U.S. to embrace new Islamist regimes: ‘Revolutions … are not by us, for us, or against us’

Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The United States is preparing to work with the new
Islamist regimes in the Middle East.

Officials said the administration of President Barack Obama
would embrace the Islamic revolutions of Egypt, Libya and Tunisia and seek
their cooperation for American policy in the Middle East.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at the National Democratic Institute in Washington on Nov. 7. /AP/Cliff Owen

“Revolutions are not ours,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said. “They are not by us, for us, or against us.”

In an address to the National Democratic Institute on Nov. 7, Ms. Clinton was said to have reflected a new U.S. policy amid the revolts in such countries as Egypt, Libya, Syria and Tunisia. So far, Tunisia has been the only Arab state that held a parliamentary election that resulted in an Islamist victory.

“There will be times when not all of our interests align,” Ms. Clinton said. “That is just reality.”

The U.S. policy was presented ahead of parliamentary elections in Egypt and Morocco this month. Libya has already declared that it plans to impose Islamic law under any regime to follow the late Col. Moammar Gadhafi.

“What parties call themselves is less important to us than what they actually do,” Ms. Clinton said. “For years, dictators told their people they
had to accept the autocrats they knew to avoid the extremists they feared.
Too often, we accepted that narrative ourselves.”

Most of the Arab countries expected to elect Islamist governments have
been receiving U.S. military aid. Egypt has been receiving $1.3 billion in
annual U.S. military aid since 1980 and was awaiting 20 F-16 Block 50
multi-role fighters.

“They must reject violence,” Ms. Clinton said. “They must abide by the
rule of law and respect the freedoms of speech, religion, association and
assembly. They must respect the rights of women and minorities. They must
let go of power if defeated at the polls.”

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