President Obama’s fresh start

After a stirring inaugural address, President Barack Obama immediately starting changing the nation's direction by meeting with advisors to discuss the drawdown of troops from Iraq and by ordering a suspension of military prosecutions at Guant&#0

What happened

President Barack Obama immediately began changing the nation’s direction this week after a stirring inauguration in which the nation’s first African-American president promised to revive American ideals, while cautioning that success at home and abroad would require “a new era of responsibility.” On his first day in the Oval Office, the 44th president plunged into his new responsibilities, meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Defense Secretary Robert Gates to discuss the drawdown of troops from Iraq. He also ordered a 120-day suspension of military prosecutions at Guantánamo to allow for a review of Bush administration procedures for trying detainees, and called the leaders of Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority, pledging “active engagement” in the search for peaceful solutions to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

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