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Internews Interview with Ambassador Robert Blake Colombo, Tuesday March 17, 2009 – S. Ramanan for Internews http://srilanka.usembassy.gov/03-23-09.html Q: How is the new Obama administration already changing the US foreign policy and how is this going to affect Sri Lanka? President Obama wants to lead by example in the world and I think that was shown in some of the decisions that he made in the first week of his administration. First, by stating his intention to close down the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay within a year and secondly, by announcing that the United States will no longer engage in torture, as a matter of policy. Those were very important signals I think to the rest of the world. Beyond that the President has said that he wants to strengthen our partnerships around the world. He wants to engage both our enemies and our allies alike. I think there is a new pragmatism in his foreign policy. For example, his willingness to talk with the Iranians, to perhaps discus