Obama Condemns Syria And Anti-Islam Film

Barack Obama has condemned the Syrian regime, and an anti-Islam film which sparked protests around the world, while addressing leaders at the United Nations.

He told the UN's General Assembly that the amateur film mocking the Prophet Mohammed, which was made in the US, was "an insult not only to Muslims, but to America as well".

However, the US President said the violent backlash against the "crude and disgusting" movie was unjustified.

Prime Minister David Cameron arrived in New York for a two-day visit and was preparing for his own keynote speech to the UN and a high-profile appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman.

Mr Obama, who has appeared on the US talk show several times, warned the international community that in 2012 "when anyone with a cell phone can spread offensive views around the world with the click of a button, the notion that we can control the flow of information is obsolete".

"The question, then, is how we respond. And on this we must agree: there is no speech that justifies mindless violence. There are no words that excuse the killing of innocents. There is no video that justifies an attack on an embassy," he told the UN.

"The strongest weapon against hateful speech is not repression, it is more speech - the voices of tolerance that rally against bigotry and blasphemy and lift up the values of understanding and mutual respect."

He vowed to hunt down those behind the "attack on America" in Libya that killed US ambassador Chris Stevens.

"The attacks on our civilians in Benghazi were attacks on America. There should be no doubt that we will be relentless in tracking down the killers and bringing them to justice," Mr Obama said.

He opened his address paying tribute to 52-year-old Mr Stevens, who he said "embodied the best of America".

Mr Obama also used his final global address before the November US presidential election to call on the international community to confront the root causes of turmoil in the Middle East.

He said the world was facing "a choice between the forces that would drive us apart and the hopes we hold in common".

Mr Obama said there had been "progress" since the Arab Spring but many challenges remained even after democratic elections.

"The events of the last two weeks speak to the need for all of us to address honestly the tensions between the West and an Arab world moving to democracy," he said.

Mr Obama also told the annual gathering of world leaders that there was "still time and space" to resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme through diplomacy. But he said that time was not unlimited.

"Make no mistake: A nuclear-armed Iran is not a challenge that can be contained. It would threaten the elimination of Israel, the security of Gulf nations and the unraveling of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty," he said.

He also led growing calls for an end to President Bashar al Assad's rule, as UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned the Syria "calamity" was turning into a global crisis.

Mr Obama accused Iran of keeping the dictator in power and said it was time for Mr Assad to go.

He said: "Just as it restricts the rights of its own people, the Iranian government props up a dictator in Damascus and supports terrorist groups abroad."

Sky's US political analyst Jon-Christopher Bua said: "Although somewhat tough on Iran and Syria, President Obama failed to address the situation in Afghanistan and may have failed to capture the hearts and minds of any American voter who may have been listening."