Obama and the Middle East

Abstract

During his inauguration in January 2009, President Obama signaled a new day in American foreign policy, especially toward the Middle East. The Bush administration had a strained relationship with the region since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. In Obama’s major policy speech at Cairo University in June, he declared that he seeks a new beginning “based on mutual interest and mutual respect.”1 His emphasis on engagement raised hopes that he would improve relations with U.S. allies and foes alike and would pay new attention to the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Iranian nuclear controversy.KeywordsInternational Atomic Energy AgencyMiddle EastSecurity CouncilSettlement ActivityObama AdministrationThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.