Re: Administrator Job Middle East
Golda Barocio
After four tumultuous and unprecedented years under Donald Trump, the United States elected Joseph R. Biden Jr. to assume its highest office in January 2021. Domestically, Biden has come to represent a return to civility and decorum in leadership. And while capitals across the world joined the United States in celebration of his election, Biden is a seasoned politician with a long track record in the Middle East and North Africa. Were these eruptions of jubilation indicative of hopes for Biden policies across the region? What are the exceptions across the region for his administration?
Despite the similar policies toward Syria between the Obama and Trump administrations, both were armed with different tools and, in the end, Trump was ultimately more effective in tipping the scales. He curbed, with limitations, Iranian activity in Syria and used the Caesar Act to impose sanctions on the Syrian regime and its henchmen. He limited the role of the Russians in northeast Syria, preventing them from reaching the oil wells. Finally, he struck a deal with the Turks to allow them to stop Kurdish forces from building what Ankara described as a secessionist project on its southern border.
As for Obama, his policy was marked by the imposition of several red lines and accompanying threats upon their violation. His red lines were continually ignored by the Syrian regime and its partners, who used chemical weapons to bomb civilians several times, according to NGOs and international investigative commissions.
Biden is opposed to sending ground troops into Syria and waging battles there, however he might be pressured to reevaluate this stance due to the reality that there are ground troops there today and the nature of their presence is different than it was under Obama.
If Biden chooses to withdraw militarily, the playing cards will be shuffled and stacked in favor of Russia and the Syrian regime, the latter of which simply needs access to oil to get the economy moving again.
President-elect Biden will likely seek a gradual, bipartisan policy shift on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This would help him limit friction with Israel mostly on the Iranian question and maintain some Republican support despite resetting U.S.-PLO relations by reversing Trump policies.
Biden will probably set modest goals, cognizant of the fundamental disagreements between Israel and the Palestinians and intuitively averse to clashing with Israel. Given peak polarization in the United States and likely Republican control of the Senate, Biden will require some level of bipartisan support. Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this means avoiding unnecessary clashes, both domestically and abroad, particularly by avoiding premature final status negotiations. Biden might focus instead on improving conditions on the ground while gradually narrowing political differences between the conflict parties.
If the Trump administration generated any momentum on which Biden could build, it is Arab-Israeli rapprochement. Biden could advance it in a piecemeal fashion, with every Arab-Israeli step linked to Israeli-Palestinian progress toward a two-state reality (as opposed to a comprehensive two-state solution). Palestinian leaders would have to decide whether middle-of-the-road policies, like placing more territory under PA rule, opening Palestinian institutions in East Jerusalem, and connecting Gaza and the West Bank, justify their backing. Such Palestinian support could shield Arab governments from accusations of betraying the Palestinian cause or the al-Aqsa Mosque, thus opening hitherto closed avenues in the Arab world.
Moataz El-Fegiery is an Egyptian academic and human rights activist. He is a founding member of the Egyptian Forum for Human Rights and a member of the executive committee for the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network.
I am looking forward to an exciting year at Lee County Middle School East Campus. I am
a proud graduate of Lee County High School, and it is an honor to be back serving as principal of
this fantastic school. My experiences as a student in the Lee County School System were truly
wonderful and impactful in helping me reach and accomplish my educational achievements.
My goal is to provide all of our students at LCMSE with that positive experience.
I am beginning my 24th year in education and my 10th year in administration. I have been
fortunate to work in various school systems in Georgia throughout my career. I started my
educational career as a high school math teacher where I taught courses ranging from remedial
math to AP Calculus BC. I taught high school math for 14 years. Then, I began my journey as an
administrator where I have served in various roles from being a high school assistant principal
of discipline, a high school assistant principal for instruction, a middle school assistant principal,
and a middle school principal.
I am excited to continue my educational journey as an administrator in Lee County! It has been
great coming back home, and I look forward to helping our students grow and pursue new
horizons. Our goal as educators is to provide our students with the tools so that they can thrive
and be successful towards meeting their dreams and goals. In the end, we become stronger as
a community when our students grow to be productive citizens.
