Democrat faces smear campaign over name

Austin, Texas: Republicans have begun to emphasise Barack Obama's middle name Hussain in an attempt to spread doubts about his patriotism and raise fears among voters that he is a closet Muslim.

The unofficial smear campaign is a foretaste of what the Illinois senator would face if he becomes the Democratic Party's candidate for November's presidential election.

This week the Tennessee Republican party issued a press release, which claimed that "a growing chorus of Americans [are] concerned about the future of the nation of Israel if Senator Barack Hussain Obama is elected president of the United States".

The release said that Obama had pledged to set up a "Muslim summit", referring to his idea of holding a Middle Eastern meeting.

It also tried to link the senator to Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the anti-Semitic Nation of Islam, as well as to fundraising events for alleged pro-Palestinian extremists.

The release was illustrated by a picture that began circulating on the internet a few days ago of Obama dressed in ethnic Somali garb, which he wore on an official visit to Kenya.