclear Power Plants

In the GOP's weekly address, Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee pumps nuclear power--100 new nuke plants-- and mocks Obama for not being like France's Nicolas Sarkozy.
I don't get these guys. They're just off the map.
For one, Obama isn't opposed to nuclear energy. He just says we should come up with a way to store the waste safely. Obama isn't taking any short cuts when it comes to keeping the planet alive. Republicans have a different sort of mindset. They're newbies to environmental issues and half of them--the Tea Party set-- could care less about the environment. They think climate change is a left wing conspiracy. 
Obama has already nixed funding for Yucca Mountain. Alexander says we should recycle the waste but there are problems with recycling waste. Just another plan from the republicans that's not well thought out. But at least it wasn't drill baby drill. 

Sarkozy Has Some Obama Envy

Obama envy. It's going around. Did you see Hugo Chavez's move to get in a photo with Obama? Some of these world leaders are so.... emotional. And they're largely men, competing with each other to be top dog. You can see the testosterone flexing their muscles. I don't think women, if we had more women leaders, would behave in the same manner. In fact, the world would be better off with women leading. It's a biological thing. But men know this, which is why they've tried throughout the centuries to keep women out of power. Anyway, I'm off on a tangent. 

NYT: Mr. Obama, according to Mr. Sarkozy, “has a subtle mind, very intelligent and very charismatic. But he was elected two months ago and never ran a ministry in his life. He doesn’t have a position on a number of things.” Mr. Obama “is not always operating at a level of decision-making and efficiency,” according to the voluble Mr. Sarkozy.

Mr. Obama appeared unprepared on climate change when they met, according to Mr. Sarkozy, who told the legislators, “I told him, ‘I don’t think that you have quite understood what we are doing on carbon dioxide.’ ”

In the magazine L’Express, Mr. Sarkozy was quoted as joking about Mr. Obama’s sanctified image. Pressed by Mr. Sarkozy, Mr. Obama agreed to visit France in June for the anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy.

“I am going to ask him to walk on the Channel, and he’ll do it,” Mr. Sarkozy reportedly said.

NATO Agrees To Boost Troops for Afghan Election

AFP: STRASBOURG (AFP) - NATO leaders pledged thousands more troops for their Afghan mission Saturday and named the organisation's next leader, as violent anti-war demonstrations raged outside the summit.

Britain, Spain and Italy said they would send hundreds of extra troops each to secure Afghanistan's key August presidential election, adding up to what the White House said was a total of "up to 5,000" personnel.

The deal was a victory for new US President Barack Obama, who came to his first NATO summit to promote his new Afghan strategy and warn his allies that Europe would have to shoulder more of the war-fighting burden.

Hardline protesters set fire to the ground floor of a hotel near the summit
"I am pleased that our NATO allies pledged their strong and unanimous support for our new strategy," Obama told reporters.

Although France and Germany were not among the countries who made major new troop commitments, Obama praised President Nicolas Sarkozy and Chancellor Angela Merkel as the joint hosts of the 60th anniversary summit.

"This summit and this alliance have delivered," outgoing NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told reporters at the end of the gathering in Strasbourg.

For more on NATO, check out the website here.
NATO protesters. They're largely protesting a U.S. radar installation proposed in the Czech Republic (get background on this project here).

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Michelle Obama Dines With Germany's First Man

Michelle Obama dines with the reclusive first man of Germany, Joachim Sauer, Chancellor Angela Merkel's husband.

Check out more photos at Spiegel. 
The Obamas and Sarkozys


Prepping for what I have no idea

Awaiting Obama in Germany

In France and Germany on Friday, US President Barack Obama said he wanted to renew the trans-Atlantic partnership. Part of that alliance, though, involves more European troops for Afghanistan, he said. Unexpectedly, Obama called for a world without nuclear weapons.

The reception for Barack Obama was just what most had been expecting. Hundreds of American flag-waving Baden-Baden residents turned out for the arrival of the US president, many of them chanting "Obama, Obama." German Chancellor Angela Merkel received Obama with full military honors. She was joined by Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung and a handful of other political luminaries. Read the rest at Spiegel

Help With Gitmo: France Will Take a Detainee

Swamp: "I believe democracy makes it incumbent upon heads of state to speak the truth and to live up to what they say,'' French President Nicolas Sarkozy said today in a brief press conference with President Barack Obama - with the French leader managing to take a shot at the American saga of Guantanamo while offering help in fixing it.

"I am a longstanding friend of the United States,'' Sarkozy said. "But Guantanamo was not in keeping with U.S. values-- at least with my perception of what American values were and are. And I was proud and happy that the United States should have taken the decision that we were hoping for, which was to close down that base. We all were, here in Europe....

"You don't combat terrorists with terrorist methods,'' he said. "You combat them with the methods and the weapons of democracy.

"Having said that -- and I have said that -- if then the president of the United States says, 'I'm going to close down Guantanamo, but I need my allies to take -- in this particular instance, this one person -- into our prisons, because this is going to help me, the U.S. president, to shut down this base,' if we are consistent, then we say, yes.

"We can't condemn the United States to have this camp and then simply wash our hands of the whole business when they close it down,'' he said.

That's not all the two talked about today at Palais Rohan in Strasbourg, on the eve of a summit marking the 60th anniversary of NATO.

"We have a hell of a lot of work ahead of us, because there's a hell of a lot of problems we need to deal with,'' Sarkozy said.

Obama and Sarkozy News Conference in France

Read a transcript here.

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Obama in France for NATO summit:

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The Obamas meeting Sarkozy and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy:

Sarkozy Praises Brown Throws a Bone to Obama

The Obamas are off to France, where Obama will meet with Sarkozy and hold a town hall meeting. Sarkozy's a funny guy:

Guardian: Nicolas Sarkozy tonight lavished praise on Gordon Brown and Barack Obama for their role in the G20 summit but insisted the "historic" outcome would not have been achieved without pressure from France and Germany.

Hailing the greatest financial reform since the Bretton Woods agreement, and ending "the madness of this time of total deregulation", the French president revealed there had been "tensions in the room" until shortly before the conference ended.

"We would never have hoped to get so much," he said at his final press conference. "This is not the victory of one camp against the other, but shows the growing awareness that the world needs to change."

Sarkozy, backed by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, had several times threatened to walk out if their joint "red lines" on regulation were not preserved – even though this was widely dismissed as tactical posturing.

"Of course, there are tensions, wrestling matches and vested interests, but even our Anglo-Saxon friends are convinced we need reasonable rules," he said.

Sarkozy emphasized his own role in persuading the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, to accept publication of a list of tax havens by the OECD, despite China not being a member of the body.

"If France and Germany had not demanded results would we have achieved them? What do you think? But Gordon Brown played a very, very excellent role, and President Obama helped me enormously on this issue of tax havens.

"President Obama really found the way to consensus. He didn't focus exclusively on stimulus. He was determined to enhance and step up regulation."

G20 Leaders May Agree On Regulatory Reforms