In a video message, President Barack Obama tells the people of Kenya that the upcoming elections are a historic opportunity for Kenyans to stand together, as a nation, for peace and progress, and for the rule of law.
President Obama announces an additional $155 million in humanitarian aid for those affected by the violence of the Assad regime. This aid from the American people is providing food, clean water, medicine, medical treatment, immunizations for children, clothing, and winter supplies for millions of people in need inside Syria and in neighboring countries.
United States Celebrates 57th Presidential Inauguration
![President Barack Obama waves to crowd after his Inaugural speech at the ceremonial swearing-in at the U.S. Capitol during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington on January 21, 2013. [AP Photo]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130213211210im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2013_0121_obama_inauguration_m.jpg)
More: The 57th Presidential Inauguration — Be Part of History
Today, President of the United States Barack Obama was sworn in at a ceremony marking the beginning of his second term and delivered his inaugural address from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
During his speech, President Obama said, “America will remain the anchor of strong alliances in every corner of the globe. And we will renew those institutions that extend our capacity to manage crisis abroad, for no one has a greater stake in a peaceful world than its most powerful nation. We will support democracy from Asia to Africa, from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom.… more »
Statement by President Obama on Enhanced State Department Rewards Program
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
January 15, 2013
Today I signed into law S. 2318, the Department of State Rewards Program Update and Technical Corrections Act of 2012. This legislation will enhance the ability of the U.S. Government to offer monetary rewards for information that leads to the arrest or conviction of foreign nationals accused by international criminal tribunals of atrocity-related crimes, and of individuals involved in transnational organized crime.
This powerful new tool can be used to help bring to justice perpetrators of the worst crimes known to human kind. This includes individuals such as Joseph Kony and other leaders of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), as well as certain commanders of M23 and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). All of these individuals face charges before international criminal tribunals for horrific acts, including attacks on civilians, murder, the recruitment and use of child soldiers, and rape. We have made unmistakably clear that the United States is committed to seeing war criminals and other perpetrators of atrocities held accountable for their crimes, and today’s legislation can help us achieve that goal.
The legislation also authorizes the U.S Government to offer rewards for information leading to the arrest or conviction of individuals involved in transnational organized crime, such as money laundering and trafficking in persons, arms, and illicit goods. This important new tool will support my Administration’s Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime, bolster our fight against the scourge of modern slavery, and protect our national security.
President Barack Obama and President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan hold a joint press conference after meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C. on January 11, 2013.
Presidential Proclamation — Honoring the Victims of the Shooting in Newtown, Connecticut
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
December 14, 2012
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, December 18, 2012. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
BARACK OBAMA
About the Author: Andrew Cedar is Director for Global Engagement on the National Security Staff at the White House.
This week, U.S. government officials, investors, entrepreneurs, NGO leaders, and policy makers from more than 50 countries are gathering in Dubai, United Arab Emirates for the third annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit. President Obama announced the creation of this annual event during his 2009 speech at Cairo University in Egypt, and he hosted the inaugural Summit in Washington, D.C. in 2010.
In Cairo, the President pledged to pursue a new partnership between the United States and the Muslim world based on mutual interest and… more »
Presidential Proclamation — National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, 2012
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
December 06, 2012
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
On December 7, 1941, our Nation suffered one of the most devastating attacks ever to befall the American people. In less than 2 hours, the bombs that rained on Pearl Harbor robbed thousands of men, women, and children of their lives; in little more than a day, our country was thrust into the greatest conflict the world had ever known. We mark this anniversary by honoring the patriots who perished more than seven decades ago, extending our thoughts and prayers to the loved ones they left behind, and showing our gratitude to a generation of service members who carried our Nation through some of the 20th century’s darkest moments.
In his address to the Congress, President Franklin D. Roosevelt affirmed that “with confidence in our Armed Forces — with the unbounding determination of our people — we will gain the inevitable triumph.” Millions stood up and shipped out to meet that call to service, fighting heroically on Europe’s distant shores and pressing island by island across the Pacific. Millions more carried out the fight in factories and shipyards here at home, building the arsenal of democracy that propelled America to the victory President Roosevelt foresaw. On every front, we faced down impossible odds — and out of the ashes of conflict, America rose more prepared than ever to meet the challenges of the day, sure that there was no trial we could not overcome. MORE
White House Blog: President Obama Pushes for Nonproliferation
President Barack Obama delivers remarks to the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction symposium held at the National Defense University at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C., Dec. 3, 2012. Joing the President on stage are, from left: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta; former Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga.; and Sen. Richard Lugar, R- Ind.(Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert)
On Monday, President Obama traveled to the National Defense University to mark the 20th anniversary of what he called “one of the country’s smartest and most successful national security programs” — the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program for the destruction of weapons of mass destruction in the former Soviet Union.
And after celebrating some of the accomplishments of that program, the President discussed the need to continue that nonproliferation work in the decades ahead.
“We simply cannot allow the 21st century to be darkened by the worst weapons of the 20th century,” he said. “And that’s why, over the past four years, we’ve continued to make critical investments in our threat reduction programs -— not just at DOD, but at Energy and at State. In fact, we’ve been increasing funding, and sustaining it. And even as we make some very tough fiscal choices, we’re going to keep investing in these programs —- because our national security depends on it.” MORE
Readout of the President’s Call to Prime Minister Netanyahu
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
November 21, 2012
President Obama spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu today and reiterated his commitment to Israel’s security.
The President made clear that no country can be expected to tolerate rocket attacks against civilians.
The President expressed his appreciation for the Prime Minister’s efforts to work with the new Egyptian government to achieve a sustainable ceasefire and a more durable solution to this problem.
The President commended the Prime Minister for agreeing to the Egyptian ceasefire proposal – which the President recommended the Prime Minster do – while reiterating that Israel maintains the right to defend itself.
The President said that the United States would use the opportunity offered by a ceasefire to intensify efforts to help Israel address its security needs, especially the issue of the smuggling of weapons and explosives into Gaza.
The President said that he was committed to seeking additional funding for Iron Dome and other US-Israel missile defense programs.
