Clinton Discusses Changes in the Arab World

In an interview with Jeff Goldberg of the Atlantic, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed her belief that the transitioning governments in the region should respect its people’s rights to freedom of expression, religion and dress.  She also stated that the United States needs to be more competitive in the arena of ideas and information to stand as a counterweight to the “ideological foes of democracy.”  She also noted that the Administration does not have an over-arching doctrine towards the Middle East uprisings, because while there are similar trends, the situation in each country is different.  She stated, however, that the U.S. has “encouraged consistently, both publicly and privately, reform and recognition and protection of human rights.”  However, she stated that it is not in U.S. interest to stop working with countries such as Saudi Arabia when they fail to live up to these standards.  Further elaborating on Saudi Arabia’s actions during the Arab Spring, Clinton stated, “They’re worried, and they are trying to stop history, which is a fool’s errand. They cannot do it. But they’re going to hold it off as long as possible.”  She called on the governments in the Arab world to try and stay ahead of the curve and implement reform.

Discussing Syrian President Bashar al Assad, Clinton noted that the U.S. has tried to “give him an alternative vision of himself and Syria’s future” based on comments by members of Congress who have visited Syria and believe he wants to reform.  She also noted the hypocrisy of the Iranian regime and expressed U.S. commitment to supporting human rights and democracy in the country.