CAIRO — Muslims greeted President's Barack Obama's speech from Cairo today as a mark of a changed American attitude toward them and a new policy on the Middle East. But some insisted they still need to see action to back up his words.

Obama touched on many themes Muslims wanted to hear. He insisted Palestinians must have a state and said continued Israeli settlement in the West Bank is not legitimate. He assured them the U.S. would pull all its troops out of Iraq by 2012 and promised no permanent U.S. presence in Afghanistan.

"The part of Obama's speech regarding the Palestinian issue is an important step under new beginnings," said Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "It shows there is a new and different American policy toward the Palestinian issue."

Mahmoud Ramahi, a legislator from Abbas rival Hamas, offered qualified praise for the speech.

"I have followed the speech closely. There are many positive points," he said. "There is a difference between his policy and Bush's policy. I see a change in the U.S. foreign policy discourse. But the problem is still on the ground. Would they achieve a Palestinian independent state? If he does that, that would be a relief and good for all parties."

By The Associated Press