Any presidential speech abroad has multiple audiences. One of them, in this case, is the Egyptian government, whose cooperation is needed on issues that range from proliferation to peace. But another audience will be dissidents and reformers in Egypt and beyond Full Story »
Posted by Derek Hawkins
I share the opinion of Michael Gerson: Human rights should be one of the main concerns for the Obama administration, and they should figure prominently in its political discourse. I really fear they are going to "please" authoritarian leaders around the world in order to gain their benevolence.. by just sticking to "mutual interests" and avoiding "unpleasant" topics like the situation of the people concerned.
Gerson prefers that Obama direct his attention toward promoting "democracy" in the Middle East rather than pushing Israel to get out of the West Bank and the Golan Heights.
Gerson is hostile toward Bashar al-Assad of Syria, but the Christian leaders of the various sects in that country say that their minority interests are better protected by the Assad government than would be the case in a "demcoracy". Obama needs to get all US forces out of Iraq within the next 12 months and pressure Israel to accept the Arab League peace plan.
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