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THE UNITED NATIONS -- President Barack Obama today urged Arab nations undergoing radical changes to commit to democracy and tolerance, which he said were not exclusively American or Western values but ones to which all successful nations must adhere.
He made his speech here at the United Nations General Assembly against a backdrop of spiking violence in the Middle East and a domestic election with a newfound focus on foreign policy.
On Tuesday, President Obama spoke to the United Nations general assembly in an emotional speech about the recent violence against Americans. NBC's Chuck Todd reports.
Standing in front of the Assembly's familiar green marble, the president condemned the violent reaction across several Arab nations to a video featuring the prophet Mohammed that led to the deaths of U.S. ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three others.
But he said that in order to end such bloodshed, new leaders must support the principles of freedom and self-determination, which Obama called “universal values” -- no matter how tempting the thought of clamping down on protests or funneling anger towards a foreign target.
President Obama addresses the United Nations General Assembly, spotlighting the Arab Spring's impact while calling on world leaders to resist the temptations of cracking down on dissidence and harboring extremists.
“True democracy -- real freedom -- is hard work,” he said. “Those in power have to resist the temptation to crack down on dissent. In hard economic times, countries may be tempted to rally the people around perceived enemies, at home and abroad, rather than focusing on the painstaking work of reform.”
The president, who has been criticized by Republican presidential opponent Mitt Romney for not responding to the protests against the video forcefully enough, noted that real change would not come just through putting “more guards in front of an embassy or to put out statements of regret.”
He added that leaders must respect freedom of speech, noting that while millions of Americans took offense to the anti-Muslim video, censuring such expression would be futile in today’s information age, and responding with violence was unacceptable.
“In 2012, at a time when anyone with a cell phone can spread offensive views around the world with the click of a button, the notion that we can control the flow of information is obsolete. The question, then, is how we respond. And on this we must agree: There is no speech that justifies mindless violence."
Former NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is a Romney campaign surrogate, joins The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd to talk about foreign policy and the differing views between Obama and Romney on it.
And Obama said that just as all nations should respect Muslim traditions, the inverse must also be true.
“The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam. Yet to be credible, those who condemn that slander must also condemn the hate we see when the image of Jesus Christ is desecrated, churches are destroyed, or the Holocaust is denied.”
He continued, quoting Gandhi: ‘Intolerance is itself a form of violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit,’” he said, garnering applause at the last line.
Don Emmert / AFP - Getty Images
President Barack Obama delivers his address during the 67th United Nations General Assembly meeting August 25 at the United Nations in New York.
As he prescribed broad solutions for the entire Middle East, the president also gave his vision for specific conflict-ridden countries, though he did not offer any new policies or changes to existing ones.
Obama said he was committed to stopping Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. “The United States will do what we must to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” he said.
And he repeated his call for Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to step down, one year after he stood before the same assembly to urge U.N. Security Council sanctions against the country, which members China and Russia are still blocking.
He also reaffirmed his vision for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: “The road is hard but the destination is clear -- a secure, Jewish state of Israel; and an independent, prosperous Palestine.”
While the president shied away from overtly political rhetoric, he did tout what he perceives as his accomplishments in foreign policy, an area seen as his strong suit but one which Romney has been increasingly critical.
“The war in Iraq is over, and our troops have come home. We have begun a transition in Afghanistan, and America and our allies will end our war on schedule in 2014. Al Qaeda has been weakened and Osama bin Laden is no more. Nations have come together to lock down nuclear materials, and America and Russia are reducing our arsenals.”
And the president urged listeners to put aside “political debates” and focus not on what divides the world but unites it.
“When you strip that all away, people everywhere long for the freedom to determine their destiny; the dignity that comes with work; the comfort that comes from faith; and the justice that exists when governments serve their people -- and not the other way around,” he said.
“The United States of America will always stand up for these aspirations, for our own people, and all across the world.”
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our diplomat had seen this violence comming as the seals there had also! They are now dead and this puke of a pathalogical LIAR president spends a week trying to blame it on something else as he does anything negative in his failed presidency! He has missed 60% of the morning briefings, instead of meeting with a PM he goes on letterman, he has met with the muslim brotherhood more times in this last year then he has with his OWN security council, instead of meeting just ONCE in 8 months with his "employment council he sets a record # of golf games, instead of meeting with ANY foreign leaders he goes on the view and to Las Vegas. How can you ignorant stupid libtards keep supporting this puke????
Good job, BO, that should take care of things. Because, you know, tolerance and democracy are such a big part of their religion and governments already. They just need a little wake-up speech to remind them...
