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Arab Spring Arab Spring refers to the democratic uprisings that arose independently and spread across the

Arab world in 2011. The movement originated in Tunisia in December 2010 and quickly took hold in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. Tunisia The Tunisian Revolution, or Jasmine Revolution, began on Dec. 17, 2010 after Mohammed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old Tunisian man, set himself on fire in front of a local municipal office. According to Aljazeera, earlier that day, Tunisian police confiscated his cart and beat him because he did not have a permit. He went to the municipal office to file a complaint, where workers there ignored him. Bouazizi then set himself on fire Small scale demonstrations then began in Sidi Bouzid, Bouazizis hometown, and spread throughout the country. According to Aljazeera English, "Bouazizi's act of desperation highlights the public's boiling frustration over living standards, police violence, rampant unemployment, and a lack of human rights. According to Aljazeera English, A UN investigative panel reports that at least 219 people were killed during the uprising against Ben Ali, a figure it says is likely to rise. Another 510 Tunisians were injured, according to Bacre Waly Ndiaye. On October 24, 2011, the moderate Islamist party Ennahda emerged as the victor in elections for a constitutional assembly. Ennadha began to engage in talks with liberals in hopes of forming a unity government. The party claims to have "a greater commitment to the principles of Western-style liberal democracy than any other Islamist party in the region," and has "repeatedly pledged to promote equal opportunities in employment and education as well as the freedom to choose or reject Islamic dress like the head scarf." Since their election, the Islamist party Ennahda has tightened censorship, being accused of clamping down on national media. The arrests of two Tunisian artists reignited protests. Human Rights Watched has called on Tunisian authorities to drop all charges on the artists

