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Developments Concerning Air France Flight 447; President Obama Speaks in Normandy, France; President Obama on Equality for Women; President Obama's Outreach To Muslims

Aired June 06, 2009 - 16:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And we'll have much more on the developments concerning that Air France flight 447 as we get it.

Meantime, as the president now wraps up his trip abroad. In France today, we take this hour to examine his messages to allied nations on this D-Day. His messages earlier in the week to the Muslim world and what he sees as America's promise on the world stage. We look at America's appeal abroad.

We know you have thoughts and questions as well for our guests so we look forward to you being a part of this conversation. The president is in Paris right now with his family but just hours ago, President Obama paid tribute to soldiers past and present at D-Day anniversary ceremonies in France.

The president walked a long line shaking hands with troops when he arrived in Normandy. The first couple joins thousands of veterans and other dignitaries in marking the 65th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Friends and veterans, we cannot forget. What we must not forget is that D-Day was a time and a place where the bravery and selflessness of a few was able to change the course of an entire century. An hour of maximum danger amid the bleakest of circumstances, men who thought themselves ordinary found within themselves the ability to do something extraordinary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Actor Tom Hanks was also among those in Normandy honoring the sacrifices of the Allied forces 65 years ago today. Of course, he starred in the epic D-day film, "Saving Private Ryan."

All right. We want to examine the president's journey there to Normandy on the 65th anniversary. Among those there, CNN senior international correspondent Jim Bittermann. He has been reporting from Normandy all day long and Jim, I know you have covered these several times before. So give me an idea what you witnessed today.

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the weather has deteriorated from those ceremonies earlier in the day when we had plenty of sunshine. Now, this is a pretty good imitation of what those soldiers, sailors and air men must have faced 65 years ago on D-day morning. It's, of course, evening in Normandy now. But, in fact, you can see the surf kicking up out there quite a bit. It's raining and back then on D-day morning, they had (inaudible).

And I just wanted to point the sort of difficulty that some of the servicemen had coming ashore here. This is Omaha Beach, a part of Omaha Beach and cutting off the beach, they had to go up these cliffs, that you see off to my left. And in fact very steep, perhaps several hundred feet tall. And the top were German gunmen placements and trenches and the Germans were able to fire down directly on to the oncoming Allied soldiers. It was the kind of thing that was relived over and over again today in various parts of the beaches along here. The difficulty of coming ashore, of establishing the (inaudible) and the amazing accomplishment of those people who did. President Barack Obama talked about that in his speech today, directly speaking to the various veterans who were here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: You, the veterans of that landing, are why we still remember what happened on D-day. You are why we keep coming back. For you remind us that in the end, human destiny is not determined by forces beyond our control. You remind us that our future is not shaped by mere chance or circumstance. Our history has always been the sum total of the choices made and the actions taken by each individual man and woman. It has always been up to us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BITTERMANN: All in all, a very moving occasion with all four leaders, the two presidents and the two prime ministers directly addressing the men who fought their way ashore here 65 years ago today. Jim Bittermann, CNN, Omaha Beach.

WHITFIELD: Donald Goldstein is a military historian and co-author of "D-day, Normandy." And we invited him to help us recall and understand exactly what was taking place during the ceremonies today. Josh Levs has also been going through so many e-mail questions and Facebook messages that people have been sending as well. So, Mr. Goldstein, let me begin with you.

This is a tradition for every American president to be a part of the D-day commemoration. Was this year particularly different in your view, particularly since the president made his appearances during the D-day commemorations after a week of being in the Middle East, being in North Africa as well as in Germany?

PROF. DONALD GOLDSTEIN, AUTHOR "D-DAY, NORMANDY": Yes, ma'am. I think it was because what it did was this may be the last big hurrah. We are talking 65 years and we're talking average age 80, 90, 87 year old men and this may be their last pilgrimage and D-day was a big day in my lifetime. It was a crusade and we'll talk about that a little bit later. Yes, it was good. Because this may be the last big one.

