2010-06-04 14:20

WASHINGTON  - With the worst oil spill in US history presenting a key test of his presidency, US President Barack Obama postponed a trip scheduled for this month to Australia and Indonesia, the White House said early on Friday.

It was the second time in a little more than two months that Obama had canceled a trip to the two countries. He was previously due to have gone in late March but postponed to stay at home to give a final push to his healthcare overhaul plan in Congress.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told Reuters in an email that Obama had postponed the trip again in order to deal with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and other important issues. The president is due to travel to the Louisiana Gulf coast on Friday, his third visit since the spill began.

After a series of failed attempts to plug the gushing BP oil well, the Obama administration has come under growing pressure to take a more direct role in the oil spill crisis. Opinion polls show many Americans are unhappy with Obama's handling of the disaster so far.

The White House said in a statement that Obama had spoken on Thursday night to Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to inform them of his decision. The trip had been scheduled for June 13-19.

"President Obama underscored his commitment to our close alliance with Australia and our deepening partnership with Indonesia. He plans to hold full bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Rudd and President Yudhoyono on the margins of the G-20 meeting in Canada," the White House said in a statement.