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Arab Spring Proves a Harsh Test for Obama’s Diplomatic Skill

New York Times Original article ›

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Helene Cooper and Worth point to the vacillating response to the Arab Spring and movement for democracy and freedom in the Middle East of the Obama administration and President Obama. The dangerous overtones of this lack of U.S. leadership in the region as the U.S. completes a withdrawal from Iraq without an agreement for a residual presence, sees diplomacy reaching an impasse with Iran's development of nuclear weapons, and the Syrian civil war drawing in Turkey with its long border with Syria, and drawing in Saudi Arabia as a defendor of Sunnis in Syria. The stakes for Russia in Syria were minimal compared to that of people in the Middle East and the U.S., yet it had an outsized influence with its early military assistance to the Assad regime and the lack of U.S. leadership to resolve the situation in Syria in favor of the democracy movement.

Criticism of the Obama administration's hesitant response to the protests in Egypt

01/28/2011

Vice President Biden says "I would not call Mubarak a dictator." President Obama fails to take a clear position in support of democracy, freedom of expression and economic opportunity in Egypt.

Grouped Articles

Military Madness in Cairo

New York Times 08/14/2013

Adrift on the Nile

New York Times 08/25/2013

Rice Offers a More Modest Strategy for Mideast

New York Times 10/26/2013

Leaving U.S. Allies Adrift as Chaos Rises

Wall Street Journal 08/01/2014

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Mubarak

New York Times 01/28/2011

The U.S. needs to break with Mubarak now

Washington Post 01/29/2011

The Democratic Options in Tunisia and Egypt

01/27/2011

Roger Cohen of the New York Times calls the street protestors in Tunisia and Egypt "revolutionary Geeks." They are young, pragmatic, looking mainly to be free of the shackles of despotic regimes and the lack of economic opportunity. The one party rule of the Tunisian ruler, of Mubarak and Quadaffi add up to one hundred years of despotism says Cohen. The failure of President Obama and Hillary Clinton to take a clear stand in support of change and in favor of democracy in the Arab world.

Grouped Articles

Tunisian Islamist Finds Hope in Challenging Time

New York Times 08/03/2013

Second Opposition Leader Assassinated in Tunisia

New York Times 07/25/2013

Tunisian Constitution, Praised for Balance, Nears Passage

New York Times 01/14/2014

Assassination in Tunisia Draws Spouse Into Politics

New York Times 10/25/2014

Revolutionary Arab Geeks

New York Times 01/27/2011

Egyptian troops let protests proceed as Mubarak names vice president

Washington Post 01/29/2011

Spillover effects for Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. from the civil war in Syria- Sept-Nov. 2012 and by 2014

05/21/2011

The Syrian civil war is spilling over into Iraq. Iraq is unable to protect its airspace from being used by Iran to ship supplies to the Assad regime, or to prevent Turkey's warplanes from using Iraqi airspace to attack Kurdish separatists. There is also a danger of a Sunni-Shiite conflict being exacerabated by former Sunni insurgents in Iraq joining up with Sunni refugees from Syria. The Maliki government in Iraq is moving closer to Iran as the Syrian civil war escalates and brings Sunnis together against the Assad regime. Turkey is also seeing the effects of a flow of refugees on its border with Syria. The Obama administration has been slow to respond to the rapidly developing situation as it concentrates on a complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq with the lack of agreement on a residual U.S. troop presence. This leaves the U.S. less than the minimum leverage that is needed just as the sectarian divisions are worsening, after years of investing resources in the region. With the EU countries focussed on economic problems, and the Obama administration's lack of active support for the Free Syria movement, the broader involvement of Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Russia in the region, the situation is likely to lead to an international crisis without U.S. leadership.

Grouped Articles

More Help for Syrian Rebels

New York Times 04/22/2013

Clashes Carry Worries of a New Civil War

New York Times 04/28/2013

‘Beyond War,’ by David Rohde

New York Times 05/03/2013

Pentagon Plans for the Worst in Syria

Wall Street Journal 05/07/2013

What if the U.S. doesn’t intervene in Syria? - The Washington Post

Washington Post 05/09/2013

Why did Mr. Obama overrule his advisers on Syria? - The Washington Post

Washington Post 05/09/2013

Calls for President Obama to act decisively in Libya.

03/05/2011

The March 7, 2011 Wall Street Journal editorial calls for military action in Libya to prevent the Ghadafi regime from suppressing the democracy protests inside Libya. Other calls for action from Senators McConnell, McCain, and Kerry over the weekend March 5-6. The slow and hesitant response of the Obama administration.

Grouped Articles

Leading From Behind Congress

Wall Street Journal 09/01/2013

Leaving U.S. Allies Adrift as Chaos Rises

Wall Street Journal 08/01/2014

Turkish Inaction on ISIS Advance Dismays the U.S.

New York Times 10/07/2014

The saddest piece of Barack Obama’s legacy - The Washington Post

Washington Post 04/18/2016

Obama's Libyan Abdication

Wall Street Journal 03/06/2011

U.S. Debates Libya Action

Wall Street Journal 03/09/2011

The Obama administration's slow response to the democracy movement in Libya

03/01/2011

Grouped Articles

Diplomat Airs Benghazi Attack Details

Wall Street Journal 05/09/2013

In Obama's Image

Wall Street Journal 06/05/2013

Leading From Behind Congress

Wall Street Journal 09/01/2013

Rice Offers a More Modest Strategy for Mideast

New York Times 10/26/2013

Leaving U.S. Allies Adrift as Chaos Rises

Wall Street Journal 08/01/2014

The Too Little, Too Late Presidency

Wall Street Journal 02/18/2015


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