WHITFIELD: Well, tell me why for you particularly this was a very poignant moment as it is on every anniversary marking of D-day. GOLDSTEIN: Well, in the first years of the war, I was a kid, 12 years old. In the first year of the war, we weren't doing well. D-day was like a crusade. I hate to get corny here but it was a good guys, us, against the bad guys. It was against - Hitler the anti-Christ. And we went into lion's den and after four years of taking beatings and we beat them and this was the culmination of four or five years of fighting, from then on it was all downhill for this guy and it was good. People went to church. Everything stopped. We didn't go to school. 65 years ago when it started when it was first celebrated. So it was a crusade. It really was.

WHITFIELD: And it's particularly poignant and important isn't on every D-day celebration, particularly this one to see Great Britain, France to see Canada, to see these countries together once again, paying homage to the men who made these ultimate sacrifices and was it particularly different this go around when you have a president who also brought his own personal experience and those personal family connection? He talked about his great uncle. He talked about his great uncle liberating concentration camp and his grandfather also spending time in Normandy. Have we seen this in the past with other presidents as they try to make that personal connection to D-day and what it means to them?

GOLDSTEIN: I really think we have, we're just getting bigger play. I think that, you know, Ronald Reagan and John Kennedy but I think this is an important fact, in the past, at a time that this is a time here where in America we don't have a great rep. That's what the word is out there. And sometimes the Europeans forget what we did for them. I mean we did it for ourselves too but we saved Europe. We rebuilt Europe. We gave them billions of dollars of free aid and the (inaudible) and sometimes we don't brag enough about it, sometimes they don't even appreciate it. But on this kind of day, I think they take stock when these veterans come back because if it wasn't for them, by god, things wouldn't be like they are today and it's good for Europe.

WHITFIELD: And do you see that rep that you are referring to on the verge of changing or do you see that that rep is taking a turn?

GOLDSTEIN: I think it's changing, I really do. I think and media is helping. I'm really surprised that you all are doing this all over. And I forgot, you know, 65th is a little bit different because sometime the kids don't learn about this stuff. You know, history is not a big thing in this country, it's English and Math and they don't get an entire read on this but really no child left behind. They don't study this and now they are. And I think the Europeans and us are getting closer together because of things like this.

WHITFIELD: OK. Donald Goldstein, thank you so much and we've also been receiving a lot of comments and questions from people in so many different ways on social networking and Josh Levs has been fielding a lot of that and Josh, it's interesting to hear Mr. Goldstein talk about, you know, America's rep has not been so good over many, many years. Are e-mailers, our viewers commenting about that right now.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are. Big time. They're all over. You know, what you did, earlier today you posed this question. Is the president's trip helping repair, right, relations overseas. And we are hearing from people as you were just saying Fred, in every which way.

Let's zoom in on the board, I'll just show you some of the examples we've got coming in here. In fact, you know what, let's start over here at the CNN NEWSROOM blog, CNN.com/NEWSROOM. That's where you're asking the question. Let me just give you a taste of a few we're getting.

There's Charlie saying in a word, yes, absolutely. Vin is saying what the president is doing in terms of foreign relations is just what is needed at this time. We're also hearing from the other side. Rod is saying Barack Obama is very naive, to think that by him kissing up to a bunch of thugs who rule the Middle East with an iron fist will cause them to all of a sudden change their ways.

I want to show you quickly, we're also hearing over here, twitter, over here Facebook. This is Fred's page, FredrickaWhitfieldCNN and keep them all coming throughout the hour we're going to pose your comments, your questions. No not that one. Your comments, your questions and we're going to keep hearing all your views, depending on whatever side of this. We want to help share it here. Plus, Fred, on to of all that, we have I-reports coming up, some good videos that people have submitted. We got it all this hour.

WHITFIELD: That's right, we got other opportunities where people who are posing these questions, we're going to get them answered.

