Hillary Clinton 'Democratic Transitions in the Maghreb '

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She remarked that what happens in the dynamic Maghreb region has far-reaching consequences for US security and prosperity. Democracy she said  is most important to the people of this region, whose aspirations and ambitions deserve to be met. She said that recent events  raised questions about what lies ahead for the region A terrorist attack in Benghazi, the burning of an American school in Tunis – these and other scenes of anger and violence have understandably led Americans to ask what is happening. What is happening to the promise of the Arab Spring? And what does this mean for the United States?

The Secretary of State said that she had set up an  Accountability Review Board to review what happened in Benghazi and it could not sacrifice accuracy for speed in the inquiry. The United States was sparing no effort in tracking down the terrorists whoperpetrated the attack,she said. She deplored the killing of a Yemeni employee at the US embassy in Saana'a.

 She said that the US had to weigh the actions of extremists against the aspirations and actions of the region’s people and governmentsand  that, instead of letting mobs and extremists speak for entire countries, the US should listen to what the elected governments and free citizens are saying. They want more freedom, more justice, more opportunity – not more violence. And they want better relations not only with the United States, but with the world – not worse, she affirmed.
 
The US had to balance its interests in security and stability with our values in supporting freedom and democracy. Recent revolutions have intensified these debates by creating a new birth of freedom, but also by unseating old partners and unleashing unpredictable new forces.
 
The Secretary said the US had to be honest that America’s policies in the region will always reflect the full range of our interests and values – promoting democracy and human rights, and defeating al-Qaida; defending our allies and partners, and also ensuring a secure supply of energy.
 
US  interests and values align with developing situations.However US interests and our values demand democratic legitimacy and public consent she stressed.
 
She recalled that before the revolution in Egypt began, she told Arab leaders gathered in Doha that it was clear even then that the status quo was unsustainable, that refusal to change was itself becoming a threat to stability.
 
for the United States, supporting democratic transitions is not a matter of idealism. It is a strategic necessity,she said. The US would not  withdraw support for emerging democracies when the going gets rough. That would be a costly strategic mistake that would, which would undermine  US interests and values, she affirmed.

The US warned from the beginning, there are extremists who seek to exploit periods of instability and hijack these democratic transitions. All the while, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and other terrorist groups are trying to expand their reach from a new stronghold in northern Mali, she observed .
 
The terrorists who attacked the mission in Benghazi did not represent the millions of Libyan people who want peace and deplore violence.The residents of Benghazi rose up againstthe militias and the process of controlling the militias has at least begun. She stressed that Libyans and Arabs across the region have firmly rejected the extremists’ violence.

In Tunisia, she said  the birthplace of the Arab revolutions. Last year, an Islamist party won a plurality of the votes in an open, competitive election. These new leaders formed a coalition with secular parties and promised to uphold universal rights and freedoms, including for women.The United States made it clear that it would be watching closely and would assess the new government by its actions, not its words she affirmed.
 

She noted the intense debate  in Tunisian society including drafts of the new constitution labeled women as “complementary to men,” but Tunisia’s active civil society raised strong objections, and eventually the National Constituent Assembly amended the text to recognize women’s equality.
 
Civil society is wise to remain vigilant, and to exercise their hard-earned rights to safeguard their new democracy. Like the hundreds of Tunisian women who recently took to the streets to protest on behalf of a woman charged with indecency after she was raped by police officers. These competing visions of Tunisia’s future were put to the test when violent extremists attacked the U.S. Embassy in Tunis and burned the American school nearby. 

She noted  the government increased security around our Embassy and promised to assist with repairs to the school, which they have done. Then they publicly committed to confront violent groups and prevent Tunisia from becoming a safe haven for international terrorism. Following through on these pledges is essential, she noted, saying that those responsible for the attacks must be brought to justice. The government must provide security for diplomatic missions and create a secure environment for foreign residents and visitors. And the rule of law must extend to everyone throughout the country, the Secretary of State stressed.
 
The situation in the rest of the Maghreb is different,she said. Morocco and Algeria have not experienced revolutions, but recent events have also tested their values and resolve, she noted. Last year, when citizens of Morocco called for change, Moroccan society under King Mohammed VI answered with major constitutional reforms followed by early elections and expanded authorities for parliament. An Islamist party leads the new ruling coalition along with a variety of other parties after thirteen years in the opposition.The US is encouraged that its leaders have sought to engage all Moroccans and have focused on creating jobs and fighting corruption, she said.The United States continue to urge them to follow through on all of their commitments for political and economic reforms.
 
She noted that last month, with anti-American protestors in the streets across the cities of Morocco, the Foreign Minister travelled to Washington for our first-ever Strategic Dialogue. He could have avoided the cameras, but instead, he strongly condemned the attack in Benghazi, embraced a broader partnership with the United States, and pledged that his country would continue working toward democracy and the rule of law.
 
Algeria also has much to gain by embracing the changes that are taking place around it, and the US has seen some progress. The government held parliamentary elections in May and invited international observers to monitor them for the first time she noted the government moved quickly to protect diplomatic missions, including the U.S. Embassy, and to defuse tensions in the streets. But still, the  Secretary of State noted, Algeria has a lot of work to do to uphold universal rights and create space for civil society, a message she delivered at the highest levels in person in February.
 
She said it was too soon to say how these transitions will play out.  America has a big stake in the outcome, she affirmed.