arab spring (3)

7/30/2019 Arab Spring (3)

1/19

Arab Spring


2/19

Questions?

What comes to mind when you think about

the Arab Spring?

Why now?

Why this region?

Is it over and/or was it successful?

What was/is the significance?


3/19

Geography of the Arab Spring


4/19

Characteristics

Arab, not Sectarian (in general)

Lower classes, Students, Laborers, Military

Populist

Social Media

Civil Resistance (strikes, protests, anddemonstrations)

U.S. supported authoritarian regimes


5/19

Causes

Democratic deficit: dictatorship &

authoritarian regimes

Human rights violations

Government corruption

Economic turmoil

A young, educated, and idol populace


6/19

Iran 2009

Protests about the 2009 Iranian PresidentialElection

June 13, 2009

Re-election of President President MahmoudAhmadinejad

Opposition candidates: Mir-Hossein Mousav,Mehdi Karroubi

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: divine assessment Ahmadinejad: completely free and passions

after a soccer match


7/19

Iran contd

Police and Basiji use of force and violence

Iranian government response

Foreign Intervention Green Revolution: protests in Iran and around

the world

Iranian Green Movement: group to protest theelection

Twitter Revolution


8/19

Timeline: December 2010


9/19

January 2011

Lebanon

12 January

2011 Limited

A 40% increase in wages Called for political reforms of

confessionalism

President Michel Suleimansgovernment suffered from multipleresignations

New government formed 13 June2011

Protests and governmental changes

Jordan14 January

2011Ongoing

King Abdullah II dismisses Prime MinisterRifai and his cabinet

Months later, Abdullah dismisses PrimeMinister Bakhit and his cabinet aftercomplaints of slow progress onpromised reforms



10/19

January contd

Maurit

ania

17January

2011

Subduedsince May

2011

Hundreds of people took to the streets ofNouakchott

Minor protests

Sudan17January

2011

Subduedsince April

2011

Followed January 2011 independencereferendum about South Sudan

Protests in Khartoum and Al-Ubayyid Social media used to spread sites of

protests, especially student protests

President Omar al-Bashir announces he willnot seek another term in 2015

Minor protests

Oman17January2011

Ended May2011

Protestors emphasize allegiance to theSultan

Protest corrupt officials Economic concessions by Sultan Qaboos Increased government jobs and minimum

wage

Dismissal of ministers Granting of lawmaking powers to Oman's

elected legislature



11/19

January contd

Saudi

Arabia

21 January2011

Sustained small

protests in EasternSaudi Arabia

Economic concessions by King Abdullah Male-only municipal elections held 29

September 2011 after women tried toregister as electors

June 2011: 70 cases of women drivingcars was recorded

King Abdullah announces women'sapproval to vote and be elected in2015 municipal elections and to be

nominated to the Shura Council

Minor protests

Egypt25 January2011

Government

overthrown on 11February 2011 Protests ongoing

Overthrow of Hosni Mubarak; Mubarakcharged for killing protesters

Resignation of Prime Minister(s) Nazif andShafik

Assumption of power by the Armed Forces Suspension of the Constitution, dissolution

of the Parliament

Disbanding of State Security InvestigationsService

Dissolution of the NDP, the former rulingparty of Egypt and transfer of itsassets to the state 16 April 2011

Prosecution of Mubarak, his family and hisformer ministers

Government overthrown

Yemen27 January

2011

President signstransition deal on

23 November 2011 Protests ongoing

Overthrow of Ali Abdullah Saleh; Salehflees to the United States

Resignation of MPs from the ruling party On 4 June, President Ali Abdullah Saleh is

injured to Yemen

On 22 January 2012, Saleh leaves power.