LEVS: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Some of the experts that we have invited. Thanks so much, Josh.

LEVS: You got it.

WHITFIELD: Thanks again to Donald Goldstein, a military historian and co-author of "D-day, Normandy."

All right. So before Normandy, the president made footsteps in North Africa as well as the Middle East, trying to bring people of differences as he put it together. How did he do?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Welcome back as we focus on America's appeal abroad. Right now, President Obama is in Paris, wrapping up his journey to France. But earlier in the week, he delivered messages about coming together no matter what the differences.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly to each other the things we hold in our hearts and that too often are said behind closed doors. There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other, to learn from each other, to respect one another and to seek common ground.

WHITFIELD: All right. That was president Obama at the University of Cairo talking to a mostly Muslim audience there in the auditorium but his message was for non-Muslims as well. Middle East analyst and Sarah Lawrence University professor Fawaz Gerges is with us now. Good to see you. In your view as the president sends his message, particularly to Muslims but to non-Muslims community as well while in Cairo. He reiterated some of those sentiments again in Germany. Did he at least started out right to get people's attention particularly by starting out, by saying assalam alaikum.

FAWAZ GERGES, MIDDLE EAST ANALYST: Absolutely. You know, the beauty about Barack Obama is his ability to understand the cultural nuances that exist in the international system. Not only he has had assalam alaikum, that is the greeting, the traditional greeting of Muslims, he even cited the Koran, Islam's holy book, more than once. He talked about his own personal story. He interweaved his own personal story as a person whose father came from Africa, Kenya, whose members were Muslims. He said he lived in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country where he used to listen to the azan, that is the preacher every morning. He has had, he knows Islam from the inside out and he would like to start in a new beginning.

What Barack Obama tried to do, I think in Cairo was not just to educate Muslims and Arabs about America, but also to educate Americans and westerners about the world of Islam. He made it very clear that Islam is stereotyped in America and his position as the president of the United States is to change all, to change the debate from conflict and war into partnership and engagement.

WHITFIELD: And the White House wanted to make sure that his speech was translated into 13 languages and the word choice was very important particularly for the translation. Was it your view that not just the words that were used, but perhaps the omission of certain words made for a speech that was going to be more accepted in certain languages and certain circles?

GERGES: Fredricka, you really asked a very important question here. I mean, the speech was an hour speech. President Barack Obama did not use the term terrorism not even once. The word terrorism was not used by President Obama not once. He never used the term, the so-called Islamo-fascism, coined by the Bush administration.

WHITFIELD: But does it concern you that he did change the language once in Germany while he talked about new beginnings, launching new beginnings while in Cairo when he did get to Germany and when he did talk again about the topic of people with differences, weeding out evil, he did use the word terrorist.

GERGES: Well there is terrorism, of course, and as he said there is a potent minority, a French minority. And he said this particular minority when he spoke in Cairo threatens not only America and westerners, but also threaten our Muslim allies. And he said, the beauty about the president, he didn't use the term terrorism in Cairo, he didn't use the term, the war on terror, which is very controversial as well. But he really was trying to do is to Muslims not only the United States is at war with Islam. He has been hammering this particular theme that he went beyond that. He said we would like to be partners. We would like to be partners not only to fight Al Qaeda which is a potent minority but also for the sake of peace and stability. And that's why the speech itself resonated a great deal.

WHITFIELD: And among those messages, he talked about compromise. That's one term that some people are describing when he talked about a two-state Middle East peace solution as it pertains to Israelis and Palestinians. I want to ask a lot more about that message and how it was received when we come right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. As we concentrate on America's appeal abroad, let's look a little bit further into one of the resounding messages that President Obama launched while in Cairo and reiterated once again while in Germany. He talked about Israel stopping settlements in the West Bank.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES: It's easy to point fingers. For Palestinians to point to the displacement brought about by Israel's founding and for Israelis to point to the constant hostility and attacks throughout its history from within its borders as well as beyond. But if we see this conflict only from one side or the other, then we will be blind to the truth.

