Washington (AsiaNews/Agencies) - U.S. president Barack Obama has reauthorized funding for organizations that perform or promote abortion abroad, removing the veto put in place by his predecessor, George W. Bush. The decision of the new president, just three days after the beginning of his inauguration, was announced shortly after the conclusion of a pro-life march at the capital, attended by hundreds of thousands of people. The evening before the march, Philadelphia Cardinal Justin Rigali provided over a prayer service for the defense of life.

Speaking at the march, Congresswoman Virginia Foxx remembered the "millions of unborn children whose blood has been shed in the abortion mills of America."

Obama is a supporter of the idea that the unborn have no rights, and that abortion can be performed up until the ninth month of pregnancy. The new president has also said that he will restore American funding to the United Nations population fund. Bush had blocked the funding because some of the programs of the UN organism were linked to abortion, and to forced sterilization in China.

In the past, Obama had promised total liberalization of abortion in order to "safeguard the health and freedom of women." His cabinet includes staunch abortion supporters, including White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

The website Lifenews.com has launched a campaign among its visitors in order to send messages of criticism on this decision by President Obama, through the link http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact.