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From Google News

Obama to urge UN to confront roots of Muslim rage

by BEN FELLER

NEW YORK (AP) — Campaign politics shadowing every word, President Barack Obama on Tuesday will challenge the world to confront the root causes of rage exploding across the Muslim world, calling it a defining choice "between the forces that would drive us apart and the hopes we hold in common."

Obama will step before the United Nations General Assembly and declare that the United States will not shrink from its role in troubled, transitioning nations despite the killing of four Americans in Libya, including U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens, and more than 50 people total in violence linked at least in part to an anti-Muslim film.

Obama will also to seek to show U.S. resolve in preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, a menacing issue that has undermined White House relations with Israel's leadership.

In his final international address before the November election, Obama will stand up for democratic values on a stage afforded to presidents, not presidential challengers. He will use it to try to boost his political standing without ever mentioning Republican opponent Mitt Romney.

Were there any doubt that the U.S. presidential campaign hung heavy over Obama's speech, Romney shredded it by assailing Obama's foreign affairs leadership on the eve of the president's speech. Now comes Obama's chance to assert his world vision on his terms.

"Today, we must affirm that our future will be determined by people like Chris Stevens, and not by his killers," Obama said of the U.S. ambassador, who was killed during an assault on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that the White House has deemed a terrorist attack. "Today, we must declare that this violence and intolerance has no place among our United Nations."

The White House released excerpts in advance of Obama's midmorning speech.

Obama's comments will be scrutinized around the globe and by the gathering of presidents and prime ministers in the famed United Nations hall, given the tumult, terrorism, nuclear threats and poverty that bind so many nations. His emphasis will be on the unrest in the Muslim world and on Iran, whose disputed nuclear ambitions have unnerved much of the world and caused tension between the United States and longstanding ally Israel over whether Obama has forcefully defined his breaking point for military action.

"Make no mistake: a nuclear-armed Iran is not a challenge that can be contained," Obama says in his speech. He adds: "That is why a coalition of countries is holding the Iranian government accountable. And that is why the United States will do what we must to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon."

That language remains as specific as Obama will publicly describe his "red line" for military intervention.

Setting a sharp political context for the speech, Romney went on the offensive Monday.

"This is time for a president who will shape events in the Middle East, not just be merciful or be at the mercy of the events," Romney said. Focusing on the killing of Stevens and mass bloodshed in Syria, Romney repeatedly ridiculed Obama's comment that nations moving toward democracy after the Arab Spring face "bumps in the road."

That prompted White House spokesman Jay Carney to fire back at Romney: "There is a certain rather desperate attempt to grasp at words and phrases here to find political advantage, and in this case that's profoundly offensive."

Obama's activities at the United Nations say plenty, too: There are not many of them. Campaigning is his imperative.

He is skipping the private meetings with key allies that a U.S. president typically schedules when the whole international community comes to New York. The president will spend only 24 hours in New York in total this time, and he spent some of it Monday to appear on "The View," giving a talk show interview intended to sell his election pitch to a big TV audience.

The dominant theme of Obama's U.N. speech will be his response to the protests raging in places across the Middle East and North Africa. As he has for days, Obama will condemn the violence, defend democratic principles of free speech and promise no U.S. withdrawal of outreach.

Much of the growing ire is aimed at the United States because of anti-Islam film produced in this country, but the White House has now deemed the attack on its consulate in Libya a "terrorist attack" and has not ruled out the possibility it was premeditated. Obama now says it "wasn't just a mob action."

"There are no words that excuse the killing of innocents," Obama says in the speech excerpts. "There is no video that justifies an attack on an embassy. There is no slander that provides an excuse for people to burn a restaurant in Lebanon, or destroy a school in Tunis, or cause death and destruction in Pakistan."

In a preview of Obama's speech, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton appealed Monday for Muslims to show "dignity" as they protest the film denigrating the Prophet Muhammad.

"Dignity does not come from avenging insults," she said in a speech to her husband's Clinton Global Initiative. Romney and Obama were to speak there as well on Tuesday.