The only resolution is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two state where Israelis and Palestinians each live in peace and security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Is that achievable? And if so or if not, how difficult might that road be? Our senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman reminds us about what life is like in Israeli settlement.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the outskirts of the Palestinian village of Naalin.

(on camera): This is really the heart of the matter when it comes to the problem in the West Bank. This town, Naalin, is surrounded by Israeli settlement. Every week there is a protest against the settlements and their expansion and the Israelis inevitably use tear gas, rubber bullets and sometimes with fatal consequences.

(voice-over): It's a weekly ritual. Pitting teenage boys against soldiers.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So this is just an example that our Ben Wedeman brings us. And again this reminder comes on the heels of President Obama saying, a few different times this week about him trying to discourage Israel from continuing on settlements on the West Bank. But just yesterday our Wolf Blitzer in the "Situation Room" talked with Israel's deputy foreign minister Daniel Ayalon and poses varied questions about stopping settlements and this was the response.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: In the meantime, these media days and weeks ahead, the settlements are continuing.

DANIEL AYALON, DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER, ISRAEL: Well, there is no reason to stop anything which we have been doing so far.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So, let's delve into this a little bit further. Is this a realistic approach that the president has, two separate states for Israelis and Palestinians. We're joined once again by Middle East analyst and Sarah Lawrence College Professor Fawaz Gerges and Josh Levs has been also been fielding a lot of questions and comments. Because this is kind of one of those lightning rod topics.

And professor, what do you think? Is this realistic? Can we be on the road of two states, prior presidents, American presidents have tried it before. Why might this time be different?

GERGES: Well, I think there is no other choice. The only choice and the only credible and the only effective and the only rational choice is a -- it's a solution that takes into account the aspirations of the Israelis and the Palestinians. What else would you have? Because Israel would not accept a bi-national state. It wants a state whereby the Israelis and the Palestinians live in one state. I think what we need to tell our viewers is that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a mine field. It is a mine field.

And every president and every president including President Barack Obama, a brilliant visionary president, knows that he has to navigate this particular conflict very carefully. And I think he did. I think he succeeded tremendously in addressing both with empathy the aspirations of those people, what he did and look at what he did. I mean, he is one of the only American sitting president who talked about the suffering of the Palestinians. The dislocation, the humiliation, the occupation and he said this is intolerable. This is intolerable because you have three million people who basically lived in their occupation at the same time.

At the same time, he called on Arabs and Muslims to recognize that Israel is basically a state that was born out of the tragedy, the great tragedy and crime of the holocaust. Israel is here to stay. He called on both people, Arabs and Israelis to recognize not only the legitimate aspirations of one another but the humanity, the humanity of each other. And I believe what he said resonates a great deal, in particular in the larger and the greater Middle East (inaudible).

WHITFIELD: What's interesting here is while he was very careful about fashioning his language and he talked about the bond between the U.S. and Israel as unbreakable. And that was his word. Unbreakable while he spoke in Cairo. There were many Israelis who responded immediately by saying they see President Obama as a threat to Israel. So how can you please both sides and especially on the heels of him meeting with President Netanyahu? And when he talked about that very subject to President Netanyahu in Washington, Netanyahu said, no. Not interested.

GERGES: Now, Fredricka, what we need to understand is that Israel has always had a veto, a veto over American foreign policy. And President Barack Obama I would argue is the only president or one of the few presidents who basically is trying to help Israel, basically find a way out of this bad embrace. Because he knows and we all know, and many Israelis know and many Israelis know that the only way out is a solution based on a two-state concept, one Palestinian and one Israeli in the settlement. The reason why President Barack Obama is emphasizing settlement, remember, I mean, the more Israel devours Palestinian land, basically the concept of a two-state solution disappears. In fact, unless settlements are frozen, Israel will find itself. It has no other option but basically to have what we call a bi-national state, integrate.