Sustained civil disorder and governmental

changes


12/19

February 2011

Iraq10 February

2011

Ended December

2011

Prime Minister Maliki announces that hewill not run for a 3rd term;

Resignation of provincial governors andlocal authorities

Major protests

Bahrain14 February

2011Ongoing

Economic concessions by King Hamad binIsa al-Khalifa

Release of political prisoners Negotiations with Shia representatives GCC intervention at the request of the

Government of Bahrain

Head of the National Security Apparatusremoved from post

Black Thursday night raid againstprotestors at the Pearl Roundabout

Formation of a committee to implementBICI report recommendations

Sustained civil disorder and governmental

changes

Libya15 February2011

Government

overthrown on 23August 2011

War ended 23October 2011

Overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi; Gaddafikilled by NTC forces

UN-mandated military intervention endedwith NATO withdrawal

Opposition forces takes control of allLibyan cities

Assumption of interim control by NationalTransitional Council

International recognition of NTC as thesole governing authority for Libya

Beginning of sporadic low-level fightingand clashes

Government overthrown


13/19

February contd

Kuwait 18 February2011

Ongoing

Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah,the Emir of Kuwait, gave every Kuwaiti

citizen 1,000 dinars and a free foodgrant for one year on 18 January 2011

(20th

anniversary of liberation of Iraqioccupation

Gift not extended to statelessBedouins

19 February Bedouins protest 2nd-class status in Kuwaiti City

June 2011: 10-year old Egyptian boyexpelled for asking why didnt your

country have a revolution?

Protest break-out in response toexpulsion

28 November 2011: Prime MinisterNasser Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah resigns

6 December: Emir dissolvedParliament


Morocco20 February

2011Ongoing

Political concessions by King MuhammedVI

Referendum on constitutional reforms Respect to civil rights and an end to

corruption


Western

Sahara

26 February

2011

Subdued since May

2011

Minor protests


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March and May 2011

Syria15 March2011

Ongoing

Demand dismissal of President Bashiral-Assad

26 March 2011: Release of somepolitical prisoners

21 April: End of Emergency Law Dismissal of Provincial Governors Military action in Hama, Daraa, Homs

and other areas

5,000 protestors killed Resignations from Parliament Resignation of the Government Large defections from the Syrian army

and clashes between soldiers anddefectors

July 2011: Formation of the FreeSyrian Army

Formation of the Syrian NationalCouncil

Syria suspended from the ArabLeague

Arab League sent an observingmission

International support for a new Syriangovernment in exile

Irans President Ahmadinejad calledthe protests plot to overthrow Assad,

but later called for reforms

Sustained civil disorder and governmentchanges

Israeli borderareas

15 May2011

Ended 5 June 2011 Major protests


15/19

Social Media

What is social media?

What role did social

media play?

Could this havehappened without

social media?

1990s, 1980s, 1970s,

etc.?

Government control

Iran and Chinas

experience with control


16/19

U.S. Responses

Should the U.S. supportdemocratic elections inhistorically autocraticstates?

Should the U.S. supportautocratic leaders in orderto maintain stability?

Should the U.S. supportthe protestors by offeringmoral support against theuse of violence by theregimes?

Encourage Arab leaders to

cancel emergency laws

Encourage control of the

security forces to end

corruption w/little

violence Encourage the

development of civic

advocacy

Economic aid

Trade


17/19

U.S. Responses contd

U.S. supported the Tunisian and Egyptianpeople Sec. of State Hilary Clinton pledged$150 million in emergency aid to Egypt

U.S. Export-Import Bank $80 billion in lettersof credit to Egypt

USAID $50,000 to Tunisia for disaster relief

Today, UN Security Council drafted aresolution calling on Assad to step-down orface harsher measures in 15 days


18/19

Impact of the Arab Spring

Do you recognize the impact of these eventsglobally?

Europe

Central Asia East Asia

Africa

America

Roles of the Western powers?

Economic effects?


19/19

Questions?

Why now?

Why this region?

Is it over and/or was it successful? How does this affect you?

What was/is the significance?

arab spring (3)

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