Research
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Yasmine Farouk, Nathan J. Brown, Maysaa Shuja Al-Deen, …
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Source: Getty
In The Media
A Thaw in U.S.-Egypt Relations
The United States must balance its advocacy for human rights and democracy promotion in Egypt and the broader Arab world with other strategic interests; it would be wrongheaded to completely cut off ties with authoritarian regimes.
Published on Aug 18, 2009
Source: Al Jazeera's Riz Khan
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s visit to Washington suggests a renewed cooperation between the two allies after years of strained relations during the Bush administration. This has stoked fear among human rights activists that the Obama administration will turn a blind eye to Egypt’s repressive domestic political situation. Michele Dunne argues, “The U.S. needs to take a stand in favor of democracy and human rights in Egypt. If the U.S. fails to do so it will hurt its own image and present itself as acting in an unprincipled and self-interested way.” Nonetheless, Dunne continues, “the U.S. is a superpower with a multiplicity of interests. The danger is not that human rights and democratization will overtake the agenda, but that they will fall off it.”
Ultimately, the U.S. must balance its advocacy for human rights and democracy promotion with other strategic interests; it would be wrongheaded to completely cut off ties with authoritarian regimes.
While the Arab-Israeli peace process was on the agenda for President Obama and Mubarak, “Mubarak didn’t offer anything new that other Arab leaders had not already said.” In this regard, noted Dunne, “the Obama administration was probably disappointed with the visit.”
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.
- Islamic Institutions in Arab States: Mapping the Dynamics of Control, Co-option, and Contention
- From Hardware to Holism: Rebalancing America’s Security Engagement With Arab StatesResearch
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Robert Springborg, Emile Hokayem, Becca Wasser, …
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.
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