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Marking the two year anniversary of the Arab Spring

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    What nations should US be concerned about?

  • Duration 4:09
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-- okay Iowa today marks a critical milestone for the Middle East Tunisia marks two years since the beginning of that country's revolution.

And that spark set -- a whole series that we called the Arab Spring.

Of course that's a wave of mass protests that swept through the region and overturned the old political order here the countries that have been affected by the Arab Spring.

Look at them all throughout the region and so we're asking today.

What country should the United States should be worried about joining me now Jonathan -- -- with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and author of the book Hamas vs the top.

The struggle for Palestine good morning there weren't at least fifteen countries that we were looking out there hard pressed to say that the United States.

Has a better relationship with any of those countries following the Arab Spring what ones concern you the most.

Well I would say that right now all of them concern me on some level or another because we're seeing the rise of Islamist governments.

We're seeing the imposition of of sort of more radical policies the rise of Muslim Brotherhood in general which is certainly.

Not a liberal governance type organization.

But the one that I did sort of domino that were watching that I'm concerned about most right now is is Jordan.

Jordan -- been under immense political strain since the beginning of the Arab Spring.

Well -- -- -- pageant to to our viewers many of whom -- know that Jordan has been very strong ally of the United States the very beginning of the war in Iraq we staged a lot of our our troops in that country so what happens if Jordan would fall you say that that's been a -- under reported story.

Absolutely I mean I there'd been a series of of -- -- the king sacked the prime minister I think three or four times now.

You know there there have been regular protests out in the streets against this government there is immense pressure for the -- to make sweeping changes.

The problem is of course that with the sweeping changes would likely bring in -- Muslim brother brotherhood government the last time there is a free and fair election in Jordan was 1989.

For the Islamic action front which is a Muslim Brotherhood organization and Jordan won by significant margins were watching that it could possibly mean.

The end of the peace treaty with the Israelis obviously change in pro American policy so this is obviously a great kids.

Widespread at facts hot topic that's about Yemen you say that that's a major area of concern -- -- -- -- heart because there's so many loose weapons there.

Absolutely this is a country -- twenty million people in sixty million weapons it has long been an area.

Of concern -- the US government's war on terror obviously al-Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula.

Operates with with impunity there.

And now we're hearing that that the south of Yemen is looking to secede from the north.

As if things -- complicated enough.

And so this is a very highly unstable government that we're looking at with potential ramifications of greater terrorist actions or possibly a failed state -- -- -- a little bit about Bob rain and also cut our.

Sure well -- training is is interesting there was a great deal of of unrest there and one point it seems to gotten quiet.

Largely due to the fact that the saudis have really helped squelch the -- the unrest there the United States tacitly of course.

Helping or or at least looking on and not saying anything.

This is -- Saudi controlled government and of course we're doing everything we can't make sure that the that the saudis remain stable.

That's who we're doing everything we can at the same time to see that -- -- remain stable too I'm not sure this is a wise idea but we may not have much of the choice.

-- interest thing also mean it really -- had very little.

Unrest there but what I actually see them well were a lot of these countries are going on on defense right now doing their their best to deflect.

The protest cuts are really looks to be I'm trying to expand its influence.

You know spending money in Gaza spending money -- Egypt.

-- -- television stations here in the United States.

Right Al Gore's side currents TVs are certainly trying to increase its influence -- world dot.

We don't have time to get into this right now but one major area of concern of course is what happens.

To religious minorities including Christians and this part of the world and got things are not looking good for them in many.

Of those countries Jonathan chance -- sorry we have to leave it there thank you so much for joining us from the foundation for defense of democracies thanks thanks.

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