Response: The United States is still extremely uncertain how to handle the challenges deriving from the Arab Spring. The situation is different in each country. The problem is not developing a policy toward the Arab Spring, but developing policies tailored to the situation in each country—Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Yemen and Bahrain to mentioned only the countries where changes are occurring more rapidl... more

Response: The uprisings that have rocked the Arab world over the past year mark the beginning of a new era of historic transformation. The social contract that governed relations between rulers and ruled for decades effectively is in tatters. A new power equation is emerging that features an empowered grassroots with aspirations for dignity, freedom and economic opportunity. This transformation is a gener... more

Response: In late December of last year, the Egyptian military council issued an order to raid 17 offices of foreign, non-governmental organizations in Egypt. These are organizations that support democracy, citizenship, and freedom of speech, among them, Freedom House, the National Democratic Institute, etc. When the raids occurred, the foreign policy arm of the United States responded quickly. The Presid... more