Barack Obama begins his tour of the Middle East today with an appeal to Saudi Arabia to help curb the growing instability in Pakistan.
The kingdom has so far sat on the fence over the spread of Taliban militants on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, but the issue will be on the agenda when the President meets King Abdullah in Riyadh today.
Mr Obama's defence secretary Robert Gates has already asked Saudi Arabia, which has a close relationship with Pakistan and major influence in the region, for help in countering the terrorist threat.
Many experts say the Sunni-majority kingdom could be crucial in mediating reconciliation with extremists, and it could also help cut off large sums of money flowing to militants from wealthy Saudi donors and Islamic charities.
Saudi Arabia has historical ties with the Taliban, having worked with Pakistan to facilitate its rise in the Nineties and, along with the United Arab Emirates, was one of only two countries to recognise Taliban rule in Afghanistan.
Mr Obama is using his Middle East tour to repair America's image in the eyes of the Muslim world. The next stop on his trip will be Egypt, where he will deliver what is one of the most important speeches of his presidency.
He is expected to use his speech at the University of Cairo to portray a new America that is not at war with the Muslim world and is willing to listen.
He will point out that al Qaeda is not only an enemy of the US but of Muslims worldwide. Mr Obama will also outline the US view on Middle East peace talks, Iran, the war in Afghanistan and unrest in Pakistan.
In an NBC interview last night, Mr Obama acknowledged that there will be no quick fix to the hatred many Muslims feel towards the US. "One speech is not going to transform very real policy differences," he said. "I don't expect that people will come away saying, We agree with every single thing that the President said.' I do hope that we can start opening a dialogue that will be more constructive.
"I hope people will have a better sense of how America views its relationship to the broader world and to Islam. I hope Americans will recognise that Islam is not a monolithic faith, that there are debates within Islam about how to adjust to a modern world." |