Rivals make concessions in Kenya (Obama calls opposition leader)

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

ELDORET, Kenya - U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama phoned Kenya's opposition leader as diplomatic attempts to end Kenya's political crisis intensified Tuesday.

The death toll from a week of violence after President Mwai Kibaki's disputed re-election has reached nearly 500, according to the government, though the opposition claimed the death toll could be up to 1,000. On Monday, Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga made key concessions under U.S. pressure.

Obama — a Democratic Party candidate who is of Kenyan descent — called Odinga late Monday or early Tuesday, said Odinga's spokesman, Salim Lone.

"He called to express grave concern over the election outcome," Lone told The Associated Press. "He also said he was going to call Mr. Kibaki."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080108/ap_on_re_af/kenya_elections

[itsrobert]

1. I hope Obama is not going to get us in the middle of a civil war

Haven't we learn our lesson? We can't be the world's police.

[snappyturtle]

2. Why do you think this? nt

[yellowcanine]

8. Kind of an unwarrented speculation, don't you think? Phone calls to election rivals does not equate

to intervention. First of all, there is no civil war. And second, phone calls do not an intervention make. Huge logic leap you are making, imo.

[Khaotic]

3. Obama Ready to Engage International Issues

Obama is ready to do this.

It doesn't mean he's going to get us involved in a civil war. What a load.

He's about bringing peace and helping to solve problems.

When he went over to Africa shortly after he took office as the junior senator from Ill., he was embraced by the Kenyans.

It's even been documented in a recent documentary which hasn't received a lot of attention yet.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WS6YA0/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1QDTHEVM9QG15&colid=2MCO14YIZB8NS

[redqueen]

4. Let's hope they can come to a peaceful solution...

things are still very much touch and go by the sound of it.

And kudos to Obama for getting involved.

[maddezmom]

5. agree, I think it was a good move from Obama

it certainly can't hurt.

[redqueen]

6. It certainly can't hurt the peace process.

And it also shows Kenyans that their recent plight is not being ignored by the US... or at least not by *everyone* in the US.

[maddezmom]

7. CNN has actually been doing a decent job covering it

Zain Verjee grew up there and is on the ground.

Zain Verjee (Ms) (born February 11th, 1974) is a State Department correspondent with CNN, based in Washington, D.C. Previously, she worked as a newsreader for The Situation Room and a co-anchor of CNN International's Your World Today. <1>

Born and raised in Kenya to Indian parents, Ms Verjee received her undergraduate degree reading English from McGill University, Montreal, and studied at York University in Toronto, Canada. Ms Verjee is a Canadian citizen and speaks Gujarati, Kiswahili and conversational French.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zain_Verjee