Obama to Arabs: "what you'll see is someone who is listening"
It's impossible to exaggerate the symbolic importance of Barack
Obama choosing an Arabic satellite television station for his
first formal interview as President -- and of taking that
opportunity to talk frankly about a new relationship with the
Muslim world based on mutual respect and emphasizing listening
rather than dictating. His interview promises a genuinely fresh
start in the way the United States interacts with the Arab world
and a new dedication to public diplomacy.    Obama on al-Arabiya
(screen capture)  In his conversation with the estimable Hisham
Milhem (a good choice for an interlocutor), Obama reached out
directly to the Arab public via the Saudi TV station al-Arabiya
(which shrewdly posted the transcript immediately).  It signals
the importance of the Middle East to the new President, his
commitment to engaging on Arab-Israeli peace, his genuinely
fresh thinking and new start with the Muslim world, and his
recognition of the impor