Did you hear the one about the President really not knowing what went on in Libya where our Ambassador got killed??? Yae...know it really happened .. His Press Secretary for a week was calling it an act of Terrorism and the President as of yesterday still calling it the fault of a little movie. Hard to believe there are Countries that have such Jack ASS for a President.....
The headline is misleading, Obama didn't denounce anything in this article, just gave his normal limp dick response.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that "a new world order needs to emerge, away from years of what he called American bullying and domination."
Sounds like Obama is on board with Ahmadinejad.......Obama said he wants to fundimentally change the US, he believes that Amarica is the bully of the world, and that Americans strive to dominate other countries.
Obama is playing for the other team......Not for Americans.
The other team you mean he is GAY!
Tom are you a Homo-phobe? Let's be truthful? Sad!
.....well its about time, we sure could use that forty billion in welfare money we send to Israel yearly, here in Detroit are Teachers, Fire Firghter and Police Offer are "starving like Marvin"....
Democracy does not guarantee peace or prosperity!
Hamas was democratically elected!
The Muslim Brotherhood was democratically elected!
Hitler was originally democratically elected!
Hugo Chavez was originally democratically elected!
Barrack Obama was democratically elected!
Obama knew...
CNN's discovery of Ambassador Steven's diary in Libya is beginning to look like the door way to Obama's Watergate...
Initial reveal appears the Whitehouse was much more aware of the danger and risk than originally portrayed.
Barack's cover-up may have met it's worst enemy....
.... Danger!! In the middle east "get real" Water Gate, LOLOOLOL ha! ha! Please !
President Obama represents the USA very well.I read voraciously more global news than just watching Fox or CNN . President Obama is highly respected around the world !!! Both by the leaders and the people of the world,many who were amazed and baffled at the response of our own country's republicans completely dismissing the fact The United States President Obama WON the Nobel Prize.
I worry when I see these comment sites and see both sides falling for the tried low level debate of just short rude name calling .When did collaboration,communications ,discussion and compromise become such dirty words.

No, the attacks are not directed only at the US. If you read any newspapers / online articles that do not come from companies owned and controlled by Rupurt Murdoch, you would find that English and German embassies have also been attached.
The attacks represent anger at foreign governments who are seeking to control other independent states.
Obama denounces violence in Middle East, calls for tolerance and democracy.
There you have it Left Wingbats... Your lord and Prophet O'barry has spoken...it shall be done!
I bet yaw'll feel better already!
Wake up folks, Obama is selling America down the river....when our money and power is gone liberals will drown first. It's ironic, the groups that could put BO in the WH for another four years, the young and the poor, are the ones hurt most by soaring food and gas costs, much less NO JOBS. How stupid to you have to be to hurt yourself?
there is something very sinister going on in the background right now and America is starting to wake up and smell the stench of this administration.
Obama loves to hear himself talk, if only what he says wasn't just worthless hot air from a clueless narcissist. His past four years have been a economic and financial disaster with a failed appeasement policy in the Middle East crisis haunting him endlessly.
Its back to Chicago for him after this election where he belongs along with Rahm and ACORN's legal adviser.
A President who speaks for the nation and preaches tolerance from those who have a different opinion.. Characteristics the GOP has demonstrated in short supply....
OBL is dead, Al Qaeda is alive and well. There is no king roach. Another always pops up.
Democracy and militant Islam are incompatible. Their laws come from the Koran, not the legislature.
Obama botched the exit from Iraq that was negotiated by Bush. Without a status-of-forces agreement that left some U.S. military presence, the place is falling apart. Without a U.S. airbase there, Iraq cannot defend its own airspace. Great.
Afghanistan is a mess with a resurgent Taliban. Almost as soon as 33,000 more U.S. troops were announced, a set date for withdrawal was also. Shrewd.
Obama is a domestic and foreign policy disaster, but the Obama Zombies will not be deterred from their blind-faith death march.
I loved the President's speech. As a teacher of twenty-three years, at both the high school and college levels, I am always impressing upon my students that the gift Americans have to speak freely should be honored and used in an ethical manner. I try to convey that speaking freely should be done with circumspection, as well as an understanding of the possible consequences of one's words. In this country that most of us love so much, we must also remember that decorum, civility, and respect, as well as free speech, are inextricably linked, and are the foundations of any just and civilized society.
James Mulhern, www.synthesizingeducation.net
LMAO @ the hypocritical left. Obama talks about tolerence for all, but Harry r. doesn't believe in that. you can tell by his comments abotu MR and his faith. Obama is the one who preached about "there is no red states or blue states, just the United States", but he is the one using class warfare as them (rich) vs us (poor).