WHITFIELD: And we are not surprised that this has evoked quite the response from people social networking whether it be via Facebook, e- mails, twitter, et cetera. And Josh Levs has been fielding a number of these comments and questions and what do you have, Josh, for the professor?

LEVS: Yes, I tell you, we are kind of getting questions about broadening THIS out a little bit. And Fawaz, you just said a moment ago, the only president or one of the few presidents - we have a message here on twitter. Trying to drill that down a little more. Let's zoom in for a second. From swiftj it says here "has a speech like this ever been given in the Muslim world by an American president or anyone American?" Fawaz, your perspective here, you follow these things closely. Was this a totally unprecedented speech?

GERGES: It really is. I mean, this really is a historic landmark. I have a colleague in Cairo who is very critical of American foreign policy, he said he went to listen to his speech, he was invited. And he said he really wanted - he thought that President Barack Obama would reinforce his criticism of American foreign policy. I called him and I said what do you think, Janil. He said this particular president is full of humanity even though he said he is critical of American foreign policy, Barack Obama, he said he spoke power with humility. He was able to connect.

LEVS: Fawaz, before I lose you, I want to quickly toss one more at you. Really quickly, from Beth Nielsen(ph) here who wrote us this, she is saying that he is getting all this criticism for not being specific. Her question here is aren't all the countries supposed to be involved in the decision making. Your perspective doesn't make sense, not to be that specific, until you meet with all these countries and come up with a plan.

GERGES: Absolutely. This was not a policy speech. It was s statement of intention. He was trying to change the debate from conflict and war into a partnership. It's the beginning of a long journey and President Barack Obama said he knows how difficult and complex the damages are.

LEVS: All right. Fawaz, thanks for your views on that.

WHITFIELD: All right. We're are going to talk more with the professor and Josh on policy versus intention, underscoring that very point that you're making and also we're going to talk about how young people around the world have been weighing in on this. They have some very strong thoughts about what they heard whether be out of Cairo or perhaps what they heard in Germany or maybe even France. We're going take another trip to Cairo.

And we are going to find out from one young lady who is very involved in blogging what she and her colleagues have been saying.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A young American president's messages resonated this week. We'll get to that in a moment.

Right now, happening right now in the news, crews searching for wreckage of Air France Flight 447. They found the bodies of two men now. The Brazilian air force confirms that one was a passenger on the flight. Crews also found a backpack and a laptop.

And Mexico's president has ordered a federal investigation into a horrific daycare center fire. At least 35 children died. Dozens more were injured. It happened late yesterday in Hermosillo. All the children were under the age of five.

And President Obama joined veterans and other leaders to commemorate the 65th anniversary of D-day. Speaking at the American cemetery in France, President Obama said the bravery of troops who fought on the beaches at Normandy changed the course of an entire century.

We are focusing this hour on America's appeal abroad. And this week President Obama made quite the journey over a five day span. Not just in France today, but he was also in Germany, he was in the Middle East and he was in North Africa. He had this to say that really resonated with a lot of young people when he was in Cairo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am convinced that our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons. Our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity, men and women, to reach their full potential.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. This very young president, 47 years old, received a rousing applause as he was there at the University of Cairo, a mostly Muslim audience there in the auditorium, but also a lot of young people. And what he said and how he said it resonated on social networking in so many different ways. Dalia Ziada actually runs a blog out of Cairo and this is how she responded and how a lot of people have been blogging to her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DALIA ZIADA, AMERICAN ISLAMIC CONGRESS: All the audience clapped because he took it from a traditional point of view. You know, people will believe you more and believed Obama and Obama was credible more toward them because he's talked first about tradition, about Islam. And from this he speaks about women's rights.

