Clinton urges Middle East to capitalize on democratic gains

Apr 13, 2011, 2:05 GMT

Washington - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged the people of the Middle East to solidify the democratic gains of recent months to ensure that the goals of the reformist movements that have swept the region do not become a 'mirage in the desert.'

'Today the long era of winter has begun to thaw. For the first time in decades there is a real opportunity for lasting change,' Clinton said in a speech Tuesday night to the US-Islam Forum in Washington.

Clinton said the protests that erupted this year dispelled 'myths' that the Arab world was not suited for democracy and universal rights, and that governments could stay in power indefinitely through authoritarian rule. Clinton said the United States will support the change that has taken place in Egypt and Tunisia, where long-standing rulers held power for decades until their ousted by mass demonstrations.

She called on the transitional governments in those countries to protect civil rights, including for minorities and women, and to ensure that democratic rule takes hold. She decried the violent crackdowns by other governments facing mass protests, such as in Libya, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain, a US ally.

Washington was the location of the annual US-Islamic Forum for the first time since its inception eight years ago. Usually in Doha, it was hosted by the Qatari government and Brookings Institution's Saban Centre for Middle East Policy and is intended to find ways to improve life and civic participation in the region.

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