Washington, Jan 21 (Xinhua) On the very first day in office, US President Barack Obama will discuss war issues with his national security aides and senior commanders Wednesday.

According to reports, the new commander in chief was summoning Defence Secretary Robert Gates and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen along with other members of his national security council to the White House to discuss a way ahead in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

During his campaign, Obama said he would withdraw all US combat troops from Iraq within 16 months.

In his inaugural address Tuesday, Obama said he would "begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan".

Though Obama did not reveal any details about his plan for either war, his comments suggested that he was keen to begin to chart a new US policy towards Iraq and Afghanistan.

Obama orders 120-day halt to Guantanamo prosecutions

Washington, Jan 21 (DPA) US President Barack Obama on his first day in office ordered the suspension of prosecutions at the US prison camp at Guantanamo Bay for 120 days, news reports said Wednesday.

The order, one of Obama's first acts after taking office Tuesday, was given orally by Defence Secretary Robert Gates to the Guantanamo prosecutors' office.

The Washington Post, citing a motion filed at the US Navy base, said the order delaying proceedings until May 20, would allow Obama's administration to review the legal processes at the prison camp and the cases pending there.

Obama had been expected as early as this week to order the closure of the detention centre for terrorist suspects and begin exploring ways to deal with the 250 detainees who remain at the camp. Most of the remaining detainees have been held for years without charges.

Twenty of the prisoners are charged with war crimes and are to stand trial at military commissions.

The military judges' decision on the motion, expected for Wednesday, could also affect a trial against five men allegedly involved in planning the terrorist attacks Sep 11, 2001, among them alleged plot mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Their trial was planned for this year.

The new administration faced time pressure in particular because of the upcoming case against Canadian-born Omar Khadr, who was arrested when aged 15 in Afghanistan and accused of killing a US soldier.

Khadr's defence counsel said he was tortured during interrogation and forced to make false statements. US officials only recently admitted that torture had taken place.

Obama promised during his campaign to close Guantanamo, but cautioned, however, that an actual closure could take months or as long as a year.

Gates, who stayed on as defence secretary from the previous administration, started an examination of the steps necessary for closure some weeks ago.

Iran tells Obama to understand the 'new Middle East'

Tehran, Jan 21 (IANS) Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has said that new US President Barack Obama should try to understand the "new Middle East which was emerging", Iran's IRNA news agency reported Wednesday.

Mottaki Tuesday said that the traditional ways of looking into Middle East issues would no longer work.

He added that the US administration needs to hire a new team of Middle East experts that would help the American president make logical decisions on topics relating to the Middle East.

The foreign minister said that Obama needs to admit that the policies adopted on different world issues particularly those relating to the Middle East by previous US governments, especially in the past eight years, were the real reason of the present global attitude of "harsh criticism of the US policies and statesmen".

Commenting on the future of Iran-US ties, Mottaki said Iran would prefer to follow its long-standing policy of monitoring the performance and the practical policies of the US administration.

Protesters ask Obama to stop Pakistan's threat against India

Washington, Jan 21 (IANS) Amidst all the jubilation surrounding Barack Obama's inauguration, there were some protesters too, with one group asking the new president to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and Pakistan's threat against India.

Protesters from the Coalition for Peace, consisting of some Jewish, Hindu and Christian organisations, hung signs along a fence in Lafayette Park across the White House, demanding an end to Islamic radicalism and Middle East oil imports.

The group also expressed its support for Israel's invasion of Gaza. One of the group's leaders said the message was not so much a protest but a plea.

"It is directed toward Barack Obama in that we want him to make a clear statement to stop Iran's march to nuclear weapons and Pakistan's threat against India," Marion Dreyfus of the coalition said through a police fence separating the park from the street. "We are also supporting Israel against the aggression of Hamas in Gaza."

There were a number of other groups and individuals who came to the inaugural festivities to have their causes heard.

Code Pink, the liberal women's group, passed out hundreds of pink ribbons asking the new president to "stand up for peace".