He refused extremism. He rejected extremism, which we all reject, but he did not reject Islam. So everyone clapped, including men, who are against women's rights. Or consider women's rights is not something good to speak about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And our correspondent Octavia Nasr also has been paying attention to what a lot of people were saying on social networking, on Facebook, as well as on Twitter. And this is her report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On Twitter, Ali from Iran sent a few dozen Tweets with updates like, "Iranians are following this speech via Voice of America with satellite. It's illegal in Iran." He also submitted comments from other Iranians who weren't very impressed by Mr. Obama's presentation. One of them said, "we must be defiant till USA make some change, not only words."

Most reaction was positive. With people saying they'd been energized by President Obama's positive attitude and what Ali Dahmash from Jordan described as "understanding of what it means to be Muslim and appreciating that." Dahmash added he had "never seen such an applause and respect to an American president" among an Arab audience.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: And Nura Sadiqe was also watching. She is a Muslim American and she joins CNN from New York and had this to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NURA SEDIQE, MUSLIM AMERICAN: I think there's greater room for our involvement. And I think it was absolutely beautiful that he brought up Muslim women, especially women that wear the scarf, and that they are no less equal than women who choose not to cover their hair. And bringing that up is great because I personally faced some discrimination wearing it and I have had to always prove to other individuals here that I am just as educated or just as capable as others, which is unfortunately a miss perception exists within that. And he's closing that gap.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Women's rights, daughters and sons, getting equal footing. Just some of the things that resonated particularly with people on social networking. Our Josh Levs has been hearing from you as well.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

WHITFIELD: And so, Josh, what messages particularly stuck with some of our viewers?

LEVS: You know what the broad discussion is, Fred? In general we're finding everyone agrees that there were really great messages in here on a brought level. There's no (ph) disagreement about that.

What a lot of it boils down to, what we're seeing here, is was he specific enough? Was he substantive enough?

I'm going to start off now with two i-Reports I want to show you where you see both sides of that debate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAARIS KHAN, IREPORTER: He talked about change and rebuilding the world, but that was about it. He didn't talk about how exactly he wants that to happen. He didn't talk about what he is going to do specifically what and what he specifically expects the Muslim world to do. I commend President Obama's speech and the first step he's takes towards peace. But if he expects peace with the Muslim world to be a part of his legacy, then he'll need to make a more substantiated effort.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA RADEMACHER: Speeches like today's are intended to convey feeling, to engage people in the changes in American foreign policy and to give a general intent, to paint a picture of what it is that President Obama plans to do and what his priorities will be. I think it was a grand speech.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: So, Fred, you can see that debate going on there.

Now we're also hearing a lot on our blog today, cnn.com/newsroom. Let's zoom in here. Want to show you your chance to weigh in. We certainly are interested in a lot of the perspectives that we're getting here.

And let's start off with this one from Louie G. who says he's "really pleased that the president is showing the depth of the beauty of our nation to the world."

And over here we've got another one. This one comes from Rami (ph) who complains that there were some parts of his discussion on the Israeli military that he did not bring up. We're hearing both sides on that.

But over here, Bobby (ph), "most importantly he understands and is aware of not just American history, but international history."

And I'll tell you, Fred, I tried to show a balance of people pro and con, but I also try to reflect the full balance of what we're actually getting. I looked through about 100 messages we've gotten on the blog. I think more than 90 are overall positive about this president and about the speech. Some of them from people who say they didn't vote for him, but they, overall, were impressed by the speech.

WHITFIELD: Well, that's very interesting. It was interesting to hear a lot of people of all walks who have just simply talked about being skeptical initially before he had something to say. And this is a speech that the president has told many people and shared publicly. This is something he started working on before inauguration once he was elected. This was already a commitment that he made a speech to the Muslim community, but also a message to non-Muslims. And this is one that he worked very hard on trying to use selective language. There was a lot of skepticism for many and it's been interesting to hear so many people, as you just underscored, who didn't necessarily vote for him or didn't necessarily support him in the early stages who are now saying they liked what they heart.

