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{
  "authors": [
    "Michele Dunne"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
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  "collections": [
    "Arab Awakening"
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  "englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "MEP",
  "programs": [
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  "regions": [
    "North Africa",
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    "Political Reform"
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}

Source: Getty

In The Media

See No Evil

Inconsistent U.S. pressure on the Mubarak regime to enact democratic reforms likely increased the perception among the Egyptian people that the United States did not support them.

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By Michele Dunne
Published on Apr 1, 2011
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Middle East

The Middle East Program in Washington combines in-depth regional knowledge with incisive comparative analysis to provide deeply informed recommendations. With expertise in the Gulf, North Africa, Iran, and Israel/Palestine, we examine crosscutting themes of political, economic, and social change in both English and Arabic.

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Source: This American Life

During the last decade, the United States has maintained an inconsistent policy on pressuring the Mubarak regime in Egypt to implement democratic reforms and curb human rights abuses, explained Michele Dunne on This American Life. Although U.S. officials raised the issue of reform in meetings with Egyptian officials, successive U.S. governments often did not make a concerted effort to push for real reforms. Dunne explained that both the Bush and Obama administrations were very careful in their public criticism of the previous Egyptian government, given the important role Egypt played as a regional ally.  Ultimately, Dunne said, this lack of consistency made the Egyptian people feel as though the U.S. government was not on their side.

Michele Dunne
Former Nonresident Scholar, Middle East Program
Michele Dunne
Political ReformNorth AfricaEgypt

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.

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