Amnesty International staged a small demonstration outside a metro station to protest the seventh anniversary of the opening of the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

On Connecticut Avenue, one of the city's major thoroughfares, someone parked a truck towing a large sign demanding a single-payer healthcare system.

Outside the Swiss Embassy near the National Cathedral, a small cluster of anti-homosexual activists from the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas held up signs protesting gay marriage and gay rights.

Some advocates of gay rights booed when the Rev. Rick Warren of California's Saddleback Church delivered the invocation. Warren, one of the nation's best-known evangelical preachers, opposes gay marriage.

Then there were those who raised their voices just to express happiness at the departure of former President George W. Bush. Some boos could be heard in the crowd gathered on the mall when Vice President Dick Cheney and Bush were introduced for Obama's swearing-in.

And when it was over, a chant of "na na na na, hey hey, goodbye" arose from some among the throng on the Mall as Bush's helicopter flew by carrying him to Andrews Air Force Base and on to his retirement in Texas.

In the streets surrounding the parade route, an occasional anti-Bush sign could be seen, protesting his treatment of the Kurds in Iraq or just urging him to get out of town. Some along the parade route held signs demanding that Bush be indicted.

Obama links Pakistan aid to fight against terror

Washington, Jan 21 (IANS) US President Barack Obama has stated in his foreign policy agenda that the US "will increase nonmilitary aid to Pakistan and hold them accountable for security in the border region with Afghanistan".

President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will renew America’s security and standing in the world through "a new era of American leadership", stated the document released Tuesday soon after the new president went to the Oval Office following the swearing-in ceremony.

The Obama-Biden team will "end the war in Iraq responsibly, finish the fight against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, secure nuclear weapons and loose nuclear materials from terrorists, and renew American diplomacy to support strong alliances and to seek a lasting peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict", it said.

The agenda document went on to add: "Obama and Biden will refocus American resources on the greatest threat to our security - the resurgence of Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan."

"They will increase our troop levels in Afghanistan, press our allies in NATO to do the same, and dedicate more resources to revitalise Afghanistan’s economic development. Obama and Biden will demand the Afghan government do more, including cracking down on corruption and the illicit opium trade," it said.

Congress, BJP applaud Obama's speech

New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) India's two main political parties, the ruling Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have welcomed US President Barack Obama's inauguration speech, finding much in it to cheer about.

"It was heartening that for the first time in the speech of a US president the word Hindu figured. He said Christians, Jews, Hindus and Muslims are part of America. That is a pluralistic society and that's what India too is," Sudheendra Kulkarni, adviser to BJP's prime-ministerial candidate L.K. Advani, said Wednesday.

Senior Congress leader M. Veerappa Moily told IANS: "I would call it an eventful speech. He means business and treats all countries equally."

Both parties expect Obama would augur well for India.

"His speech sent a tough message to the sponsors of terrorism, and he extended his hand to the rest of the world," said Kulkarni. "He was reassuring," he said.

Moily said: "He will change the mindset of the US, not only about itself but also about the rest of the world." He added Obama appeared different from many previous US presidents.

Moily said: "We can sure expect winds of change under Obama's leadership."

Kulkarni said: "There was a mark of realism in his speech. His message was very clear, that America is in difficult times and it will take time for revival. There is a mark of realism about the man, he is not selling empty dreams. He says things will happen but not overnight.

"He spoke with great credibility -- and also of old values of honest work, compassion and patriotism. He sought people's cooperation over a long stretch, including his pitching for a second term. The work is long and could go into his next term; that's what he meant," he said.

Obama to bring a new voice of hope: Mandela

Johannesburg, Jan 21 (IANS) Former South African president Nelson Mandela has said that US President Barack Obama would bring a new voice of hope to the world, South African news agency BuaNews reported Wednesday.

In a letter handed to Obama shortly before his inauguration Tuesday, Mandela said: "Mr President, you have brought a new voice of hope that these problems can be addressed and that we can in fact change the world and make it a better place."

The former president said that he believed that the entire nation had witnessed something truly historic, not only in the political records of the US, but of the world.

He added that Obama's election to the high office had inspired people as few other events in recent times have done.