LEVS: That's right. Absolutely. And I'll tell you, one thing I really like about what we get on the blogs and these discussions that happen on Facebook and Twitter -- in fact, we'll zoom back in. Let me show Fred's Facebook page and the Twitter page -- is that these discussions keep going even after we're done at 5:00. We'll find that for hours and hours people will keep talking here.

Eric Soso (ph) here over at Facebook complaining that there's not enough attention paid to the idea of fighting for democracy in much of the Muslim world.

That's at your Facebook page, Fredrickawhitfildcnn.

But John saying "repairs will take time. We give Obama 8 years in the White House and he will have turned this around."

Over here at Twitter we're hearing lots of similar remarks on all sides. So let's keep that discussion going. And obviously hearing all perspectives. But, yes, big picture, exactly what you were just talking about.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and we're going to elaborate some more on that. One i-reporter who was talking about he wants to hear some more about details, policy.

LEVS: Some specifics. Yes.

WHITFIELD: Well, we hard from Professor Fawaz Gerges who said earlier, in his view, this was not a policymaking speech, but one of intention. We're going to get down deeper into that very issue. Reality versus intention right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Welcome back as we focus on America's appeal abroad. We heard a lot from the president over the last five days, whether it be from France today reiterating the connection with allied nations, or perhaps even in Germany when he had a message to naysayers about whether the Holocaust actually happened. And also we heard messages coming from Saudi Arabia as well as Egypt and messages to the Muslim and the non-Muslim world and really talking about idealism in a big way. Joining us again, Sarah Lawrence College Professor Fawaz Gerges back with us.

Let's talk about what he said and break it down to ideally how he sees an Iraq. This is what he had to say about the U.S.'s continued commitment to Iraq and its rebuilding.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Also know that military power alone is not going to solve the problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan. That's why we plan to invest $1.5 billion each year over the next five years to partner with Pakistanis to build schools and hospitals, roads and businesses and hundreds of millions to help those who have been displaced. That's why we are providing more than $2.8 billion to help Afghans develop their economy and deliver services that people depend on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, clearly, professor, he's talking about Afghanistan and Pakistan and really the continued commitment of the U.S. to those countries. He didn't talk about renewed commitment, he didn't talk about new money, but he's talking about things that are already established. Again, you did not see this as a policy-driven speech but one that really did kind of perhaps quite a tone or relax a relationship or a torn relationship trying to mend it with the world community.

PROF. FAWAZ GERGES, SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE: Well, you know, as you well know, President Barack Obama made it very clear that there is no magical bullet. There is no magical wand. A speech won't do. He knows that. The challenge facing President Barack Obama is to translate his wonderful and positive rhetoric into concrete policy. He knows that.

But what he's trying to do is really shift the debate. Refrain the debate. For the last eight years we've been basically fighting a so- called war on terror. It has done a great deal of damage, not only to America's moral standings, but also in terms of blood and tragedy. What he's trying to do is to create the context (ph), the condition that enable the president to lay out his vision and proceed.

What the president, of course, needs to do is create an international coalition. You've seen him talking about the peace process in Germany yesterday. He also talked with the French president about the peace process as well. He is really trying to bring about an international coalition and also, Fredricka, to create a peace constituency in the United States itself.

WHITFIELD: And he really did draw a distinction between the war in Afghanistan as one out of necessity, and the war in Iraq, which was a war of choice. And this is what he said about Iraq in particular. And he got a huge, rousing applause when he said it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq was a war of choice that provoked strong differences in my country and around the world. I have made it clear to the Iraqi people that we pursue no basis and no claim on their territory or resources.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Why was that important for him to say? And did that change the message being conveyed from America to the Muslim community or to Iraq in particular?

