President Obama was true to his advance publicity today as he addressed an audience at the U.S. State Department. The almost hour-long speech had been built up, in classic Obama Administration style, through interviews, social media, tweets, and advance releases as post–Osama bin Laden outreach to the peoples of the …
In this week’s Heritage in Focus podcast, Heritage Middle East expert Jim Phillips reflects on the current unrest between Israel and Syria. To listen to the full interview, click here. A few days ago marked the anniversary of “nakba,” or “the day of catastrophe,” for Palestinians and their Arab allies. That day is …
Syria’s embattled Bashar al-Assad regime has pulled no punches in its ruthless repression of Syria’s long-suffering people. With the exception of Muammar Qadhafi’s Libyan regime, no other Arab government has spilled so much blood to maintain itself in power against peaceful demonstrators that have flooded the streets in protest during …
In January, Heritage Senior Research Fellow Jim Phillips predicted that Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution would spark uprisings throughout the Arab world. Four months later, North Africa and the Middle East are experiencing substantial governmental transformations, and there is no end in sight. Tunisia As the first leadership casualty of the “Arab …
Good Friday, a holy day for Christians around the world, is turning out to be a bad day for Egyptian Christians. Thousands of Muslims gathered to protest the appointment of a Coptic Christian governor in the Qena province this week. This incident comes amid a campaign of discrimination and violence …
In a private phone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, almost two weeks after the unrest began, President Barack Obama finally called for Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi to step down. While the President’s inertia may have been mitigated by the need to get Americans out of the country so Qadhafi …
Shutting down the Internet did precious little good for Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak. It is not likely to do Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi much good either. In fact, it appeared to intensify the determination of the Arab protesters, who found themselves cut off from the world. Yet on Friday, that was …
The last chapter of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule has come to a close. But, as Heritage Vice President Kim Holmes contends in yesterday’s Washington Times, change shouldn’t end with new elections or a restructured political system. Economic liberalization must be part and parcel of the greater reform process. …
Egypt’s beleaguered President Hosni Mubarak announced tonight in a televised speech that he refuses to step down, but he promised to launch an investigation to hold officials of his regime accountable for fomenting violence against protesters since the political turmoil began on January 25. Mubarak promised that he would transfer …
Democracy is the best way we know to choose leaders. Where individuals offering alternative visions or policies compete fairly and honestly for leadership, governments are regularly refreshed and cleansed of corruption. And of course, true democracy is about much more than elections. It involves the rule of law, political pluralism, …
