Abstract

The response of the Obama administration to the various manifestations of the Arab Spring reflected a long-standing tension in American foreign policy between hard strategic interests and values such as human rights and support for democracy. The easiest case was Tunisia, where Obama quickly sided with the protesters calling for the ouster of President Ben Ali. The Egyptian case was more challenging, but the United States also had more clout because of its close relationship with the Egyptian military. The U.S.-preferred outcome of a soft transition to intelligence chief Omar Suleiman was unrealistic and damaged Obama’s credibility in the eyes of the revolutionaries, but before long his administration was adjusting to the new realities, including the likely dominant role of the Muslim Brotherhood. All of the remaining cases – Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria – posed dilemmas for U.S. policy makers. No grand strategy emerged, and Obama revealed himself as a cautious, generally pragmatic politician who is very attentive to the currents of domestic public opinion.