Obama pledges new US relations with Europe

[Peacetrain]

Obama pledges new US relations with Europe


U.S. President Barack Obama delivers his speech at Rhenus sports arena in Strasbourg Reuters – U.S. President Barack Obama delivers his speech at the Rhenus sports arena in Strasbourg, April 3, 2009. …
By TOM RAUM, Associated Press Writer Tom Raum, Associated Press Writer – 19 mins ago

STRASBOURG, France – Welcomed with thunderous cheers, President Barack Obama pledged on Friday to repair damaged relations with Europe, saying the world came together following the 2001 terrorist attacks but then "we got sidetracked by Iraq."

"We must be honest with ourselves," Obama said. "In recent years, we've allowed our alliance to drift."

The new U.S. president said that despite the bitter feelings that were generated by Iraq, the United States and its allies must stand together because "al-Qaida is still a threat."

At a town-hall style gathering before a French and German audience, Obama also encouraged a skeptical Europe to support his revamped strategy for rooting out terrorism suspects in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and said Europe should not expect America to shoulder the burden of sending in combat troops by itself.

"This is a joint problem," Obama said on the cusp of the NATO summit. "And it requires a joint effort."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_obama