GERGES: It's one of the most important points made by President Obama that really has not received a great deal of attention. Remember, there are three critical issues that stand in the way between the United States and the Muslim world. The Palestinian/Israeli conflict, the American invasion/occupation of Iraq, and America's alleged support for Arab and Muslim dictators. On Iraq he said, look, it was a war of choice, while the war in Afghanistan was a war of necessity. And he said, many Americans oppose the war implicitly reminding Arabs and Muslims that he, the president of the United States, oppose the war itself.

WHITFIELD: That he did not vote for it.

GERGES: And he also said, we are pulling out of Iraq by 2012 fully. No military bases. Basically Iraq will be run and governed by Iraqis. This message resonate deeply and widely in that part of the world.

WHITFIELD: Sarah Lawrence College Professor Fawaz Gerges, thanks so much for being with us this hour. We appreciate your insight. Thanks so much.

And right after this break, some of the more memorable and indelible remarks coming from the president while overseas.

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WHITFIELD: All right. President Obama making quite the impression as he journeyed for the past five days to North Africa, the Middle East and then Europe. And also taking the notice of many young people in the Middle East in particular. Dalia Ziada, you saw her a bit earlier on tape. She was coming to us from Cairo. Well, now we have her live.

And you were a bit skeptical, were you not, Dalia? I remember hearing in an earlier interview you were a little skeptical about what the president might have to say. But then you were taken aback and there were certain things that made you take notice. Like what?

All right, Dalia, are you able to hear me?

DALIA ZIADA, AMERICAN ISLAMIC CONGRESS: : Yes, I can hear you now.

WHITFIELD: OK. Good. Well, you had, I guess, certain expectations, am I correct in this, about what the president was going to say. But then once he did say certain things, it changed your mind. Like what?

ZIADA: Yes, actually some things that might surprise you that at the beginning when President Obama was elected, I was one of the people who kept saying, he's a man of words. He will never do actions. Usually the people who have this charisma and this (INAUDIBLE) such and iliputent (ph) way doesn't do action when it comes to real work. But what I heard from President Obama in his speech, which was I was honored to attend in Cairo University, made me believe that not only change has come to America, but change has come to the world thanks to him. While I was listening to him, I felt like he opened my mind and the heart of all Muslims and Arab young people and knew exactly what we want to hear from him and he said it to us. When he speak about democracy and the human rights.

WHITFIELD: What happened, Dalia, when the speech ended and you were sitting in your seat and others and, you know, start talking amongst themselves about impressions, what was the feeling in that room? Was it that kind of hope that you just now spoke of or was there real negotiations, so to speak, between people trying to convince one another of what each person heard?

ZIADA: One of the amazing things in this speech is that there are almost all (ph) people from different backgrounds and different affiliations, some of them were contradicting each other. Like, for example, laborers sitting next to Muslim brotherhood. All of us, once the speech ended, were inspired by the strong speech. We all had a shared feelings that Obama kicked the ball in our court. Now he said what he holds in his heart, as a representative of the Americans, and now it's our rule (ph) to tell him what's in our heart also and (INAUDIBLE) believe in the (INAUDIBLE) people.

WHITFIELD: You feel like it's now your responsibility. Almost like your generation now, your responsibility to keep the ball in play, so to speak.

Dalia Ziada, thanks so much.

ZIADA: Yes.

WHITFIELD: We're running up against a break at the end of our show, but thanks so much for joining us. So sorry we couldn't get you in earlier. We had a little satellite problem there. We appreciate your patience in sticking with it on that.

All right. Meantime, the official part of the visit, the tour over five days for the president is over. So now he and the family are spending some family quality time in Paris. Take a look right now of what their visit has been like. All right. Their visit included a visit to Notre Dame Cathedral and dinner at a French restaurant. You saw right there the waving taking place. The president's scheduled to leave France tomorrow, but the first lady, Michelle Obama, and daughters, Malia and Sasha, will stay in France through Monday, which is, by the way, Sasha's 8th birthday. What a cool birthday present.

All right. Thanks so much for being with us. America's appeal abroad during this hour. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Don Lemon is coming up next.

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