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20K people outside US got Obama speech texts

Thu Jun 4, 2009 9:50 AM EDT
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Associated Press
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<p>Muslim Americans Zabie Mansoory, 23, front left, wife Fatima Zahra Billoo, 24, back left, sister Monira Mansoory, 17, front right and Amira Mohtheshum, 17, have breakfast as they prepare to watch President Barack Obama's televised speech to the Muslim world at Cairo University live early Thursday morning, in the Sylmar area of Los Angeles, June 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)</p>

Muslim Americans Zabie Mansoory, 23, front left, wife Fatima Zahra Billoo, 24, back left, sister Monira Mansoory, 17, front right and Amira Mohtheshum, 17, have breakfast as they prepare to watch President Barack Obama's televised speech to the Muslim world at Cairo University live early Thursday morning, in the Sylmar area of Los Angeles, June 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)

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WASHINGTON — More than 20,000 people outside the U.S. received free text messages about President Barack Obama's speech to Muslims in Cairo, Egypt.

The White House deputy national security adviser, Denis McDonough, said Saturday that the State Department's free message program helped spread Obama's words of engagement to countries with predominantly Muslim populations. The messages were available in Arabic, Persian, Urdu and English.

The text-messaging service was not available in the United States. Law forbids taxpayer dollars to be used domestically for propaganda.

The tech-savvy White House sought to reinforce Obama's message in every way possible, including distributing a transcript in 13 other languages. Aides also worked on Twitter and Facebook to reinforce the message.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Paul Lucero

Muslims in the USA are not the issue but the real problems in the middle east have nothing to do with meddling America but with ancient feuds and tribal conflicts.

"By midmorning, more than 1,500 had offered comments on Web site. Most of the reaction was positive, largely because the United States' fiercest critics were unlikely to visit the White House's or State Department's Web sites."

America needs to get out of the middle east and do it now. There are to many opposing forces and Obama's effort however laudable are doomed to fail.

    Reply#1 - Thu Jun 4, 2009 10:57 AM EDT
    SH-2000

    We are DONE with Right wing retoric, here in the US & abroad, it has done nothing but foster misunderstanding and wage war. Bravo to President Obama on his successuful speech in Cairo & I am one of many Americans who look foward to a new era of commucation and understand with our sisters and brothers across the globe. It's time to focus on commonalities that unite us and put all divisions in the past.

    • 1 vote
    #1.1 - Thu Jun 4, 2009 12:17 PM EDT
    Reply
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