"Amidst all of the human progress made over the last century, the world in which we live remains one of great divisions, conflict, inequality, poverty and injustice. Amongst many around the world a sense of hopelessness had set in as so many problems remain unresolved and seemingly incapable of being resolved," Mandela said.

He likened the enthusiasm surrounding Obama's inauguration to South Africa's transition to democracy.

"People, not only in our country but around the world, were inspired to believe that through common human effort, injustice can be overcome and that together a better life for all can be achieved," Mandela said.

He said that Obama's presidency renewed the hope of a new beginning in the relations between nations, adding that there was excitement on the African continent because the US president had strong personal ties with Africa.

"The challenges we all face, be they economic, the environment, or in combating poverty or the search for peace, will be addressed with a new spirit of openness and accommodation. We share in that excitement and pride.

"We are aware that the expectations of what your presidency will achieve are high and that the demands on you will be great," Mandela said.

Mandela wished Obama and his family strength and fortitude in the challenging time that lies ahead. "You (Obama) will always be in our affection as a young man who dared to dream and to pursue that dream. We wish you well," he said.

Japan eager to establish stronger ties with Obama

Tokyo, Jan 21 (DPA) The Japanese government plans to set up a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Taro Aso and US President Barack Obama at an early date before the financial summit scheduled in April, Japanese media reports said Wednesday.

After the president's inauguration ceremony, Japan's Aso administration was hoping to strengthen the Japan-US alliance and seek cooperation in resolving the global financial crisis as well as assistance in fight against terrorism in Afghanistan.

"Japan and the United States are allies sharing universal values and strategic interests," Aso said in his statement issued Wednesday.

"I am confident that Japan and the United States, which are in the position of leading the world, can create a better future, by putting together our expertise, will, passion and strategy," the premier said.

Meanwhile, the nation's main opposition Democratic Party of Japan was also planning to send a delegation to meet with the US Vice President Joseph Biden in February or March upon request from Washington, according to The Asahi Shimbun newspaper.

The party, which aims to win the next general election, hoped that Obama's leadership would influence Japan's public into seeking change in the nation's leadership.

"The current politics has not been able to provide any effective solution to the problems," party President Ichiro Ozawa said. "We very much believe that (Obama's presidency) would lead Japanese people to realize we also need change, reform and old style of politics."

Concerns spread, however, that Obama with limited experiences in the central government lacks personal contact in Japan's politics and business sector, Japan's daily The Yomiuri Shimbun said in the morning edition.

Japan has expressed concerns as to whether Washington would continue to cooperate in pressuring North Korea to resolve abduction cases of Japanese citizens.

Spanish PM sees ascent of Obama as opportunity for peace

Madrid, Jan 21 (IANS) The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the US "opens an opportunity that we will not squander", Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has said.

Zapatero described Obama's inaugural address as "very positive", EFE news agency reported, citing aides to the Socialist premier.

"The new president's (Obama's) words feed hope that dialogue and peace take the place of the conflicts which today exist in the world and that the distribution of wealth will be more equitable," said Zapatero, who watched the entire inauguration ceremony on television here.

He said that Obama's speech also pointed to chances "for a fluid and fruitful relationship" between Madrid and Washington.

The Spanish government expects a notable improvement in bilateral ties with the departure of the Bush administration, which slammed Zapatero for ordering Spain's troops out of Iraq on his first full day in office.

Ending the involvement in Iraq - which, according to polls, was opposed by around 90 percent of Spaniards - was a key plank of Zapatero's 2004 campaign platform.

While confident of amiable relations with Obama, aides say Zapatero will wait "a reasonable time" before seeking a personal encounter with the new US leader.

The Spanish prime minister is looking forward to "in-depth" talks with Obama on Latin America in general and Cuba in particular, officials in Madrid added.

Obama presidency is new page in history: Canada

Toronto, Jan 21 (IANS) Canadians, who had overwhelmingly supported Barack Obama during the US presidential campaign, congratulated the first black American president on his inauguration, with the country's black Governor General Michaelle Jean calling it "a new page in the history of civilisations".

In her message, Canada's Haitian-born governor general wished the new president success and hoped his presidency would spread the message of hope beyond his country.

