US Confronts New Perils in the Middle East as Election Looms

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discovered in the Middle East this week that its revolutionary moment has entered a new, violent, and unpredictable phase. Just after her return, Syrian rebels managed to penetrate the Defense Ministry in Damascus and killed the defense minister, President Bashar Assad’s brother-in-law, and other officials. In Egypt, the military and the new Muslim Brotherhood leadership are locked in a dramatic struggle for the country’s future while Iran defiantly blocks progress with the United States on its nuclear ambitions. These rapidly shifting events pose tough choices for US leadership in the region and could have an impact on the 2012 election.