Yeah Obama is a class act. He turned his back on the Dr. in Pakistan that gave him his ONLY accomplishment, OBL.
Read #.UF9bOlHDzvb interesting look on Obamas real life, not the one you think.
Also obam's outsource how much with our tax dollars that should have gave Americans Jobs??
And you could end up paying more under his plan:
The data points to a trend, and it's not good. Obama gets re-elected thing will only get worse. I wount even get into his stint on Letterman where he didn't know what the deficit was, or the we didn't need to worry about it, or the fact he still blames GW. Inauguration day (ID), (T) Today, (C) Change.
1) Unemployed Americans ID=12.05 Million T=12.54 Million C= up 495,000.
2) Unemployment rate ID=7.8% T=8.1% C = up 3.8%.
3) Long-Term Unemployed ID=2.7 Million T=5 Million C= up 87%.
4) Middle Class Income ID=$54,962 T=$51,002 C= DN $3,960.
5) Gas Prices ID=$1.85 T=$3.86 C = up 107%
6) Home Values ID=$169,700 T=$151,600 C = DN 11%.
7) Worker Health Costs ID=$3,354 T=$4,129 C = up 23%.
8) College Tuition ID=$6,591 T=$8,244 C = up 25%.
9) Americans in poverty ID=39.8 million T=46.2 Million C = up 6.4 million.
10) Consumer Price Index ID=211.1 T=230.4 C = up 9.1%.
11) Federal Debt ID=10.6 Trillion T=16+ Trillion C = up 51%.
12) Debt per person ID=$34,731 T=$51,037 C = up $16,306.
13) US Global Competitiveness ID=1st T=7th C = DN 6 places.
Also from 2008 "as a presidential candidate Obama criticized then-President George W. Bush for adding $4 trillion to the national debt, saying it was "unpatriotic" and also "irresponsible" to saddle future generations with such a large national debt." and our debt now is??? refer to # 11
Or the myth the BC left a surplus. The myth of Bill Clinton:
While not defending the increase of the federal debt under President Bush, it's curious to see Clinton's record promoted as having generated a surplus. It never happened. There was never a surplus and the facts support that position. Here is a credible and verified link that details what the national debt is daily, and breaks it down to specify debt held by the public and intragovernmental holdings.
www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/BPDLogin?application=np
From the first day of the fiscal year of 1998 to the last day of the fiscal year 2000 (October 1st, 1997 - September 30th, 2000), the national debt went from 5.42 T to 5.67 T. And from the first day of his presidency to the last day (January 20th, 1993 - January 19th, 2001), the national debt
went from 4.19T to 5.73 T. As can clearly be seen, in no year did the national debt go down, nor did Clinton leave Bush with a surplus that Bush subsequently turned into a deficit. Yes, the deficit was almost eliminated in FY2000 (with a deficit of "only" $17.9 billion), but it never reached zero--let alone a positive s
urplus number. And Clinton's last budget proposal for FY2001, which ended in September 2001, generated a $133.29 billion deficit.
Do you all realize that Israel existed more than 4 years ago?
No really!
This "bumpy road" is a few thousand years long.
And during this time thousands of politicians have successfully kept it from falling apart.
Its amazing that Armageddon hasn't happened at least 100 times by now.
Weird huh. I wonder why that is....
Since we all know tolerance and democracy will never work in the middle east, I have a better idea. Let's get the hell out completely and let them kill each other until the end of time, because, let me steal a line from Gone With the Wind, frankly I don't give a dam and I believe 99% of Americans feel exactly like I do.
...How can the Homo in Chief have any influence on the Middle East, other than making them laugh at us, when they and we all know that most of America looks upon him as a bad joke?
“The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam. BUT APPARENTLY HE'S OK WITH ANYTHING YOU MIGHT TO CALL JESUS.
“True democracy -- real freedom -- is hard work,” he said. “Those in power have to resist the temptation to crack down on dissent.
Obama says this while ruthlessly suppressing tolerance and democracy here in the United States.
Support Occupy.
Don't use my TAX Dollars to bomb Iran,
what! Israel got 40 billion in Welfare payments from this country, this year and the best they can find to do with it is start a war with Iran,. what about are School Children, are Police and Fire Departments, the Us DEBT!!, the City Financial Managers, what could they do in the City of Detroit with Forty Billion Dollars($40,000,000,000)/yr, .....
Stop Spending My TAX Dollars, on Fuel, patrolling the Middle East