Hello, it’s Shaimaa here. As the two presidential candidates spend the final day of campaigning across the country, economy and security remain the ever persisting challenges facing them and the world.
With a complex international and domestic backdrop to the presidential elections, what do you think should be the very first decision of the new president of the United States?
On the economy front Stocks have climbed slightly in Europe echoing rises in Asia, but traders were cautious, saying uncertainty remained in the market.
On the BBC’s special coverage of the financial crisis, World Have Your Say asked how you’ve been affected , the stories that you shared varied from people losing their life savings, to others losing their jobs and many of view very worried about what’s to come.
As for security, the latest twin bomb blasts in Baghdad show that security in Iraq is still work in – very slow – progress. And in Afghanistan a French aid worker was kidnapped in the capital Kabul today. Last week the Taliban claimed responsibility for the bomb blast in the Ministry of Information and Culture.
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Gordon Brown says that Saudi Arabia is pumping money into the IMF to help stricken economies — doesn’t that compromise the position of the international community towards a country with policies the world constantly criticises? How can the world ask Saudi Arabia to review many of its policies specially those towards women and then ask it for money?
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And the Talk to the Taliban debate is still going strong —- your main question is; what do they want? Many of you made other really interesting points that would be great to put to the Taliban spokesman and even greater to get an answer to! Jered asked many good questions and he started with these three basic ones…
What is your primary motivation for fighting?
Who are your enemies besides the US?
What would cause you to stop fighting, specifically?
As Ros said in an earlier post we don’t know exactly when this talk will happen but keep the questions coming.
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BBC World Have Your Say 
Gordon Brown is showing leadership ,however he has to be careful not to look like a beggar ,I remember a Thatcherite phrase from the 1979 election about Labour going “Cap in hand to the IMF”this time of course it is labour going cap in hand on behalf of the IMF.
Re:Iraq .In any one of these Arab countries if you remove the repressive dictator, absolute chaos will insue,until a new equilibrium balance is found.The allies could easily withdraw now and leave it up to Iraqis.
Re:Afghanistan Isn’t everybody ready for peace talks now?
Re:Financial crisis in the UK
People have got to feel the pain, other wise no one will learn from their mistakes,but the pain won’t be inflicted till after the General Election.
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Hello Shaimaa and all WHYSers
Well I don’t think that there is anything to talk about other than THE US ELECTION.
what do you think should be the very first decision of the new president of the United States?
I hope his first decision will be withdrawing the US troops from Iraq.
British PM Welcome to Visit Tehran!
TEHRAN – British PM Gordon Brown’s visit to Saudi Arabia on Sunday was timely. It marks a new era in British policy in the Persian Gulf. He would be welcome to visit Tehran. The role of London has changed. The absence of Britain in the last 30 years in Iran is a major topic in the Iranian media.
King Abdullah has decided to help revamp IMF. Saudis more than any other state stand to gain from peace and stability in the Gulf. After all, Britain helped to dispatch Saddam Hossein in 1991, but change is long overdue in the desert kingdom.
The social agenda and women’s rights require urgent attention. The role of Riyadh in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Lebanon is well known but King Abdullah must move with the times and coordinate his policies with Europe and the rest of the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia is a powerful player on the Iranian political scene. He dazzles with his opulence, particularly in Iran which worships money but the man in the street in Tehran doesn’t benefit. Many of our prelates have illusions of grandeur based on the Saudi model which we must dispel, if the country is to hold together.
the first agenda should be to probe president bush and send him to the ICC to face war crimes. Where is every one?
Hi Shaimaa
You have me three times on the site. I was getting a default, that was probably the problem.
I apologize.
@ Vladimir
I do hope you aren’t russian, because it would be ironic if you are. Whatever you accuse Bush of being, Putin is it, but worse. Need to poison any more dissidents or invade other countries? Oh your hypocrisy is funny.
@Zainab from Iraq
If US troops are withdrawn immediately from Iraq I hope that you are ready for the wanton chaos that will result.
Murders, bombings, destruction of mosques that will affect you directly.
You have placed all your hopes in Obama and I hope you are well prepared for the disappointments. He will not live up to your expectations.