I am so excited to be a part of the staff for Lee County Middle School East! I am very passionate about achievement and have no problem recognizing hard-working staff and students. School culture and pride are very important to me because they both influence and prepare our faculty and students for an ever-competitive world. Building relationships and responsibility are also essential as I desire to foster the growth of our students and partnerships with community members.
On March 19, 2009, Obama continued his outreach to the Muslim world, releasing a New Year's video message to the people and government of Iran.[1][2] In April 2009, Obama gave a speech in Ankara, Turkey, which was well received by many Arab governments.[3] On June 4, 2009, Obama delivered a speech at Cairo University in Egypt calling for "A New Beginning" in relations between the Islamic world and the United States and promoting Middle East peace.[4]
Some in the media questioned Obama's decision to welcome Bahrain in Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa in June 2011 because of the fierce crackdown on protesters in the country. The collaboration of Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states with Bahrains royalty, had carried out mass repression since the middle of March. This included detaining, beating and torture of thousands.[5] In June 2013, Obama urged meaningful reform in Bahrain.[6] Bahraini officials rejected Obama's claims about sectarianism between Sunnis and Shias.[7] Nevertheless, the Obama administration resumed providing arms and maintenance to the regime during its crackdown on pro-democracy groups, including ammunition, combat vehicle parts, communications equipment, Blackhawk helicopters, and an unidentified missile system.[8][9] Accordingly, the administration's larger policy on dealing with the "Arab Spring" is to continue propping up longtime client regimes while fostering "regime alteration."[10]
On June 4, 2009, in a speech addressing Muslims in Cairo, Egypt, President Obama said, "Palestinians must abandon violence. Resistance through violence and killing is wrong and does not succeed." He cited the civil rights movement, the Indonesian Revolution of 1998, and the negotiations to end apartheid in South Africa as historical examples of successful nonviolent uprisings to end social, racial, and political injustice and added, apparently in reference to several infamous terrorist attacks by Palestinian organizations, "It is a sign of neither courage nor power to shoot rockets at sleeping children, or to blow up old women on a bus. That is not how moral authority is claimed; that is how it is surrendered."[14] Reacting to the speech, Hamas senior adviser Ahmed Yousef expressed wary approval, telling the Qatari news network Al Jazeera, "The things he said about Islam and the Palestinian suffering and their right to have a state is great. It is a landmark and a breakthrough speech. But when it comes to legitimacy of the Israeli right to exist [there are issues]. He knows the Palestinians have to have their own state before recognizing another."[15] "[A]ll we can say is that there is a difference in the statements [from those of former U.S. President George W. Bush], and the statements of today did not include a mechanism that can translate his wishes and views into actions," said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.[16]
Obama signed the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 on July 1, 2010, to expand sanctions on Iran. The restrictions of the new law are so tight that third countries have warned about the interference with their trade.[24] However under Obama, Iran's oil exports have been halved.[25]
Rouhani's visit to New York City in September 2013 was hailed as major progress in Iran's relations with United States. He previously said that his government is ready to hold talks with the United States after thirty two years. However, after Obama requested a one-by-one meeting, Rouhani rejected that.[citation needed] Rouhani denied reports he had refused a meeting with Obama,[26] and felt more time was needed to coordinate such a meeting.[26] On September 27, 2013, a day after the two countries foreign ministers met during the P5+1 and Iran talks, Rouhani had a phone call with President Obama that marked two countries' highest political exchange since 1979.[26][27][28]
In February 2009, President Obama named Christopher R. Hill as the incoming U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, replacing the previous Bush-appointee Ryan Crocker, who had been in the post nearly two years.[37] During the first few months Obama was Commander in Chief of the United States Military, it charged and convicted U.S. soldier Clifford Cornell of desertion, and sentenced him to one year in prison for refusing to participate in the Iraq War.[38] The charge occurred February 23, 2009 (in Obama's second month),[39][40] and the conviction occurred April 24, 2009.[38]
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