* YOU BEEN SNAP * YAWALETEENI HABARI MOTO MOTO NA PICHA ZA PRESIDENT OBAMA ON HIS DAY TWO IN LONDON "

'One of the strongest alliances the world has ever known': Obama reaffirms 'special' relationship between U.S. and UK in historic speech to MPs

          *MKILETEWA HAPA NA FLORA LYIMO DESIGNER*

• First U.S. President to give address in 11th century Westminster Hall
• We must continue to dismantle terrorist networks, says Obama
• Speech watched by four former British Prime Ministers
• Obama says the rapid growth in China did not mean a declining influence for the U.S. and Europe

President Barack Obama today reaffirmed the special relationship between Britain and America as 'one of the oldest and one of the strongest alliances the world has ever known', as he made a keynote speech to both Houses of Parliament in Westminster.
The special relationship was founded not only on shared history and language but on common values and beliefs, he said.
Mr Obama is the first U.S. president to be granted the rare honour of speaking to both Houses in the historic Westminster Hall, previously accorded only to a handful of eminent figures like Nelson Mandela, Charles de Gaulle and the Pope.

Spectacular: Westminster Hall provided an impressive backdrop for the speech, only the fourth by a foreign leader to both Houses of Parliament"

Sweep of history: Mr Obama quoted Churchill as he gave his address to a packed chamber"

President Barack Obama addresses both Houses in the historic Westminster Hall today"

Among his audience were not only Prime Minister David Cameron and throngs of MPs and peers from all parties, but also former PMs Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and Sir John Major.
Speaking on the second full day of his state visit to the UK, shortly after talks with Mr Cameron at 10 Downing Street, Mr Obama told MPs and peers: 'Our relationship is special because of values and beliefs that have united our people through the ages.'

Mr Obama said he had known 'few greater honours' than being invited to address 'the mother of Parliaments' in the 900-year-old Westminster Hall.
Noting that previous speakers included the Pope, the Queen and Nelson Mandela, he won prolonged laughter by adding that the list was 'either a very high bar or the beginning of a very good joke'.

Leaders past and present: David Cameron (talkiing to Foreign Secretary William Hague) was seated by John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown"

Hundreds of MPs, peers and other specially invited guests, including former Prime Minsters, packed into Westminster Hall for the keynote speech"

He was welcomed on stage 'as our friend and as a statesman' by Commons Speaker John Bercow, who told him: 'History is not the burden of any one man or woman alone, but some are called to meet a special share of its challenges.
'It is a duty that you discharge with a dignity, determination and distinction that are widely admired.'
Mr Obama said the special relationship was 'often analysed and over-analysed for the slightest hint of stress or strain', but joked that after 'getting off on the wrong foot' with the Boston Tea Party, the War of Independence and the British burning of the White House in 1812, 'it has been smooth sailing ever since'.
And he said: 'The reason for this close friendship doesn't just have to do with our shared history, our shared heritage, our ties of language and culture, or even the strong partnership between our governments.
'Our relationship is special because of values and beliefs that have united our people through the ages.'
The president praised the role of the UK in spreading the ideals of democracy around the world.
He said: 'Centuries ago, when kings, emperors and warlords reigned over much of the world, it was the English who first spelled out the rights and liberties of man in the Magna Carta.
'It was here in this very hall where the rule of law first developed, courts were established, disputes were settled and citizens came to petition their leaders.

Rare honour: Mr Obama is the first U.S. President to speak to both Houses inside the historic Hall"

Speaker John Bercow and the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Marquess of Cholmondeley led the applause for President Obama following his speech today"

Smiles: Mr Obama receives the congratulations of the crowd as he leaves the Hall after the speech"

'Over time the people of this nation waged a long and sometimes bloody struggle to expand and secure their freedom from the Crown, propelled by the ideals of the Enlightenment, they would ultimately forge an English Bill of Rights and invest the power to govern in an elected parliament that's gathered here today.
'What began on this island would inspire millions throughout the continent of Europe and across the world.
'But perhaps no one drew greater inspiration from these notions of freedom than your rabble-rousing colonists on the other side of the Atlantic.'
He quoted Winston Churchill, who said the Magna Carta, Bill of Rights, habeas corpus, trial by jury and common law 'find their most famous expression in the American Declaration of Independence'.
But he added: 'For both of our nations, living up to the ideals enshrined in these founding documents has sometimes been difficult, has always been a work in progress, the path has never been perfect.
'But through the struggles of slaves and immigrants, women and ethnic minorities, former colonies and persecuted religions, we have learned better than most that the longing for freedom and human dignity is not English, or American, or Western, it is universal and it beats in every heart.'

