And another Saudi papers is happy because Obama has taken “many extraordinary steps in trying to achieve a rapprochement with the Arab and Islamic world.”
“Arab Reaction Overwhelmingly Positive to Obama Nobel Prize,” by Edward Yeranian for the Voice of America, October 9 (thanks to News4U):
[…] Jamal Khashoggi, who is the editor and publisher of the influential Saudi daily Al-Watan noted that he believes Mr. Obama won the Peace prize for his overtures to the Arab and Islamic world, and especially for his June address at Cairo University.
” It is a good sign and it is very quick for a president to receive the Nobel Prize even though he didn’t finish a whole year in his term,” said Khashoggi. “But, his speech in Cairo was a very good blueprint for peace. He did not only address Israeli’s interests as American presidents usually do, he addressed also Palestinians concerns and rights. Not only Palestinians … he even talked to Hamas. That was really good. I was there in Cairo and I was very much impressed. It is a very good step. I just hope that Hamas and others in the Palestinian camp will realize that.”
The popular, Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV broke into its regular news programming to make the announcement that President Obama had won the prize, noting that the President had taken “many extraordinary steps in trying to achieve a rapprochement with the Arab and Islamic world.”