The secretary of state was also standing in for Obama, meeting with the presidents of Afghanistan, Egypt, Libya and Pakistan. She was due later in the week to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

For U.S. presidents, the yearly United Nations address is always laced with domestic politics even though the speeches are scripted without campaign references. Wars and the failed attempts at Mideast peace have dominated in recent years.

Romney's campaign made the campaign linkage directly Monday.

"On the eve of his United Nations address, President Obama's foreign policy is in disarray," spokesman Ryan Williams said. "As president, Mitt Romney will repair our relationships abroad and create a safer, more secure nation."

Polling shows Obama has a clear edge over Romney when voters are asked who they think is a stronger leader and would better protect the country.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iMM7YB6DTzL1aYjfnegWFSagfE-w?docId=48575d8c27ab4131a9ec7275f273241a

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From the Department of Justice

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the United Nations General Assembly's High-Level Event on the Rule of Law

New York ~ Monday, September 24, 2012

Mr. President; your Excellencies. I am honored to represent the United States at this historic meeting on the rule of law – and I want to thank all of the distinguished leaders gathered here for bringing your voices, your perspectives, and your commitment to this critical discussion.

History has proven that the establishment and enforcement of the rule of law is essential – in protecting the security and civil liberties of our citizens; in combating violent crime, public corruption, and terrorist threats; and in strengthening civil society. In recent days, we have been reminded – in the most painful and tragic of ways – of just how vital the rule of law is to ensuring freedom, opportunity, justice, and peace.

I am here not only to pledge the United States' commitment to these principles – but also our support for the United Nations' robust efforts to strengthen the rule of law worldwide. And I want to assure each of you that my colleagues and I are determined to stand with any nation that strives to ensure integrity, foster innovation, and create opportunities for prosperity and progress. We will also stand with those governments that cherish the benefits of a free, fair, and open society; and that seek to eradicate the corrupt and abusive activities that can weaken political institutions, threaten the democratic process, undermine the strength and promise of civil society, and diminish the quality of life for countless individuals, families, and communities. We must all truly serve the people we are privileged to represent.

From our national systems, to the UN's work in advancing the goals of international peace and security; of human rights for all people – including women, LGBT individuals, and persons with disabilities – and of economic development and job creation – we've seen, time and again, that there is a strong link between fostering democratic values and supporting the rule of law. Particularly in recent years, our commitment to the rule of law has helped to inform, augment, and re-energize our work in confronting a range of challenges – from fighting crime, corruption, and terrorism, to promoting global security, good governance, and ensuring equality and fair opportunity for all. Today's meeting underscores the fact that this work must remain at the center of how our nations approach development, especially in conflict-affected or fragile states. And it reaffirms – as the World Bank's recent Global Development Report highlighted – that, in today's world, the greatest threat to development and recovery is a weak rule of law.

That's why the promise we've gathered to fulfill – and the pledges we're here to make – are, and must continue to be, a top priority. It's also why, at the international level, I am proud to say that the United States will continue to support UN-led efforts to expand access to legal aid, to more effectively combat drug trafficking and organized crime alongside our international partners, and to build on UN initiatives in the rule of law sector that are focused on conflict and post-conflict situations.

Within our own borders – particularly as we approach the 50 th anniversary of the United States Supreme Court decision guaranteeing the right to counsel for indigent criminal defendants – the United States also pledges to take steps to improve access to justice for those who cannot afford representation. Additionally, we are focused on launching a new domestic violence prevention initiative, strengthening safety net programs that help increase the availability of legal aid, and enhancing our focus on protecting the essential rights of women and girls.

In these and our other efforts to strengthen the rule of law and encourage cooperation on an international scale – from our work together under the landmark UN conventions against crime, terrorism and corruption; to our capacity-building, prosecutorial training, and regional assistance efforts – the Department that I am privileged to lead, and the nation that I am honored to serve, are proud to stand with the leaders in this room. Like you, we approach the challenges before us with resolve, humility, and an eagerness to reinforce old friendships and forge new ones. And we are eager to join with you- as true and equal partners - in driving this critical work into the future.

Thank you.

http://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/ag/speeches/2012/ag-speech-120924.html