Abstract
Like many other regional and global actors, the USA was caught unprepared by the Arab Spring, a series of popular protests in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region that culminated in the overthrow of the long-standing authoritarian regimes in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt and also led to some major changes in others (Goodwin, 2011, pp. 452–456). Whereas political change and transformation in the region have been favored and occasionally zealously supported by US administrations, an Arab Spring-like popular movement had long been ruled out because the political environment appeared to lack the necessary dynamics and political ground. This assumption, often presented as a bias and a stereotype, was justified by referring to the alleged absence of popular demands for democracy and of an organized political opposition (Tessler, 2002). In other words, the assumption suggested that even though, by way of speculation, they were displeased with their repressive regimes, the people in the region never had the necessary mechanisms and instruments to convey their demands to the political domain. The Arab Spring that started in Tunisia when a street vendor committed self-immolation in protest of the dire economic conditions at least partially proved this assumption wrong (Babacan, Hasṃlak, & Hira, 2011).
Keywords
- Middle East And North Africa (MENA)
- Organized Political Opposition
- MENA Region
- Assad Regime
- Syrian Government
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsNotes
- 1.
For instance, Brendon O’Connor (ed.), Anti-Americanism: History, Causes, Themes, Vol. 3, Comparative Perspectives (Oxford: Greenwood Publication, 2007).
- 2.
For the eroded image of the USA in the world, see Joseph S. Nye, “The Decline of America’s Soft Power,” Foreign Affairs, v. 83, n. 3 (2004): 16–23.
- 3.
For American foreign policy style under the Obama administration, see Barack H. Obama, “Renewing American Leadership,” Foreign Affairs, v. 86, n. 2 (2007): 2–12.
- 4.
For the Shiite Crescent and its impact upon American foreign policy, see Juan Cole, Kenneth Katzman, Karim Sadjadpour, and Ray Takeyh, “A Shia Crescent: What Fallout for the United States?,” Middle East Policy, v. 12, n. 4 (2005): 1–27.
- 5.
For instance, see Philip J. Crowley, “Situation in Egypt,” Statement, Bureau of Public Affairs, State Department, January 25, 2011, www.state.gov
- 6.
For the concept of responsibility to protect, see Gareth Evans and Mohamed Sahnoun, “The Responsibility to Protect,” Foreign Affairs, v. 81, n. 6 (2002): 99–113.
References
Atlas, P. M. (2012). US Foreign Policy and the Arab Spring: Balancing Values and Interests. Digest of Middle East Studies, 21(2), 353–385.
Babacan, M. E., Haşlak, İ., & Hira, İ. (2011). Sosyal Medya ve Arap Baharı. Akademik İncelemeler Dergisi, 6(2), 63–94.
Background Briefing by Senior Administration Officials on Syria. (2011). Special Briefing, State Department, 17 July.
Clinton, H. R. (2011a). Situation in Libya, Press Statement, State Department, 21 February.
Clinton, H. R. (2011b). Holding the Qadhafi Government Accountable, Press Statement, State Department, 2011, 26 February.
Clinton, H. R. (2011c). UN General Assembly Suspends Libya’s Human Rights Council Membership, Press Statement, State Department, 2011, 1 March.
Clinton, H. R. (2011d). Keynote Address at the National Democratic Institute’s 2011 Democracy Awards Dinner. Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, Washington, DC, 2011, 7 November.
Clinton, H. R. (2011e). Update on Implementing UN Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973 on Libya. State Department, 2011, 24 March.
Clinton, H. R. (2011f). Violence in Syria. Press Statement, State Department, 2011, 6 May.
Clinton, H. R. (2011g). Opening Remarks Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, State Department, 2011, 2 March.
Clinton, Israeli Leaders Discuss Iran, Syria, Egypt, Palestinians. (2012). Voanews, 16 July.
Cohen, R. (2011). Leading from Behind. The New York Times, 31 October.
Cole, J., Katzman, K., Sadjadpour, K., & Takeyh, R. (2005). A Shia Crescent: What Fallout for the United States? Middle East Policy, 12(4), 1–27.
