Transcript
12:29 Fred Barbash - Moderator: Welcome all. Thanks for joining us. Our guest today is Tamara Wittes and our topic is the Middle East and the prospects for a re-energized peace process.
Tamara is an expert on Middle East affairs, who focuses on U.S. efforts to promote democracy and the Arab-Israeli peace process. She has directed several Middle East research projects, including the Middle East Democracy and Development Project at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy.
Welcome Tamara.
12:30 [Comment From Laurie] President Obama has chosen Egypt as the venue for his address to the Muslim world. Can you explain the significance of this choice?
12:32 Tamara Cofman Wittes: Thanks to all of you for joining me! Laurie, Egypt is a momentous choice, because it embodies many of the challenges facing Muslim societies, and many of the dilemmas facing US policy. It's a strong government, a strong ally of the US but the broader population doesn't support US policy and doesn't like the alliance. The government there is autocratic and rather repressive of independent political movements. There is growing religiosity in society, and a concern among those in power that Islamist politicians will try to overturn the existing order. All these themes are things Obama will have to address, because they are all so glaringly obvious in Cairo, they can't be ignored.
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