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Obama’s Middle East Speech Addresses Democracy and US Policy in the Region
May 20, 2011
By: Carlos Aramayo | Printer Friendly       

In an address on May 18, United States (US) President Barack Obama gave his most comprehensive response to date on the uprisings sweeping through the Arab world. Speaking at the US Department of State, Obama asserted support for the protesters across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region that have tirelessly demonstrated against authoritarian rule. Commenting on the current waves of unrest, Obama stated that a “new middle east” is in the making. Obama identified that the US has a historic opportunity and the responsibility to support the rights of people clamoring for freedoms, and called for "a new chapter in American diplomacy." Citing US policy towards the MENA region, Obama said that while each country in the region is unique, there are shared values in the push for political change that will define the US approach.

According to the Christian Science Monitor, Obama wants to implement a Middle East policy that is more consistent with what he “sees as American values, including democratic governance and respect for individual rights.” During his speech, Obama acknowledged that “our friends in the region have not all reacted to the demands for change that are consistent” with those principles and called for a change insisting that the “status quo was unsustainable” in the Middle East and in US foreign policy toward that region.

While Obama praised civilian protesters that have pushed for change in countries like Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen, he noted that so far only two leaders have stepped down. He expressed that he hoped many more authoritarian rulers would follow the leads of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the Washington Post reports.

In his address, Obama called for the first time for Syrian President Bashar Assad to embrace democracy or move aside, despite the fact that he did not specifically demand his ouster. In addition, Obama omitted Saudi Arabia in his speech, the country where the tension between US interests and values is most evident.

Obama also discussed the importance of economic reform in the Middle East and how the US intends to provide appropriate assistance on that front. "Our message is simple: If you take the risks that reform entails, you will have the full support of the United States," he said according to the White House Office of the Press Secretary.

Sources:
The Washington Post – Obama prods Mideast allies to embrace reform, make peace

The White House Office of the Press Secretary – Remarks by the President on the Middle East and North Africa

The Christian Science Monitor – Obama's Middle East speech: Good but irrelevant