Egypt Following the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia, Egyptian activists organized a demonstration on Janaury 25, Egypts Police Day, to protest the Emergency Law, unemployment, poverty and Hosni Mubaraks government. Police day, a national Egyptian holiday, celebrates the 50 officers killed on Jan 25, 1952 by the British in Ismailia, Egypt. This sparked anti-British protest leading to the Free Officers taking power in Egypt. The protests began in Cairo, Egypt and spread throughout the country. According to Aljazeeras Timeline, the protests gained more strength when widespread strikes happened throughout the country. Jack Shenker, writing for the Guardian, described downtown Cairo as a war zone filled with running street battles. Protests in Egypt portrayed more than political will, Aljazeera Correspondent Fatima Naib, said. Egyptian women, just like men, took up the call to 'hope.' Here they describe the spirit of Tahrir -- the camaraderie and equality they experienced -- and their hope that the model of democracy established there will be carried forward as Egyptians shape a new political and social landscape. On February 11, 2011, Hosni Mubarak resigned his presidency and handed power to the army. Human Rights Watch reported "302 people have been killed since the start of Egypt's pro-democracy uprising. Based on visits to a number of hospitals in Egypt, the organization says that records show the death toll has reached 232 in Cairo, 52 in Alexandria and 18 in Suez. Libya The uprising in Libya instantly became violent when the Libyan government reacted harshly towards peaceful protests. On February 18, three days after the protests began, the country erupted into an armed conflict when protesters executed policemen and men loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi for killing protesters According to Aljazeera English, the Libyan government, on February 19, used artillery, helicopter gunships and anti-aircraft missile launchers to kill protesters. The governments forces also opened fire on people attending a funeral for those killed in
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the protests. Aljazeera reported 15 people killed in the incident. Social media sites were used to organize people, however, on Feb 18, the Libyan government imposed restrictions on the internet. Col. Qaddafi was in power since 1969, making him the longest-serving ruler in Africa and the Middle East. Throughout the recent protests, Gaddafi continues to hold onto power. According to Aljazeera English, critics dismissed his leadership as a military dictatorship On October 20, 2011 Qaddafi was killed by rebel fighters in his hometown of Surt. He was found in a "large drainage pipe after a NATO air assault destroyed part of his convoy." General National Congress elections took place on July 7th, 2012. These were the first free national elections in Libya in 60 years. On July 17th the High National Election Committee announced Mahmoud Jibril's National Forces Alliance, had taken 39 out of 80 seats and was therefore the majority party. The Justice and Construction party recieved 17 seats and third was the National Front Party with 3 seats. Jordan Protests in Jordan began late January and escalated on March 25 when one man died of a heart attack and over 100 protestors were injured. The protests in Jordan differ from Tunisia and Egypt because they dont want to oust their monarch, much of the dissent is centered around economic issues such as the defecit and inflation. A Jordanian man, interviewed by the Washington Post, said, "I cannot imagine the country without the royal family. They strike a balance between the people and the government. I trust them." The main goals of the protests were to lower food prices, amend the electoral law- free and fair elections, ending government corruption and a responsible and representative government. King Abdullah in return dissolved the parliament and removed Prime Minister Samir Rifai. The King also met with opposition groups and expressed his readiness to address the grievances and demands of the people. On October 17th, King Abdullah II fired his government in an effort to expedite the process of political reform. The previous government was accused of dragging its feet
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on reform measures. King Abdullah II would appoint prime minister Awn Khasawneh, who was formerly a judge at the International Court of Justice. Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh would resign on 26 April 2012 without any clear explanation. In a letter to Awn Khasawneh, King Abdullah II complained that "achievements so far are far less than what is required and way below what we expected." After accepting Khasawneh's resignation, King Abdullah immediatley appointed former Prime Minister and Chief of the Royal Court, Fayez Tarawneh, as current Prime Minister. Bahrain The protests for democracy, influenced by other regional upheavals, erupted in Bahrain on Feb 14. The movement, like many others, began online. Almost 30 people were killed since the beginning of the protests and according to Reuters, Bahrain has stepped up arrests of cyber activists and Shi'ites, with more than 300 detained and dozens missing since it launched a crackdown on pro-democracy protests according to Reuters, Bahrains largest Shi'ite opposition group Wefaq accepted Kuwait's offer to mediate in talks with the government to end the political crisis. Troops from Saudi Arabia have also intervened to cool the uprising. On April 5, President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, called for Saudi troops to leave the protesters alone and to leave Bahrain, where they are helping a Sunni monarchy put down a Shiite-led protest movement demanding equal rights and a political voice. Saudi Arabia Similar to Jordan, protests in Saudi Arabia are directed towards more freedoms than ousting the monarchy. The protests, in comparison, are relatively small ranging from 100 to 4000 people. However, King Abdullah, according to Aljazeera, has tried to head off unrest in the kingdom with a series of economic reforms ... [which] include housing subsidies; unemployment benefits; and a programme to give permanent contracts to temporary government workers. State employees will receive 15 per cent raises.
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The protesters are calling for an elected "consultative council"; an independent judiciary; and a serious anti-corruption push. They are also calling for Saudi Arabia to pull their troops from Bahrain. According to Reuters, the protests, like the ones in Bahrain, have been "staged in the city by minority Shi'ites, who complain of discrimination at the hands of the Sunni majority." On September 25, King Abdullah "granted women the right to vote and run in future municipal elections." The move was surprising because Saudi Arabia is known for its widespread stifling of women's freedom. Saudi women have traditionally been not been allowed to drive and are required to be accompanied in public by a male chaperone. The move was view by Saudi women largely as a response to the Arab Spring spreading across the Middl East. The decree, however, will not enter into effect until 2015 Syria Protests in Syria, though on a small scale, faced harsh retaliations from the government. The protest began in January after another young man lit himself on fire and groups began organizing on social media sites. They picked up speed on March 16 with a small group of protesters, but security forces quickly and violently ended them. On March 18, three people were killed in what Wikipedia referred to as the most serious unrest to take place in Syria for decades and then on March 25, a group of 100,000 protesters took to the streets of Daraa. Human Rights Watch reported that, the total number of demonstrators and bystanders killed since anti-government protests began in Syria on March 16 to at least 100, according to lists compiled by Syrian human rights groups. The protesters are calling for freedom, human rights and the end to the emergency law. In efforts to calm protesters, President of Syria Bashar al-Assad dissolved the government in Daraa, where the protests originated. Al-Assad is looking to replace the emergency law with a new anti-terrorism law. The emergency law in Syria has been in place since Al-Assad came to power in 1963. The Emergency law bans oppositional parties . As of October 2011, the crackdown by the Assad regime has resulted in the loss of at least 3,000 lives according to estimates by the United Nations.

