Beirut - The Lebanese press on Wednesday reflected hope after the inauguration speech of US president Barack Obama.

The daily An Nahar in a front page editorial said, "Tuesday was a turning point in the world," while the daily As Safir said, "Barak Hussein Obama president ... to reconcile America with itself and the world."

"Finally (George W) Bush has left the White House and will enter history books for carrying out four wars and leaving four Muslim Arab countries hanging between life and death," analyst Sateh Noureddine wrote in As Safir.

"Obama has a bloody inheritance ... no doubt about it," he added.

Obama on Tuesday promised to seek a "new way forward" with the Muslim world after eight rocky years under his predecessor. He also warned that the US would defeat "terror."

The daily Al Akhabar, which is close to the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, on Tuesday carried a full-page picture of Bush waving goodbye with a title "The Last Emperor." (dpa)