Obama sworn in, ushers in 'new era of responsibility'

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 Kyodo - Barack Obama took the oath of office to become the first black president in U.S. history Tuesday and called on the nation to embrace a ''new era of responsibility'' to conquer together the worst economic crisis since the Great
Depression.

Obama, a Democrat, vowed in his inaugural address to restore U.S. leadership in
the world that his Republican predecessor, George W. Bush, has blemished with
his notorious unilateral foreign policy during his eight years leading.
''Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real,'' Obama said after a
solemn swearing-in ceremony on Capitol Hill. ''They are serious and they are
many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this,
America -- they will be met.''
''For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and
determination of the American people upon which the nation relies,'' he said.
''What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility.''
Obama, 47, delivered his address shortly after taking the oath in a brief,
open-air ceremony on the western side of the U.S. Congress building in clear
but cold, wintry weather. Nearly 2 million people flocked to Washington to
witness the event.
While being sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts, Obama rested his left hand
on the Bible that his political idol Abraham Lincoln used in 1861, when he took
the oath at his first inauguration as the 16th U.S. president. Minutes earlier,
Joe Biden was sworn in as vice president.
The oath-taking, in which Obama recited the same words used as the presidential
oath since George Washington was inaugurated, formalized the change of power at
the White House, heralding the first Democratic administration in eight years.
Obama's historic ascension to the country's political pinnacle comes at an
equally unprecedented time as the U.S. economy is in the worst slump since the
Great Depression of the 1930s.
''Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on
the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and
prepare the nation for a new age,'' he said. ''Homes have been lost, jobs shed,
businesses shuttered.''
Obama's immediate task will be to put together a new multibillion-dollar
package to create up to 4 million jobs and revive growth, and pass it through
Congress as soon as possible.
''The state of our economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act --
not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth,'' he said,
calling for fiscal spending on infrastructure building, science and technology
development, and education.
For the United States to overcome the current economic woes, Obama said, it
must choose ''hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.''
In a sharp break with Bush's unilateral foreign policy, the new president
pledged broad engagement with the world to turn the United States' global
standing around.
''America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks
a future of peace and dignity,'' he said. ''We are ready to lead once more.''
Obama promised to take the first step to fulfill a campaign pledge to withdraw
all troops from Iraq within 16 months while redeploying some of the troops to
Afghanistan.
''We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a
hard-earned peace in Afghanistan,'' he said, adding, ''With old friends and
former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll
back the specter of a warming planet.''
Obama defended the overall U.S. role in the world.
''Our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we
please,'' he said. ''Our power grows through its prudent use; our security
emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the
tempering qualities of humility and restraint.''
The new commander-in-chief offered conciliatory words to the Islamic community,
with which U.S. relations were strained by Bush's declared war on terrorism
following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
He said the United States will look for a ''new way forward, based on mutual
interest and mutual respect'' with Muslims. But he also warned that Washington
will defeat ''terror.''
''For those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering
innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken;
you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you,'' he said.
Obama started Inauguration Day attending an early morning service at St. John's
Episcopal Church, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House and known as
the ''Church of the Presidents.''
Since James Madison, who was the fourth U.S. president in the early 19th
century, every president has worshiped there at some point during his tenure in
the Oval Office.
After the swearing-in ceremony, Obama, his wife Michelle, and their daughters
Malia, 10, and Sasha, 8, arrived at their new home, the White House, about 3
kilometers from Capitol Hill, after leading off a colorful parade that drew
hundreds of thousands of spectators.
At night the Obamas were to swirl through 10 inaugural balls being thrown in
the capital, including the first-ever Neighborhood Ball, attended by everyday
Americans.