Is Obama's Middle East Agenda Realistic?

{
  "authors": [
    "Michele Dunne"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "MEP",
  "programs": [
    "Middle East"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "North America",
    "United States",
    "Middle East"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Foreign Policy"
  ]
}

In The Media

Is Obama's Middle East Agenda Realistic?

President Obama's recent address to the Muslim world dissapointed many democracy promotion supporters, who felt it did not strongly address the issue.

By Michele Dunne

Published on Jun 5, 2009

Source: The New Republic TV

President Obama's recent address to the Muslim world dissapointed many democracy promotion supporters, who felt his speech did not strongly address the issue. As Michele Dunne explains, "This is very much a contrast with President Bush who promised a lot of support for democracy in the Middle East and promised, for example, support for activitsts who would be imprisoned by their governments... President Bush learned over time that it was very difficult to deliver that and it was very difficult to square that with some other U.S. interests. Obama is now trying to take a more low-key approach. In other words, to articulate his support for democracy as a general principle; not to directly or indirectly criticize any of the governments. The Obama people are saying that they are going to pursue this issue but a lot more quietly than Bush did."

About the Author

Michele Dunne

Former Nonresident Scholar, Middle East Program

Michele Dunne was a nonresident scholar in Carnegie’s Middle East Program, where her research focuses on political and economic change in Arab countries, particularly Egypt, as well as U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Recent Work

Research
Islamic Institutions in Arab States: Mapping the Dynamics of Control, Co-option, and Contention
- +6
  Yasmine Farouk, Nathan J. Brown, Maysaa Shuja Al-Deen, …
Research
From Hardware to Holism: Rebalancing America’s Security Engagement With Arab States
- +8
  Robert Springborg, Emile Hokayem, Becca Wasser, …

Foreign Policy North America United States Middle East

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 Russia Eurasia Center

Commentary
Carnegie Politika
What’s Having More Impact on Russian Oil Export Revenues: Ukrainian Strikes or Rising Prices?
Although Ukrainian strikes have led to a noticeable decline in the physical volume of Russian oil exports, the rise in prices has more than made up for it.
Sergey Vakulenko
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Russia Is Meddling for Meddling’s Sake in the Middle East
The Russian leadership wants to avoid a dangerous precedent in which it is squeezed out of Iran by the United States and Israel—and left powerless to respond in any meaningful way.
Nikita Smagin
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Will Hungary’s New Leader Really Change EU Policy on Russia and Ukraine?
Orbán created an image for himself as virtually the only opponent of aid to Ukraine in the entire EU. But in reality, he was simply willing to use his veto to absorb all the backlash, allowing other opponents to remain in the shadows.
Maksim Samorukov
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Power, Pathways, and Policy: Grounding Central Asia’s Digital Ambitions
Central Asia’s digital ambitions are achievable, but only if policy is aligned with the region’s physical constraints.
Aruzhan Meirkhanova
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
The Afghanistan–Pakistan War Poses Awkward Questions for Russia
Not only does the fighting jeopardize regional security, it undermines Russian attempts to promote alternatives to the Western-dominated world order.
Ruslan Suleymanov

More Work from Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

What’s Having More Impact on Russian Oil Export Revenues: Ukrainian Strikes or Rising Prices?

Although Ukrainian strikes have led to a noticeable decline in the physical volume of Russian oil exports, the rise in prices has more than made up for it.

Sergey Vakulenko

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

Russia Is Meddling for Meddling’s Sake in the Middle East

The Russian leadership wants to avoid a dangerous precedent in which it is squeezed out of Iran by the United States and Israel—and left powerless to respond in any meaningful way.

Nikita Smagin

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

Will Hungary’s New Leader Really Change EU Policy on Russia and Ukraine?

Orbán created an image for himself as virtually the only opponent of aid to Ukraine in the entire EU. But in reality, he was simply willing to use his veto to absorb all the backlash, allowing other opponents to remain in the shadows.