On Thursday June 04 President Barack Obama arrived in the Egyptian capital of Cairo to deliver a landmark speech to mend America's rift with the Muslim world.
Following is a timeline of events that led up to the president's speech.
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May May 28 - Obama meets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Washington
May 26 - The White House announces that Obama will visit Saudi Arabia on June 3 before delivering a speech to the Islamic world from Egypt on June 4
May 21 - Obama vows not to back down on closing Guantanamo Bay
May 21 - Obama signs a civilian nuclear deal with the United Arab Emirates worth billions of dollars
May 18- Obama meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washin gton
May 8 - The White House announces that Obama will give his long-awaited speech to the Islamic world on June 4 from Egypt
May 8 - Obama renews sanctions against Syria due to "serious concerns" over its behavior
May 7 - Obama meets Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai and Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari in Washington |
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April Apr. 30 - Obama marks his 100th day in office
Apr. 16 - Obama releases four memos that were written by Bush administration's officials to justify CIA interrogations of terror suspects
Apr. 10 - Obama asks the U.S. Congress for an extra $83.4 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan this year
Apr. 7 - Obama makes a surprise visit to Iraq
Apr. 6 - Obama addresses the Turkish parliament during his first visit to a Muslim nation
Apr. 3 - Obama warns Europe that its should not expect the U.S. to fight global terrorism alone |
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March March 13 - Obama extends sanctions against Iran imposed in 1995 |
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February Feb. 27 - Obama announces he would withdraw U.S. combat forces from Iraq by Aug. 31, 2010
Feb. 25 - Obama says the U.S. has opened a new era of diplomatic engagement, vowing to seek peace in the Middle East
Feb. 18 - Obama approves the deployment of 17,000 more troops in Afghanistan |
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January Jan. 27 - Obama gives his first interview as president exclusivly to pan-Arab station Al Arabiya TV.
Jan. 20 - Obama is sworn in as the first black and 44th president of the United States
Jan. 6 - Obama breaks his silence on Israel's assault of Gaza and says he is "deeply concerned" about the loss of civilian lives in both Gaza and Israel |
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2008 November Nov. 5 - Democrat Barack Obama makes history and becomes the first black man to be elected as president of the United States |
