China, Iran, Al Qaeda: America and the world according to Barack Obama
Washington (AsiaNews / Agencies ) - The most attractive place for investment is not China, but the United States; Iran is taking the right steps to control its nuclear program and merits more time and greater diplomatic efforts; Al Qaeda is dying, even if there are new strains in Yemen , Somalia , Iraq, Mali. U.S. President Barack Obama focused on these three international issues in his annual State of the Union address. The longest part of his speech - which lasted an hour - concentrated on national issues: social inequality, unemployment, aid to those struggling to stay afloat in an economy that is showing many signs of recovery, although the benefits are not fairly distributed.
According to Obama, to date in the U.S. has "the lowest unemployment rate in over five years. A rebounding housing market. A manufacturing sector that's adding jobs for the first time since the 1990s. More oil produced at home than we buy from the rest of the world - the first time that's happened in nearly twenty years. Our deficits - cut by more than half".
"And for the first time in over a decade, business leaders around the world have declared that China is no longer the world's number one place to invest; America is," he said
In fact, according to a report of
the Organization for International Investment, foreign direct investment in the
U.S. reached $ 2,700 billion at the end of 2012. China also
contributed with 1.4 billion. China
remains the best reference point for the manufacturing sector .
Facing
one of the hottest and even most contentious topics in the U.S., Obama has
asked Congress to give him and Iran time to "give diplomacy a chance of
success".
Iran and the major powers (the Group 5 +1 : United States, Russia , China, France , Britain, Germany ) signed an interim agreement on 24 November in Geneva, which entered into force on 20 January, for the duration of six months. This agreement includes easing of sanctions in exchange for a freeze of nuclear enrichment and increased inspections on Iranian nuclear sites. The discussions are expected to resume in mid-February in New York.
Addressing Congress - divided on the issue of Iran - he said that in the event of a suggestion of additional sanctions, he will use his veto: "But let me be clear: If this Congress sends me a new sanctions bill now that threatens to derail these talks, I will veto it". Obama, however, did not hide the fact that talks will be " difficult" and that " may or may not succeed ."
Another hot topic is the international threat of Al Qaeda that has pushed the U.S. president, once a pacifist, to "remain vigilant". Although the Islamist organization is "on the path to defeat ," it has some new members "in Yemen , Somalia, Iraq and Mali".
In 2013 he had said that Al Qaeda had been almost defeated in Pakistan, reduced "in the shadow of its former self." This year, he insisted that the danger is now its spread throughout the world and that "the threat still exists".
In fact, fight against Al Qaeda - said Obama - pushes the U.S. to maintain a military presence in Afghanistan , waiting for the Kabul government's decision to sign a security agreement for the training and support of the Afghan forces, along with anti-Al Qaeda and anti-terrorist operations.
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