- Democracy
- February 20, 2011
- 3 minutes read
Obama’s National Security Advisor: Washington Must Learn from the Egyptian Experience
Obama’s National Security advisor, Thomas Donilon, appointed Larry Diamond Professor of Democracy and the Rule of Law in Stanford University in California, and a group of experts to carry out an assessment in response to the question by Swiss Information on the impact of the Egyptian popular revolution on US foreign policy in the Middle East.
Larry Diamond said: “First, the US should have a clear stance with regards to the wave of popularity which is expected to follow the uprising in Tahrir Square, Cairo. It should also avoid the contradictory messages from the Foreign Secretary and the White House, or any envoy sent last minute by the president to negotiate with the ruler who is about to fall.”
He added: “Second, the US must introduce amendments to its policy in the region and support the peoples to achieve real democracy and restore their basic rights. The US policy in the region must be in line with the principles to which it adheres.
Third, the US must learn from the Egyptian experience and change the theory of Mubarak that the only alternative for dictator rule is Islamists.”
Swiss information stated that US foreign policy needs to be changed to avoid the repetition of what happened with it in Egypt, as it used to rely on Mubarak for 30 years to achieve its strategic and security plans without caring about the demands of the Egyptian people.
He added: “The US can no longer ignore the importance of Arab peoples under the pretext that they are being governed by rulers that have not been chosen by anyone, as the winds of change can remove them from their roots one after the other. They should think of a policy other than dependence on rulers that are oppressive to their people and try to intimidate Washington with the fear of Islamists.”