May 17th, 2010 by Josh

One month after Shadi Hamid posited that Arab reformers were “nostalgic” for George W. Bush’s “freedom agenda,” prominent Egyptian rights activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim offers a similar argument [subscription required] in today’s Wall Street Journal by relaying the concerns from an Arab street that is, in his view, increasingly disenchanted with President Obama. In contrast to President Bush’s erstwhile policies that created a degree of political space through persistent “pressure on dictators,” Ibrahim views Obama’s agenda as “weak and inconsistent” — particularly in light of the administration’s reduced FY 2011 funding for democracy assistance as well as its “mild response” to Egypt’s two-year Emergency Law renewal.

Commentary’s Jennifer Rubin isn’t surprised with Ibrahim’s analysis, saying that he “reminds us of the list of Obama’s sins of omission regarding Egypt.” But Michael Allen points to a recent statement by Radwan Masmoudi, president of Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy, who argues that although there was a slight delay between rhetoric and action, the last four or five months “have seen renewed emphasis being put again on improving relations with the Muslim world and dialogue and on implementing the promises of the Cairo speech.”

Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, US foreign policy |