She said the dream of Martin Luther King "helped to pave the way for an African American to take office in the White House today".

The governor general said the inauguration of Barack Obama "is a historic moment that we are joyfully celebrating because although this event is taking place in the land of our partners, our neighbours and friends to the south, it is filled with symbolic meaning on a global scale".

"A new page in the history of civilizations is being written before our very eyes, fulfilling the wishes of so many youths, women and men, from every background and every creed, to see our world become more just and more human," she added.

"In these times, when the most fragile among us are threatened by an uncertain economy, by the folly of war and the tension born of prejudice, let us all rejoice in the wave of hope that is filling our hearts.

"It is the hope for a world where human beings will at last find their place at the centre of the systems they have created to make life the most wondrous of adventures," Jean said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper called Obama's oath a historic day for the US and the world and sent his "heartfelt" greetings to the new president.

Symbolising the special relationship between the two neighbours, which share a 6,000 km land border and carry out $600 billion annual trade, Obama has chosen Canada as the country for his first visit abroad as president.

"We are thrilled that Canada will soon welcome him here during his first official foreign visit," the governor general said.

Hispanics greet Barack Obama's presidency with optimism

Miami, Jan 21 (IANS) The Hispanic community has greeted with hope and optimism the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States, EFE reported.

In Chicago, dozens of Hispanics gathered early Tuesday at a Mexican community organisation to watch on television the historic swearing-in of the first African-American to become the nation's president.

Jorge Mujica, one of the organisers of the immigration rights marches May 1, 2006, said that while he is happy with the change, he prefers "not to believe until he sees" what the new president does.

"I put myself with the pessimists - the best news for me is that the (George W.) Bush regime is ending," Mujica said.

The activist said that there will be enough time in the next four years to crystallize the anxiously awaited immigration reform providing a path to legalisation - if not citizenship - for some 12 million undocumented migrants.

On the other side of the city, the undocumented Flor Crisostomo, who has spent more than a year in the sanctuary of St. Adalbert United Methodist Church in Humboldt Park, watched closely as the son of an African and an American put his hand on the Bible that belonged to Abraham Lincoln to take the oath of office.

Crisostomo, who faces immediate deportation the minute she leaves the sanctuary, said that she fears Obama will now realise that his promise to do something for the undocumented in his first 100 days in office will not be so easy with an economy in ruins.

"Our answer is to mobilise and send him e-mails and letters so that he sees that we are not one more problem," she told EFE.

Also reacting with optimism were activists in California like Jorge Mario Cabrera of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, who said that "the transition team is composed of diverse, progressive people, which makes me think that the kind of advice the president will receive will be closer to our needs".

"Also the fact that - as he said in his campaign and later confirmed - immigration is one of the seven principal concerns of his administration," he said.

For immigrant Carlos Hernandez from Hermosillo, Mexico, the new government is a "hope for better times".

"I believe that this president is going to make real changes, since he is the son of immigrants and knows how to value those of us who have come from other countries," Hernandez said while following the transfer of power on a giant screen by Staples Center in Los Angeles.

For her part, Nicaraguan Rosa Gonzalez, 32, who lost her job at a hotel two months ago, hopes that "Obama improves the economy and makes life easier for immigrants".

In Miami, several organisations said that after Obama's inauguration, hope has been renewed that the status of immigrants will at last be resolved.

"We have feelings of hope and optimism with the historic swearing-in of Obama, who has committed himself to working to get approval of a comprehensive immigration reform and revising programmes like raids on immigrants," said Sergio Massa, president of the Peruvian American Coalition.

Meanwhile, Jose Lagos, president of Honduran Unity, repeated the plea of hundreds of activists that the president declare a moratorium on roundups of immigrants while immigration reform is being worked out.

For Elizabeth Cabello, a Mexican legal immigrant living in Charleston, South Carolina, Obama's inauguration signifies "hope" for the Hispanic community because he will be a president who "represents minorities".

"I believe that he will be able to get immigration reform approved and bring out of the shadows so many undocumented immigrants who live in fear, and will also bring our soldiers home. I have a daughter serving in the Middle East (with the US military) and I want her to finish her tour of duty," she said.