I think that the very first decision the next President should make is to go on TV & radio to CLEARLY detail where he wants to take the foreign and domestic policies of the United States.
Simply spewing the word “change” says nothing. We need a clear understanding of the new President’s direction…..that is if he has one or will we hear the word CHANGE for the next 4 years.
I hope that you are ready for the wanton chaos that will result.
Probably won’t be much change from the wanton chaos that already exists.
@Selena in Canada
Yes you are probably right but they will not be able to blame America :))
This isn’t an easy question, though it should be. The new President should do that which the current President has surely not done: (1) Read and understand the Constitution of the United States of America. (2) Take the oath to faithfully defend the country, its people, and this document and then do so. (3) Think hard before every action, even when alacrity seems critically necessary, because history amply supports the observation: Correct actions are usually far superior to swift actions. (4) Plan! Reactionary is just a synonym for “foolish.” (5) Act morally, even when advisors suggest immoral actions save time and money. (6) Do not lie. It is easier to remember and to defend the truth. (6) Admit error as soon as it is discovered, then take immediate steps to ameliorate the damage.
Sorry for these six “first things.” They seem pretty simple. I wonder why so many administrations have had trouble getting them right.
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Hi Zeinab
Will Coalition Forces withdraw from Iraq? It doesn’t look like it since Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maleki is ready to sign the Security Pact. This will only delay US departure from Baghdad. Barzani supports the pact but he is an exception since Washington bailed him out of an impossible situation.
Anything other than unanimity will erode Iraq’s independence and sovereignty. We must stick together, however much we may disdain the excesses of prelates.
Can Obama pull it off? If so, will he stick to his word and pull out of Iraq? What if Mcaine gets his way? That’s why we must stick together and if needs be, go all the way!
@ Dan
You said what I was going to say.
As for what I would like to President to do first would be for him to address the American people about our financial issues. We need to know exactly where we stand with our economy and put people at ease. I want to know what reforms will be made with regards to programs and what will be scaled back and what will be eliminated.
I would also like for all issues surrounding the war to be discussed (not sugarcoated) so that people will stop believing that leaving Iraq will do one bit of good for us or the Iraqi people.
The first step the new President needs to take is to stop funneling money to Wall Street CEO’s, that is nothing more than throwing good money after bad. Anyone who is watching understands that wall street contributes nothing to the general welfare of the country. They are a drain to our pockets. Now they are a drain to our tax reserves (as if the Bush administration hasn’t drained it enough already). The second step whould be a thorough, unimpeded investigation into the war on Iraq with the money spent there going to the common people for job training and infrastucture with Iraqi citizens doing the work not Haliburton and Blackwell, so the money can go to the people and stimulate their economy. We should remember it was the sons of Iraq that turned the situation around not the troop surge.
As far as the Taliban: I think they are no different than the Sudanese pirates. They need the Poppies to continue to flourish so they can get the money to continue to keep the poppies flourishing. They have no benefit in the war ending.
I hope that the first priority of US new president will be to stop adding other rebels/militians groups or acertains gvts to the list of Terrorisms, 2nd stop genocide in Darfur, 3rd bring peace to Somalia and DR Congo,4th should intervene both deplomatically and militarily urgently in a world problems because the value the people freedoms in their country there4 qualified to police the world.
@Vladimir. I thinks you are somehow rights on that but you should also have farthur the lists by adding a bigest criminals below are Bin Laden, Putin and Mdedvedev,Hu Jang Tau,Omar Bashir of sudan,Rubert Mugabe and mentions but few because these people have let world look bad than good.
The new president should put the country on high alert for terrorist attacks.
re: Iraq. Usually the demand for the U.S. to get out of Iraq is accompanied by the demand that first the U.S. fix everything that’s wrong in that country and the rest of the Middle East before leaving. I guess people think all you have to do is wave the magic wand.
1.Many of the apparent problems for US and other countries started after 9/11. Different systemic ‘cure’ based on objective study of the cause(s) is urgently needed. 2. ‘Fixing’ the national and world economies for sustainable growth (?) based on lessons from the last depression and ongoing recession 3. How can peaceful (co-)existence be promoted for all in America and around the world under the UN Human Charter?