Obama pledges to support reforms in the Middle East

By Mike McCarthy May 19, 2011, 19:22 GMT

Washington - President Barack Obama put the full weight of the United States behind supporting reforms throughout the Middle East on Thursday, pledging to assist in the development of democratic rule and building viable economies.

Obama said the United States will focus on Egypt and Tunisia, where mass uprisings earlier this year deposed long-ruling regimes and introduced a rapid transformation in the region. He said the two countries can serve as a model for the rest of the region and will have strong US support.

'That effort begins in Egypt and Tunisia, where the stakes are high, as Tunisia was at the vanguard of this democratic wave and Egypt is both a longstanding partner and the Arab world's largest nation,' Obama said.

'Both nations can set a strong example through free and fair elections, a vibrant civil society, accountable and effective democratic institutions, and responsible regional leadership,' he added.

Obama's speech marked his first comprehensive response to the events in the Middle East and North Africa this year, as the mass movements spread to countries such as Bahrain, Yemen and Syria, and prompted a civil war in Libya.

This was his second major address on the Middle East, since his speech in Cairo in June 2009, when he called for a new beginning in relations between the United States and the Muslim world.

Maintaining the past structure of the Middle East is not sustainable, Obama said, and called on all leaders to move forward with reforms.

'The events of the past six months show us that strategies of repression and diversion won't work anymore,' the president said.

Obama had strong words for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose regime has launched a violent crackdown against the protesters. Nearly 1,000 people are believed to have died in the bloody clashes. Obama said al-Assad must embrace the demands of the protesters to enact reforms, or leave power.

'The Syrian people have shown their courage in demanding a transition to democracy,' Obama said. 'President Assad now has a choice: He can lead that transition, or get out of the way.'

Obama called on al-Assad's regime to end the violence against protesters, halt unlawful detentions and introduce a dialogue to begin a democratic transition. He had on Wednesday authorized sanctions against al-Assad that freeze any assets under US jurisdiction.

The United States and Arab nations must work to overcome decades of mistrust in order to build a better future for the region, Obama said at the State Department. The US must demonstrate that it does not simply act in its own interests in the Middle East, but for the welfare of the entire region.

'A failure to change our approach threatens a deepening spiral of division between the United States and Muslim communities,' he said.

He emphasized the need to support the countries' developing economies for long-term sustainability and to empower people to determine their own financial destiny.

'It's important to focus on trade, not just aid; on investment, not just assistance,' Obama said. 'The goal must be a model in which protectionism gives way to openness and the reins of commerce pass from the few to the many and the economy generates jobs for the young.'

Obama pledged 1 billion dollars in debt relief for Egypt to ease the country's transition towards a more open and viable economy. 'We do not want a democratic Egypt to be saddled by the debts of its past,' he said.

On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Obama said the historic changes in the Middle East make reaching a peace agreement imperative.

'At a time when the people of the Middle East and North Africa are casting off the burdens of the past, the drive for a lasting peace that ends the conflict and resolves all claims is more urgent than ever,' Obama said.

He warned the Palestinians about going to the United Nations to seek recognition of a state, saying such a move would undermine negotiations with Israel.

'Efforts to delegitimize Israel will end in failure. Symbolic actions to isolate Israel at the United Nations in September won't create an independent state,' Obama said.

He called for a two-state solution that ensures Israel's security and a viable Palestine based on 1967 borders with mutually agreed land swaps. Obama's remarks came a day before he meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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