WHILE Barack Obama is still in the early days of his presidency, I feel he is now realising the extent of the problems the rest of the world expects him to confront.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there could be a Palestinian state, but entirely on terms dictated by Israel – totally demilitarised with its borders controlled by Israel and no restriction of further Israeli settlements in the “occupied West Bank”. All designed, of course, to be totally unacceptable to the Palestinians.

President Obama could put pressure on Israel to reduce its demands, but the huge Jewish lobby in the US would make it difficult for him.

A recent TV expose of the trigger-happy US military in Afghanistan has promoted a change in the command structure to help reduce the deaths of Afghan civilians.

It is now revealed that 50 million US citizens have no health care except what some charities can offer. What an indictment of the richest country in the world.

To be fair to the US, it does give large sums of aid and huge quantities of food to many needy countries.

How President Obama can help solve some of these desperate problems will be the ultimate measure of the man. I hope he succeeds.

Hugh Pender, Darlington.