Tall Skinny Kiwi put up a note about this on his blog, so I read the speech.
In an effort to be kinder to Obama than liberals ever were to Bush, I have to commend him for the speech. I agree with much in it. My only main concern is first, that the solution to questionable practices with the inmates is to close Guantanamo Bay. My solution would be to fix it and make it better, not just close it outright. That seems more constructive to me.
The only other concern is an attempt to have “interfaith” discussions. In efforts of tolerance, I’m all for it. I think it is dangerous when it crosses the line, as his speech did, into “hey, we all believe the same thing, here.” We must be careful, as Christians, in our attempt to be tolerant (which most Christians I know are amazingly so) that we do not compromise the reality that Jesus is the only way, the only door, and you don’t get in by any other means.
But the ideas of tolerance, the respect for the history of Islam (which is rather amazing if you don’t know it) and the peaceful support for economic and social progress in Muslim nations, I fully agree with. We cannot force a peace in the Middle East, and even if we could, would it really be peace? I also liked what Obama said as he spoke on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and his support for nonviolent means of progress.
His statements about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict are right on, also.
Overall, a really good speech, and I wanted to give props where due.
Peace.