UAE president congratulates Obama

Abu Dhabi, Jan 21 (IANS) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a congratulatory cable to the new US President Barack Obama, WAM News agency reported Wednesday.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE vice president and ruler of Dubai, also congratulated Obama.

A  champagne toast for Obama in Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) With champagne glasses in their hands and a gleam in their eyes, expatriate Americans, diplomats and socialites toasted the epochal moment in the Indian capital as the first black president of the US captivated the world with his message of choosing hope over fear to remake America.

Barack Obama's rich baritone boomed across from thousands of miles away in the heart of Lutyen's Delhi as men, sporting black ties and black tuxedos, and smartly-dressed women rehashed Obama lore and shared notes over their hopes and anxieties as the new president ushers in what many felt was "a new era" in American politics.

Recessionary fears appeared a distant echo, at least momentarily, as the guests sang and swayed happily at a black-tie inaugural ball, hosted by an American diplomat.

It was perhaps one of the coldest winter nights in Delhi, but that did not dampen their carnival spirits. Much like Obama's celebration of multi-cultural America, the choice of music was eclectic: funky rock numbers competed with peppy Indi-pop numbers to fire the revelers' spirits.

There were, however, no loud cheering and wails of joy that greeted Obama's November victory speech. Instead, there was a holy hush as they listened in rapt attention to the man "whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served in a restaurant" stood before billions of people watching him around the world taking "a most sacred oath."

Many looked visibly moved and appeared close to tears of joy, specially when Obama spoke about "beginning again the work of remaking America" and defeating the terrorists."

"This is truly a grand historic moment. We never thought this moment will come in our lifetime," said an American diplomat.
Others stood hypnotized by Obama's eloquence and sense of the moment and generously praised the man who has come to embody collective American thirst for renewal.

"He has become a messiah for Americans who are taking his promise of redemption seriously. We all hope he makes his promise true," Jesus Garcia, second secretary (economic affairs) at the US embassy, told IANS.

"It was a great speech and very moving," said Elizabeth Fitzsimmons, spokesperson of the American embassy.

American diplomats also appeared upbeat about the future of India-US relations. "This relationship will only grow and grow in the years to come. I was struck by sheer vibrancy of commercial enterprise in India," said Garcia.

Amid gaiety and celebratory toasts, there was much sober reflection over the direction the US will take in the next four years of the Obama presidency. "Let's hope Obama the legend delivers as Obama the president. There is a huge burden of expectations he is carrying on his shoulders," said another American diplomat.

"Great speech. Even if he delivers on half of those things he said today, the US and the world will be remade," said a former diplomat, who did not wish to be named. "But nobody can doubt his sincerity. He looks so sincere that you want to believe him," said an American woman who said her views represented the views of most Americans.

Nepali president, prime minister congratulate Obama

Kathmandu, Jan 21 (Xinhua) Nepali President Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda have congratulated Barack Obama on becoming the US president, state-run newspaper The Rising Nepal reported Wednesday.

In a message to Obama, President Yadav, on behalf of the government and the people of Nepal, extended warmest congratulations to Obama.

"I also take this opportunity to express best wishes for the continued progress and prosperity of the people of the United States of America under your dynamic leadership," he said.

Wishing all success to Obama, Yadav also expressed confidence that the close and friendly relations between Nepal and the US will be further enhanced during his term of office.

Nepali Prime Minister Prachanda also congratulated Barack Obama and in a message to the US president, and said that the enthusiastic support demonstrated by the American people in his election to the high office of the president of the US testifies to their desire to see change backed by optimism and hope that America will achieve prosperity under his leadership.

Prachanda expressed best wishes for Obama's personal health and happiness and for the continued peace, progress and prosperity of the American people.

"Let me assure of my fullest cooperation in making sincere efforts towards further consolidation of our existing bilateral relations characterised by long history of friendship, warmth and cordiality," Prime Minister Prachanda said in the message while expressing the confidence that by working collaboratively Nepal and the US can make Nepal-US relations closer with deepened economic engagement for mutual benefit.

