Obama, the 44th U.S. President

Under extensive security, two million people witnessed Barack Obama being sworn in as the 44th President of United States of America.

Inauguration ceremonies were held in the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. He is the first African-American to be elected President of the United States and to replace one of the most unpopular presidents, George W Bush, who left the White House with two wars, an economic crisis and weak international alliances.

Joe Biden took the oath too in the same day as the vice-president.

Obama said in his inauguration speech that he feels grateful for the people’s trust; he also recalled his ancestors’ sacrifices.

He added: “We are in the middle of a crisis. We know its size. Our nation is in war with a large network of hatred and violence. Our economy has recoiled not because of the greed only, but also because of the failure in adopting serious resolutions and preparing the nation for a new era.”

He continued: “Houses and jobs were lost, more companies ruined financially, our health system is expensive, our energy consumption is threatening the planet as indicated by many studies.”

“The challenges that we face are serious and genuine. We can’t solve them easily and quickly, but we will face them for sure.”

The ceremonies performed in the Capital Building was built by slaves, and now guarded by forty thousand police officers when Obama used his full name and did hide his middle name of “Hussein” as he did in his election campaign. He repeated the 35-word oath written on a copy of the constitution that was used in Lincoln’s inauguration.

“I, Barack Hussein Obama do solemnly swear, that I will execute the office of President of the United States faithfully, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

More than two million attended this celebration that was first held in 1837, where they were between the Capital building and Lincoln statue. It is the same place where Martin Luther King made his famous speech in 1963.

This celebration was performed on the western side of the Capital Building was the most expensive one, costing 160 million dollars. Obama paid quarter of this cost.

Bush left the presidential position in a festival attended by many of his administration leaders including his vice president, Dick Cheney, who was in a wheelchair after a muscular rupture yesterday.

In only five years, Obama’s elevated from an unknown Illinois Senator into the first African-American U.S. President that convinced many of his ability to lead the country despite his modest experience.

When Obama went to church this morning, as known in these ceremonies, he exasperated some liberals because he invited the evangelical anti-gay Bishop Rick Warren to deliver the inaugural invocation.

At the end of the inauguration at 4:30 pm, Bush and his wife descended down the stairs of the Capital Building as any regular citizen and went to Andrews base before returning to Texas.

The new U.S. President declared during his inauguration speech that he is willing to leave Iraq for the Iraqis in a reasonable way.

Obama, the new president after Bush, commenting on the U.S. existence in Iraq since April 9th 2003, said that he will leave Iraq for the Iraqis in a reasonable way. He saluted the Americans serving their country in different areas, adding “We are proud of them. They protect our freedom, they carry the sacrifice well and the persistence to achieve more than the individual benefit.”

Obama made a commitment in his election campaign to withdraw the U.S. forces from Iraq within 16 months starting from his first day. He will consult with leaders on this issue. However, he will keep a permanent force there.

Iraq and the USA signed an agreement to withdraw U.S. forces stating October 31st 2011 as the final day to complete this withdrawal. The Iraqi parliament approved this agreement on November 27th 2008, and it was certified by the Iraqi presidential council on December 2008.

It’s expected that the new president will assume his duties next Wednesday by signing the U.S. forces withdrawal bill from Iraq. This will take 16 months.

Obama enters the White House supported by the Congress, the first time since 1994 for the Democrats. The burden will be heavy on him.

Internally, an economical crisis and federal shortage with trillions of dollars, elevating the fear of banks breakdown, has happened already. Externally, broken alliances and a bad image of the U.S. because of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq wars as well as the Arabic- Israeli struggle now in Gaza.

Obama confirmed to the supporters his confidence to pass these ordeals, but he anticipated that this will not happen without facing the worst.