On November 27, 2011, the Arab League imposed broad sanctions in Syria to punish the government for its continuing crackdowns against its citizens. As of September 21st, 2012 the situation in Syria has escalated into an ongoing civil war that has claimed over 29,000 lives and has left over one million displaced. Yemen According to Al Jazeera English, the go-to source for hard-hitting news on the Arab Spring, the uprisings in Yemen began on January 27, 2011. 16,000 citizens lined the streets of the capital city of Sanaa, calling for an end to the 32 year-long rule of Ali Abdullah SalehThe original protests were inspired by the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. The protesters chanted things such as, "Enough being in power for [over] 30 years," and, "No to extending [presidential tenure]. No to bequeathing [the presidency]." As MOTHER JONES explained, Yemen is the poorest country in the world, which also serves as a fuel for anger for the Yemeni people. On October 21st, 2011 The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution supporting a deal in which Yemen's president would receive immunity in exchange for a "transfer power to his deputy and end escalating violence." President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been "accused by many Yemenis of pushing the country toward civil war by clinging to power despite massive protests, the defection to the opposition of key tribal and military allies, and mounting international pressure to step down." Advantages The Arab Spring has shown the limits of American power in the Middle East. No longer does the US have the prestige and resources to dominate Middle East affairs to the degree it has since the British withdrew from east of Suez in 1971. Neither the US nor Europe has the great financial resources needed to shape prospects in the Arab Spring countries other than marginally; significant investment will also have to come from elsewhere, particularly the Gulf states and China - countries that do not share to the same extent the Western interest in reinforcement of democratic values. Still the US has its experience, political and economic presence and global leadership to bring to bear.

On political and economic reform, it remains to be seen what the nature of the democratic political systems will be that emerge following elections in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. However, two near certain developments must be kept in mind. First, elections will empower Islamist parties, as has already been seen in Tunisia, with the victory of the moderate Islamist Ennahda party. Second, democracy will give rise to Arab governments likely to be more independent of US influence but in the long term could also give rise to new areas of shared interests and values.

On the Middle East peace process, the immediate prospects look worse than before. The Arab Spring has sparked Israeli apprehensions that the relatively stable region of the past couple of decades has shifted against them. The Israeli government finds itself more isolated than ever. The Palestinians have found new energy but it is unclear how that can play into progress towards a negotiated settlement with Israel.

The long-term prospect includes also the possibility for a freer Middle East. Over a hundred million Arabs (a third of the Arab world) are freer today because they have escaped from long entrenched dictatorial regimes in the past 10 months. The problem is whether this new freedom can be sustained through the creation of liberal institutions and economic problem solving. In the near term, prospects are for instability as Arab Spring states sort out their governance and economic problems and recalibrate their relations with neighbors and others. In the long term, a more democratic, prosperous and accountable Middle East offers the promise of a region with better governance and less abusive of human rights, and thus a net positive outcome for U.S. interests

On terrorism, the Arab Spring uprisings underscore the bankruptcy of Islamic extremist philosophy sanctioning violence as the only way to attain societal changes. In fact, the Arab Spring movements are oriented toward universal values and rooted in the demand for jobs, justice and dignity - not far in spirit from life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Still the upheavals provide opportunities, exemplified by the situation in Yemen, for Islamic extremists to gain ground.

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