Q&A
Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour, Robin Wright
{
"authors": [
"Karim Sadjadpour"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
],
"collections": [
"Arab Awakening"
],
"englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "MEP",
"programs": [
"Middle East"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"North Africa",
"Egypt"
],
"topics": [
"Political Reform",
"Democracy"
]
}
Source: Getty
In The Media
Morsi’s Out; Egyptian Leadership in Flux
The most immediate concern for Egypt’s liberals and the U.S. government is the possibility of the Muslim Brotherhood abandoning politics and resorting to street violence if they are not reassured that their voices will be heard.
Published on Jul 5, 2013
Source: CNBC
Karim Sadjadpour discussed the recent events in Egypt and the challanges its new leader will face on CNBC Squabox.
HOST: Supporters of Egypt's ousted president protesting today calling it Friday of rejection. For more on the situation in Egypt, we're joined by Karim Sadjadpour he is a senior associate from the Carnegie Endowment Institute for International Peace. Good morning to you.
KARIM SADJADPOUR: Good morning.
HOST: Help me with this. The U.S. government spends about $1.5 billion a year in aid to Egypt. What should the role of the government in the U.S. government now be, given what's happening there?
KARIM SADJADPOUR: The Obama administration is faced with quite a conundrum in Egypt. The U.S. government wants to show it is committed to democratic principles and committed to the rule of law, and the rule of law and democratic principles were abrogated in Egypt. The country's military waged a coup against an elected president Mohamed Morsi. On the other hand, the U.S. government also doesn't want to be seen as going against the will of the Egyptian people. What we saw over the course of the last week or two in Egypt was tens of millions of people going out into the streets against Mohamed Morsi. That’s going to be very difficult for -- it's been very difficult for the U.S. government to reconcile these two objects of standing for rule of law and standing for democratic principles but at the same time not going against the will of the Egyptian people.HOST: What ultimately is the answer? Is there a carrot or stick involved in terms of how to work with either the military or whatever you think is supposed to be the next election process and how that goes?
KARIM SADJADPOUR: I do think if you saw the statement from president Obama, they did again articulate this commitment to rule of law and principles and that is the route which they are going to continue to talk about and I think they will want the transition, the process towards another presidential election, to happen as swift as possible. They certainly don't want the military to continue to rule over Egypt and frankly I’m not sure if the Egyptian military is interested in overtly ruling over Egypt.
HOST: Real quick, go through some of what you think may then happen next over the next couple weeks, because there is a lot of volatility in the region. The economy and markets are all looking at this trying to understand what may happen.
KARIM SAJDAPOUR: I think the immediate concern that Egyptian liberals and U.S. government has is that the Muslim brotherhood, president Morsi, the ousted party in Egypt is going to say that they -- the legitimate power they held was taken away illegitimately and they will go outside politics and take to the streets and use violence. It’s critical in this transitional process at that takes place Muslim brotherhood are reassured that their rights are going to be counted. I think an announcement has to be made very quickly as to when presidential elections are going to take place.
About the Author
Karim Sadjadpour
Senior Fellow, Middle East Program
Karim Sadjadpour is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on Iran and U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East.
- What’s Keeping the Iranian Regime in Power—for Now
- How Washington and Tehran Are Assessing Their Next StepsQ&A
Aaron David Miller, David Petraeus, Karim Sadjadpour
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie Europe
- How to Join the EU in Three Easy StepsCommentary
Montenegro and Albania are frontrunners for EU enlargement in the Western Balkans, but they can’t just sit back and wait. To meet their 2030 accession ambitions, they must make a strong positive case.
Dimitar Bechev, Iliriana Gjoni
- Win or Lose, Orbán Has Broken Hungary’s DemocracyCommentary
Hungarians head to the polls on April 12 for an election of national and European consequence. Three different outcomes are on the cards, each with their own implications for the EU.
Zsuzsanna Szelényi
- Is France Shifting Rightward?Commentary
The far right failed to win big in France’s municipal elections. But that’s not good news for the country’s left wing, which remained disunited while the broader right consolidated its momentum ahead of the 2027 presidential race.
Catherine Fieschi
- Is the Radical-Right Threat Existential or Overstated?Commentary
Amid increased polarization and the influence of disinformation, radical-right parties are once again gaining traction across Europe. With landmark elections on the horizon in several countries, are the EU’s geostrategic vision and fundamental values under existential threat?
Catherine Fieschi, Cas Mudde
- The EU Needs a Third Way in IranCommentary
European reactions to the war in Iran have lost sight of wider political dynamics. The EU must position itself for the next phase of the crisis without giving up on its principles.
Richard Youngs
