Shifting Sands: Political Transitions in the Middle East, Part 1

This hearing was called to assess the current trajectory of the political transitions in the Middle East, and to take stock of where the U.S. stands today. Nearly 4 months ago, Mohammed Bouazizi, a street vendor in Ben Arous, Tunisia, touched off a tidal wave of unrest that continues to share the Arab world to its very foundation. His self-immolation became a symbol around which Tunisians united to overthrow former President Ben Ali, whose oppressive regime had at that point been ruling for over 20 years. Arab citizens throughout the Middle East looked on, and inspired by the revolution in Tunisia took to the streets in unprecedented numbers. For us sitting here today, it is perhaps the most striking that, unlike in the past, the citizens of the region are not protesting against the U.S. or against Israel, but against the failings of their own governments.