Day One

November 8, 2008 at 1:55 pm | Posted in Lifescape | Leave a comment

Obama faces a Cold War threat and a warning from Israel

Gordon Brown became one of the first world leaders to congratulate Obama in a ten-minute telephone call last night. Aides said they discussed Obama’s plans for a phased withdrawal from Iraq and his commitment to boost forces in Afghanistan.

Speaking from the South Lawn of the White House, President Bush said he would be meeting Mr Obama next week and is making ‘unprecedented efforts’ to make a smooth transition during his final 74 days in office.

As if the instant foreign policy tests were not enough, Mr Obama was also facing more economic problems with the Dow Jones Index dropping for a second successive day.

Wall Street greeted his election win by plunging nearly 500 points on Wednesday and it was down again by 274 points in afternoon trading.

clipped from www.dailymail.co.uk The U.S. President-elect faced a triple threat with Russia, Israel and Afghanistan all threatening to test his mettle. Locked away in his Chicago home, Mr Obama received his first national security intelligence briefing yesterday as he wrestled with appointments for his Cabinet. Straight to work: President-elect Obama faces a looming international crisis He ventured out twice, once to visit his local gym and then his downtown offices.  Each time he was escorted by a convoy of black vehicles carrying heavily armed secret service agents.  Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was first to lay down a challenge to America’s new leader  -  by increasing tension in a stand off reminiscent of the Cold War. On watch: A secret service agent in a convoy that took Obama to the gym In the frame for Mr Obama’s cabinet: John Kerry (left) and Bill Richardson Hello, goodbye: President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush outside the White House, after addressing his staff on the transition Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel