A militant Web site carried unusual praise for President Barack Obama, noting that his quotations from the Quran in his speech Thursday demonstrated respect for Islam and branding him a "wise enemy."

Obama said in his speech that confronting violent extremism was a key priority, as he called for a "new beginning between the United States and Muslims." On the Web, those with militant views largely derided his remarks. But at least one person posting on an Islamic Web site that usually carries statements from al-Qaida commented on Obama's respectful gestures to Islam.

Using the screen name Yemen88, he wrote that he "admired Hillary Clinton wearing a head scarf at the mosque and she and Obama taking off their shoes." He was referring to Obama and the secretary of state's visit to Cairo's Sultan Hassan mosque.

"I liked him (Obama) saying that girls in American schools are allowed to wear the hijab ... while Tunisia prohibits the hijab," he wrote. Obama talked in his speech of his support for a Muslim woman's right to wear the head scarf in schools and other public places.

The contributor also praised Obama's quotation of verses from the Quran and said "many of our leaders don't memorize these verses."

"Therefore, we have to be fair in assessing this man who might return to Islam, the religion of his father," he wrote.

Replying to those postings, Bou Shehab wrote, "The man (Obama) is manipulating the emotions of the people the same as a lute player does. ... He is undoubtedly a wise enemy compared with George Bush, the enemy known for his stupidity."

Bou Shehab said "Obama is more capable of persuading Muslims than others because of his Muslim origin, yet this does not mean he is closer to Muslims or he loves them more than other leaders of infidelity. ... He is a renegade Muslim."

The site also carried the more familiar anti-U.S. rhetoric.

"No peace, Obama, you enemy of God, blood for blood, destruction for destruction and the only thing between us is the sword," one contributor wrote under the pseudonym Nassereldin al-Tamimi.

"What peace are you calling for while your armies are still killing our people in Iraq and Afghanistan and your weapons are still firing on the heads of our people in Palestine and Pakistan?" he wrote.

One contributor, calling himself Abu Rashed, said he was happy because "the Christian president acknowledged from the heart of Cairo the greatness of Islam, the rule of Islam and the Quran."

A frequent writer on the Web site, Redha Ahmed Samadi, described the audience at Cairo University as being entranced by Obama's speech.

"They were in a state of drunkenness while listening to Obama's satanic revelation," he said.

