Obama slammed for bowing to Saudi King

Thursday, 16 April 2009 9:50 AM

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US president Barack Obama has been embroiled in a controversy after bowing to Saudi King Abdullah at the G20 summit.

Obama's action has been slammed by the US media as well as by politicians who feel that the US president's gesture was unbecoming of the country's head. The Ottawa Citizendaily argued that the American president is supposed to be "a peer of, not subservient to, any foreign potentate".

The Washington Timesnewspaper has called the incident a "shocking display of fealty to a foriegn potentate". In its editorial, the daily noted: "The bow was an extraordinary protocol violation. Such an act is a traditional obeisance befitting a king's subjects, not his peer. There is no precedent for US presidents bowing to Saudi or any other royals."

The Washington-based paper suggested that Obama is "proving that one can be elected president without knowing how to behave presidentially. In his eagerness to be loved personally, the president has lost sight of the fact that the leader of the free world also must be respected."

But it is not only the US president that is currently making news. The president's dog too has made headlines recently. America's first family introduced their Portuguese water dog named Bo, to the White House press corps on the south lawn of the White House on Apr 14. The six-month-old puppy is a gift from Senator Edward Kennedy who owns several of the dogs himself.

In humour, some media have already labelled 'the first dog'as "Bo-bama".

ALSO SEE: The president's new dog

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Posted by: James Wednesday, 3 June 2009 4:45 PM[UAE] - USA

I would like to say to Geriant, Sabrina and Abdulla Hamdani how would you feel if it was the other way around? Presidant Obama should never have bowed to the King, if anything would have been appropriate a nod of the head to a equal as is the custom of the Japanese would have been sufficient in his eagerness to gain approval from the world President Obama is failing to be the leader that America needs.

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Posted by: Dom Friday, 29 May 2009 9:44 PM[UAE]

The reason why we Americans are so worried about this new Obama slip-up is because there is already uncertainty regarding Obama's true religious preferences. He said he was Christian...but his closed door policy on any of his background information (birth certificate, schooling, etc) is making for some good fodder. Why wont he just come forth with his birth certificate to settle the matter? hmm...

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Posted by: Abdulla Hamdani Monday, 4 May 2009 11:49 PM[UAE] - Canada

The American media is typical of Zionist cry-baby, turmoil-mongering fuss about Obama bowing to King. What is the big deal? I have seen Queen of England and the Kings of EU bow? Go get them!

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Posted by: Sabrina Sunday, 26 April 2009 11:37 AM[UAE] - UAE

Obama has shown us nothing but dignity, poise and all the other virtues we have come to associate with him. Real leadership is not about prestige, power or status, it is about responsibility, and as a responsible and great leader he has been able to define reality in the true sense of the word by showing humility. So quit making a major upheaval over a trivial issue and concentrate on becoming aware of his better qualities.

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Posted by: Geriant Sunday, 26 April 2009 10:49 AM[UAE] - UAE

All the mindless fuss about Obama bowing to the very frail, old and nominally respected Saudi king should have nothing to do with the king's hold on oil but more on Obama's grasp of respect for elders. Saudi Arabia is dependent on the US for its survival on all levels and the king knows this. But allowing the much, much younger and newly-installed president to bow to him in a form of ritual greeting hardly merits the debate. Had the king said during the fateful bow "while you are down there amidst the thobe, see if you can find the Bushes, haven't heard from them for months" then that might have caused an uproar worth worrying about.

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