Syrian forces leave Sweida after ceasefire with Druze militias goes into effect    France withdraws troops from Senegal, ending military presence in West Africa    Germany's Merz and UK's Starmer sign 'first of its kind' defense and migration treaty    Norway leads Europe's best airports list    Main stage at Belgium's Tomorrowland music festival completely destroyed by fire    Sports vehicles can have now short number plates    First Saudi relief plane lands in Aleppo to aid Syria wildfire victims    Over 40 million worshippers prayed at Prophet's Mosque during Hajj season    Saudi Arabia draw Iraq and Indonesia in 2026 World Cup Asian play-off group    Saudi conjoined twins Yara and Lara successfully separated in 12.5-hour surgery    Babies made using three people's DNA are born free of hereditary disease    'Art of the Kingdom' exhibition to open in Beijing's National Museum on July 30    Saudi minister holds strategic AI and tech talks with French institutions in Paris    Youth-led Saudi businesses exceed 474K    ASICS and Saudi Sports for All launch startup pitch to boost sports innovation in Saudi Arabia    Scientists recover proteins from a 24 million-year-old rhino fossil    Saudi Arabia to expand railway network by over 50% under transport strategy    Jorge Jesus returns to Saudi Arabia as Al Nassr head coach on one-year deal    Jannik Sinner beats Carlos Alcaraz to win his maiden Wimbledon title    Chelsea defeat PSG 3-0 to win first expanded Club World Cup    Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending    Ministry launches online booking for slaughterhouses on eve of Eid Al-Adha    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



For Obama, Brazil decision hurts standing in world
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 19 - 09 - 2013

WASHINGTON — For President Barack Obama, an embarrassing diplomatic rebuke by Brazil has compounded an already troublesome stretch for the White House both at home and abroad.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff announced Tuesday that she was putting off a state visit to the US next month to protest an American spy program that has aggressively targeted her nation's government and private citizens alike.
Rousseff's decision deepened the global fallout for Obama from revelations about National Security Agency surveillance programs, which have also angered many Americans. The announcement also came amid criticism of Obama's public shifting over the threat of US military action against Syria.
Some foreign policy analysts say such issues raise questions about Obama's standing around the world.
“The real issue becomes, how does this affect American influence in the world?” said Carl Meacham, director of the Americas program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He called Rousseff's action “almost unheard of.”
Rousseff said she wasn't outright canceling her trip but was postponing it. The White House portrayed the postponement as a joint decision reached between the two presidents.
“They both look forward to that visit, which will celebrate our broad relationship,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said. “We're certainly acknowledging the concerns that these disclosures have generated in Brazil and other countries.”
Throughout his summer travels abroad, Obama has been followed by criticism of the government's spying programs. While the anger has been particularly intense in privacy-protective Europe, Rousseff was also incensed about revelations that the US intercepted her communications with aides.
Classified documents leaked by former NSA systems analyst Edward Snowden also showed that the NSA hacked the computer network of Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras and that the agency scooped up data on billions of emails and telephone calls flowing through Brazil, an important hub for trans-Atlantic fiber optic cables. The revelations added to longstanding suspicions in Brazil about the American government.
Domestic political concerns clearly factored into Rousseff's decision to postpone her trip to the US She's facing a re-election fight next year that became more competitive after nationwide anti-government protests in June.
Tim Ridout, a fellow at the Washington-based German Marshall Fund, said the Brazilian leader was also seeking to show strength on the world stage. “I see this partly as a way for Brazil to exert its influence and say, ‘We can stand up to the United States and serve as a counterbalance,'” Ridout said.
Rousseff's visit to the US was announced back in May, just weeks before the NSA programs were made public. The White House, which has been seeking to deepen ties with the economically booming Brazil, planned to honor her with a state visit full of pomp. She would have been the first Brazilian leader to be honored with a state visit to the US since 1995. — AP


Clic here to read the story from its source.