Barack Obama walked from St Stephen's Porch past the World War One memorial to deliver his address"

Pomp: Barack Obama arrived to a fanfare as he walked in to the hall with the Parliamentary dignitaries"

Mr Obama told Westminster Hall: 'There are few nations that stand firmer, speak louder and fight harder to defend democratic values around the world than the United States and the United Kingdom.
'We are the allies who landed at Omaha and Gold, who sacrificed side by side to free a continent from the march of tyranny and helped prosperity flourish from the ruins of war.
'With the founding of Nato - a British idea - we joined a transatlantic alliance that has ensured our security for over half a century.'

The U.S. President is greeted by the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Marquess of Cholmondeley (right), and Lieutenant General David Leakey, known as 'Black Rod' (centre) as he arrives at the Sovereigns Entrance to the Palace of Westminster"

Mr Obama, escorted by John Bercow, left, Speaker of the House of Commons, and Helen Hayman, Lord Speaker of the House of Lords, walks into Westminster Hall to address members of both Houses of Parliament in London today"

The alliance expanded after the Cold War and 'built new bridges to Russia' and the former Soviet Union.
Turning to the present Mr Obama said: 'Today, after a difficult decade that began with war and ended in recession, our nations have arrived at a pivotal moment once more.
'A global economy that once stood on the brink of depression is now stable and recovering.
'After years of conflict the United States has removed 100,000 troops from Iraq, the United Kingdom has removed its forces and our combat mission there has ended.

'In Afghanistan we have broken the Taliban's momentum and will soon begin a transition to Afghan lead.
'And nearly 10 years after 9/11 we have disrupted terrorist networks and dealt al Qaida a huge blow by killing its leader Osama bin Laden.
'Together we have met great challenges. But as we enter this new chapter in our shared history, profound challenges stretch out before us.

Atmospheric: The audience are viewed at the back of the hall while Mr Obama turns to wave as he leaves Westminster after his address"

Members of the public try to get a glimpse of Mr Obama and David Cameron as they arrive at the Houses of Parliament"

'In a world where the prosperity of all nations is now inextricably linked, a new era of co-operation is required to ensure the growth and stability of the global economy.
'As new threats spread across borders and oceans, we must dismantle terrorist networks and stop the spread of nuclear weapons, confront climate change and combat famine and disease.
'And as a revolution races through the streets of the Middle East and North Africa, the entire world has a stake in the aspirations of a generation that longs to determine its own destiny.'
Mr Obama said there had been a reminder over the last few years that 'markets can sometimes fail'.

HALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

The oldest building on the Parliamentary estate, Westminster Hall was constructed in 1097 under the orders of William II, who wanted to impress his subjects.

At the time, it was the largest hall in Europe - measuring 240ft x 67ft and a floor area of 17,000 sq ft.

For seven centuries, Westminster Hall served as the centre of the legal system.

However, It was also used for ceremonial functions such as coronation banquets.

The King's High Table, unearthed by archaeologists in 2006, was used for over 300 years by monarchs - not only for lavish breakfasts, but as a place where early forms of English law were laid down.

Among the many landmark events to take place within its walls are:
1559: Coronation banquet of Elizabeth I
1606: Trial of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot conspirators
1910: First royal lying-in-state (Edward VII)
1952: George VI's lying-in-state
1960: Address by President de Gaulle of France
1965: Winston Churchill's lying-in-state (pictured above)
1996: Address by Nelson Mandela
2002: Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother's lying-in-state. Address by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee
2010: Visit by Pope Benedict XVI 