Latin American leaders congratulate Obama

Mexico City, Jan 21 (Xinhua) Latin American leaders have hailed the new US administration of Barack Obama.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon said he wished Obama "the biggest success" and reaffirmed his commitment to "working together with Obama to solve the problems between Mexico and the US".

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet called Obama's inauguration a "historic event", noting that the new US president "has awakened great expectations from the US people and also millions in the world at a very difficult moment of the US history".

Peruvian Foreign Minister Jose Garcia Belaunde hoped the Peru-US ties could be strengthened during Obama's administration, Peru's local radio RPP reported.

Ecuadorian Vice President Lenin Moreno, while wishing the US people and Obama "big success", described Obama as "a moderate, calm and intelligent man".

Uruguay's President Tabare Vazquez sent Obama a congratulatory message wishing success to Obama.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who had been at odds with Bush, hoped that Obama could look at Latin America "with a new view, with a new focus of respect toward the democracies and the changes."

Speaking to his followers in the eastern state of Anzoategui, Chavez admitted that it had been difficult for Venezuela to improve its ties with the US.

Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo hoped his country's ties with the US could be secured especially in the economic field, according to Paraguayan Foreign Minister Alejandro Hamed.

Argentine Chief of Cabinet Sergio Massa said Obama's inauguration "opened an era of hope and great expectations" in the world, especially for the Latin America-US ties.

Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the US Tuesday, becoming the first African-American head of state in the country's history.

Obama's tortured grandfather casts shadow over US-British ties

London, Jan 21 (IANS) US President Barack Obama may not instantly warm up to Britain because of the disturbing history of his nationalist grandfather's torture by British colonialists in Kenya, commentators warned.

“Obama's only previous connection with Britain was through his grandfather, who was allegedly tortured by British troops during the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya,” said Edward Heathcoat-Amory, a leading political columnist in the pro-Conservative Daily Mail newspaper Wednesday.

“With these strong links to Africa, Obama sees Britain as one of the old colonial powers. He won't instinctively warm to us,” he added.

In the runup to his inauguration Tuesday a number of commentators have pointed to a shocking chapter in the US president's personal history - how his paternal grandfather Hussein Onyango Obama was tortured for his alleged part in the Kenyan independence struggle 60 years ago.

Onyango was a cook for a British army officer and had served in Burma (Myanmar), Sri Lanka and the Middle East during World War II but was incarcerated in a high-security prison in 1949 on suspicion of being an informer for the nationalist Mau Mau guerrilla movement.

Although Obama never met his grandfather, he devoted 35 pages to him in his 1995 memoir Dreams From My Father.

After his step-grandmother Sarah told him about Onyango's life during a trip to Kenya in 1986, Obama wrote, he dropped to the ground between the graves of his father and grandfather and wept.

"When my tears were spent I felt the circle finally close. I saw that my life in America - the black life, the white life, the sense of abandonment I'd felt as a boy - all of it was connected with this small plot of earth an ocean away. The pain I felt was my father's pain. My questions were my brothers' questions. Their struggle, my birthright."

Obama says his grandfather "received a hearing" and was "found innocent" after being held "for more than six months."

When Onyango returned to his village, Obama wrote, “he was very thin and dirty. He had difficulty walking, and his head was full of lice. From that day on he was an old man."

Last month, Sarah Onyango gave details of the torture that her husband suffered, causing commentators to express doubts about the future of the Anglo-American 'special relationship'.

Obama does not have the close British links of many previous US presidents - both Ronald Reagan and George Bush Sr had a chemistry with prime minister Margaret Thatcher, while Bill Clinton was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University.

George W Bush too developed a close personal friendship with premier Tony Blair.

“President-elect Obama does not come from the old American political establishment that produced Presidents Bush senior and junior,” said a BBC commentator.

“In fact, he has cause to distrust the British, his grandfather having been imprisoned and tortured during the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya.”

“The phrase 'special relationship'… will not be heard that much, except from those describing its demise or, at least, its diminishment,” he added.

Xinhua/DPA/IANS