Obama seeks 'new beginning' with Islamic world

President Barack Obama vowed to work for a "new beginning" between the US and the Muslim world calling for an end to the "cycle of suspicion and discord" and indicated that US troops did not want to stay in Iraq or Afghanistan forever.

In a landmark speech in the Egyptian capital warming up to the 1.5 billion Muslims around the world, Obama also attempted to reach out to Iran saying it had the right to puruse peaceful nuclear power if it abided by the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty(NPT) even though the nuclear showdown with that country had reached a "decisive point".

Obama, whose speech laced with references to the Quran and his Muslim roots for emphasis at the Cairo University was the centrepiece of his first visit to the Middle East after assuming the Presidency, pledged to pursue Palestinian statehood though he offered no new proposals to resolve the lingering Mid-East conflict.

The president, who likes to call himself Barack Hussein Obama, also covered the violent struggle waged by al-Qaida and in his own warning to the Muslim world said the US would "never tolerate" violence, citing the trauma of the September 11 attacks in 2001, though stressing his country lost its way with harsh war on terror tactics.

"I have come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world," said Obama who began his address with traditional Islamic greeting "assalaamu alaykum" drawing a huge round of applause. "The cycle of suspicion and discord must end," said Obama vowing to fight "negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.

Touching upon non-proliferation, Obama said no single nation should "pick up and choose" which countries can have nuclear weapons and reaffirmed US' commitment to seek a world free from atomic arsenal. 

Briefly touching upon US' Afghan-Pak policy, Obama said "military power alone" is not going to solve the problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan and said his government's move to pump in massive aid to Islamabad is aimed at development of its infrastructure.

He also said there will be no permanent US presence in Afghanistan and that it does not seek military bases there.

On Iraq, Obama said all US troops will pull out from that country by 2012.

At the start of his keenly awaited speech which was a seven-point manifesto, Obama said, "we meet at a time of tension between the United States and Muslims around the world."

"America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Islam has always been a part of America's story."

He conceded that "more recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations."

"I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect," he said. He however said "No single speech can eradicate years of mistrust."

Elaborating on "some specific issues" the US and the Muslim world will have to face together, he said "violent extremism" in all of its forms will have to be confronted.

Renewing his offer for dialogue "without preconditions" with arch-US foe Iran Obama said, "It will be hard to overcome decades of mistrust, but we will proceed with courage, rectitude and resolve," Obama said.