And, as a token, he’ll prove his sincerity by releasing jihadis. “Obama: I’ll forge new ties with Muslims,” from the Associated Press, March 13:
In phone conversations with the leaders of Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines on Friday, US President Barack Obama discussed his commitment to forging a new relationship with Islamic countries, among other issues.
The White House said Obama discussed the importance of improving US relations with Islamic countries with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Obama noted that he and Yudhoyono would attend the Group of 20 nations summit next month in London.
At the end of his European trip next month, Obama is scheduled to visit Turkey, a Muslim country where relations with the US were strained by the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Obama and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, another G-20 country and longtime US ally in the Middle East, agreed on the importance of maintaining a strong US-Saudi relationship to promote peace and security in the region…