Epilogue

Abstract

The thickness of smoke bellows from conflict in many parts of the Arab world. While it pains me to see the region and its people pinballed around in a cruel and sometimes unforgiving whirl of a world, I have also come to realize that blaming others for Arab woes is insufficient to explain the predicament the region finds itself in. Recent Arab history has arguably been as much a result of global geostrategic development as it has been of the inability of the Arab regimes to meet the changing needs of a growing population and draw a future based on constructive and inclusive ideology channeled through institutions that can withstand the test of time.

America must use all our influence to encourage reform in the region. Even as we acknowledge that each country is different, we will need to speak honestly about the principles that we believe in, with friend and foe alike. Our message is simple: if you take the risks that reform entails, you will have the full support of the United States. We must also build on our efforts to broaden our engagement beyond elites, so that we reach the people who will shape the future—particularly young people.

President Barack Obama