How do people in the Middle East view Obama?

Barack Obama is just hours away from making history when he is sworn in as the first black president of the US. In front of a massive global audience - not to mention at least 1 million braving the Washington cold in person - the ceremony will usher in a new era of American politics. An enormous ring of steel has been thrown around the city with 25,000 police and more than 17,000 soldiers on the streets of the capital, while bridges and roads are closed and fighter jets patrol the skies. And for the first time, the entire National Mall leading up to the Lincoln Memorial - where in 1963 Martin Luther King delivered his "I have a dream" speech - will be opened to those wishing to attend. At around 11.30am local time, the President-elect and Vice-President-elect Joe Biden will gather at the west front of the US Capitol building as official proceedings begin. And at around midday, Mr Obama will place his hand on President Abraham Lincoln's inaugural bible and take the Oath of Office. In his much-anticipated inaugural speech, Mr Obama is expected to urge American individuals and businesses to take responsibility for their actions. It has been reported that in the course of a 20-minute address he will say that a "me first" mentality has hurt the US and contributed to the economic crisis the country faces. The build-up to the inauguration began in earnest on Saturday when the "Obama Express" rolled into the capital following a whistle-stop tour from Philadelphia. A high-profile concert - with performances from Bono, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder on Sunday gave way to a lower key series of community events, coinciding with Martin Luther King Day. Despite the weight of expectation on his shoulders, the President-elect appeared relaxed as he helped renovate a "safe space" housing project for homeless and runaway youths in the capital. With paint roller in hand, Mr Obama asked: "That's a good stroke there, what do you think?", adding: "This is good practice because I'm moving to a new house." Meanwhile, the White House's soon-to-be former resident, President George W Bush, in his final moments in office, commuted the prison sentences of two former border patrol guards convicted for shooting a Mexican drug dealer. But there were no high-profile pardons of the kind that marred President Bill Clinton's last day in controversy eight years ago. Confronting Mr Obama when he takes up residence in the White House will be an economy in deepening recession, and a country fighting wars on two fronts. But the realities of the task ahead are likely to give way to optimism, given the historical significance of the occasion.

» More on this story... «

ITN | January 20, 2009

Tags:. .sworn. .oath. .whistle. .capitol. .thrown