'In the last century both our nations put in place regulatory frameworks to deal with such market failures,' he said.
'Safeguards to protect the banking system after the Great Depression, for example.
'Regulations that were established to prevent the pollution of our air and our water during the 1970s.
'But in today's economy, such threats of market failures can no longer be contained within the border of one country.
'Market failure can go global, can go viral, and demand international responses.
'The financial crisis that began in Wall Street infected nearly every economy. Which is why we must keep working through forums like the G20 to put in place global rules of the road, to prevent excesses and abuse.'
The president said developed countries should balance fiscal responsibility with the obligation to care for their citizens.
Mr Obama said the rapid growth 'in leaps and bounds' of countries such as China, Brazil and India was welcome but did not mean a declining influence for the U.S. and Europe.
'Perhaps, the argument goes, these nations represent the future and the time for our leadership has passed. That argument is wrong. The time for our leadership is now.'
America, Britain and democratic partners had 'shaped a world in which new nations could emerge and individuals could thrive' and remained 'indispensable' to a prosperous future.
'Even as more nations take on the responsibilities of global leadership, our alliance will remain indispensable to the goal of a century which is more peaceful, more prosperous and more just.
'At at time when threats and challenges require nations to work in concert with one another, we remain the greatest catalysts for global action.
'In an era defined by the rapid flow of commerce and information, it is our free market tradition, our openness, fortified by our commitment of basic security to our citizens, that offers the best chance of prosperity that is both strong and shared.'
It did not mean standing still, he said, but 'building new partnerships, adapting to new circumstances and remaking ourselves to meet the demands of a new era'.
The times were gone, he said, when Roosevelt and Churchill could 'solve the world's problems over a glass of brandy' - adding, to laughs from the hall: 'I'm sure that Prime Minister Cameron and I would agree that some days we could both use a stiff drink.'
Quoting Adam Smith - seen as the father of modern capitalism - he said nations like the US and the UK had an 'inherent advantage' in the global, market-based economy because it favoured 'free-thinking and forward-looking' countries, with the best innovators and entrepreneurs.

First Lady Michelle Obama missed the speech because she was delivering her own address to a group of students from a North London school during an open day at Oxford University"

It was the second time that Mrs Obama had met the pupils from Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School after a surprise visit during 2009"

'From Newton and Darwin, to Edison and Einstein, from Alan Turing to Steve Jobs, we have led the world in our commitment to science and cutting-edge research.'
Mr Obama said that their shared experiences in the Second World War meant that Britain and the US 'know what it is to confront evil in war' and 'know well the cost of war'.
He hailed the history of Nato as 'the most successful alliance in human history' and said it was now confronting the threats from al Qaida and other terrorist networks.

President Obama and David Cameron had earlier held a BBQ at Downing Street before holding a joint press conference at Lancaster House"

'Our nations are not and never will be at war with Islam,' said Mr Obama. 'Our fight is focused on defeating al Qaida and its extremist allies. In that effort, we will not relent - as Osama bin Laden and his followers have learnt.
'As we fight an enemy that respects no law of war, we will continue to hold ourselves to a higher standard by living up to the values of rule of law and due process that we so ardently defend.'
Mr Obama paid tribute to the 'stalwart' support of the British people for the US in the war in Afghanistan.
The American and British troops killed in Afghanistan were 'part of an unbroken line of heroes who have borne the heaviest burden for the freedoms that we enjoy', he said.
'Because of them, we have broken the Taliban's momentum; because of them, we have built the capacity of Afghan security forces; because of them, we are now preparing to turn a corner in Afghanistan by transitioning to Afghan lead.
'During that transition we will pursue a lasting peace with those who break free of al Qaida and respect the Afghan constitution and lay down arms and we will ensure that Afghanistan is never again a safe haven for terror but instead a country that is strong, sovereign and able to stand on its own two feet.'
Citing his predecessor Franklin Roosevelt and former prime minister Sir Winston Churchill, Mr Obama said: 'All nations have both rights and responsibilities. All nations share a common interest in an international architecture that maintains the peace.'
Mr Obama hailed the 'leadership of the UK and the US' in the fight against nuclear proliferation, saying: 'From North Korea to Iran, we have sent a message that those who flout their obligations will face consequences.'
He called on north and south Sudan to take 'the path of peace'.
And he said that Britain and the US were 'united in our support' for a secure Israel and a sovereign Palestine.