Cooper, A. F., Momani, B., & Farooq, A. B. (2014). The United States and Bahrain: Interpreting the Differentiated US Responses to the Arab Spring. Digest of Middle East Studies, 23(2), 360–384.
Crowley, P. J. (2011a). Situation in Libya, Press Statement, Bureau of Public Affairs, State Department, 2011, 20 February.
Crowley, P. J. (2011b). Situation in Egypt, Statement, Bureau of Public Affairs, State Department, 2011, 25 January.
Dalacoura, K. (2005). US Democracy Promotion in the Arab Middle East since 11 September 2001: A Critique. International Affairs, 81(5), 963–979.
DiCarlo, R. A. (2011). Remarks on Libya at a Security Council Stakeout, State Department, 2011, 22 February.
Evans, G., & Sahnoun, M. (2002). The Responsibility to Protect. Foreign Affairs, 81(6), 99–113.
Gause, III, F. G. (2011). Don’t Just Do Something, Stand There! Foreign Policy, 21 December.
Gerges, F. A. (2013). The Obama Approach to the Middle East: The End of America’s Moment. International Affairs, 89(2), 299–323.
Goodwin, J. (2011). Why We Were Surprised (Again) by the Arab Spring. Swiss Political Science Review, 17(4), 452–456.
Hachigian, N., & Shorr, D. (2013). The Responsibility Doctrine. The Washington Quarterly, 36(1), 73.
Ibrahim, A. H. (2016). The Arab Uprisings and the United States: The Dichotomy Between Balancing Stability and Upholding Commitment to Democracy. Digest of Middle East Studies, 25(1), 70–87.
Jones, S. G. (2013). The Mirage of the Arab Spring: Deal with the Region You Have, Not the Region You Want. Foreign Affairs, 55(1), 92.
Keiswetter, A. L. (2012). The Arab Spring: Implications for US Policy and Interests. The Middle East Institute, 13 January.
Little, D. (2008). American Orientalism: The United States and the Middle East since 1945. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press.
Lynch, M. (2013). US Public Diplomacy and the Arab Uprisings. Foreign Policy, 13 April.
Nye, J. S. (2004). The Decline of America’s Soft Power. Foreign Affairs, 83(3), 16–23.
O’Connor, B. (Ed.). (2007). Anti-Americanism: History, Causes. Oxford: Greenwood Publication.
Obama, B. H. (2007). Renewing American Leadership. Foreign Affairs, 86(2), 2–12.
Obama, B. H. (2011). Middle East Speech in full. The Telegraph, 19 May.
Pinto, M. C. P. F. (2012). Mapping the Obama Administration’s Response to the Arab Spring. Revista Brasileira de Política Internacional, 55(2), 109.
Pollack, K. M. (2011). America’s Second Chance and the Arab Spring. Foreign Policy, 5 December.
Remarks by the President in Address to the Nation on Libya. (2011). National Defense University, Office of the Press Secretary, White House, 28 March.
Remarks by the President on the Middle East and North Africa. (2011). The White House: Office of the Press Secretary, 19 May.
Rice, S. E. (2011a). Remarks at a Security Council Briefing on Syria, State Department, 2011, 27 April.
Rice, S. E. (2011b). Remarks by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, in an Explanation of Vote on UN Security Council Resolution 1973. State Department, 2011, 17 March.
Rice, S. E. (2011c). Remarks on HIV/AIDS and Syria at a Security Council Stakeout, US Mission to the United Nations, New York, 2011, 8 June.
Snider, E. A., & Faris, D. M. (2011). The Arab Spring: US Democracy Promotion in Egypt. Middle East Policy, 18(3), 49–62.
Tessler, M. (2002). Islam and Democracy in the Middle East. Comparative Politics, 34(3), 337–354.
Toner, M. C. (2011a). African Union Meeting on the Situation in Libya, State Department, Press Statement, 2011, 26 March.
Toner, M.C. (2011b). Violence in Syria, Press Statement, State Department, 2011, 23 March.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Çakmak, C. (2019). The United States and the Arab Spring: A Mixed Approach of Cautious Optimism and Indifference. In: Çakmak, C., Özçelik, A.O. (eds) The World Community and the Arab Spring. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60985-0_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60985-0_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-60984-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-60985-0
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)