1/10/2019

MIDDLE EAST/MIKE POMPEO/OBAMA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a major speech outlining the Trump administration’s Middle East policy on Thursday [1-10-19] that took aim at two of the Trump administration’s main foes: President Barack Obama and the Iranian regime. In lengthy remarks at the American University in Cairo, the US’ top diplomat invoked Obama’s speech in the same city a decade ago to offer a point-counterpoint assessment of the two administration’s policy moves. Pompeo accused the former President of laying out ‘fundamental misunderstandings’ in his 2009 speech…Pompeo, whose travels throughout the Middle East come as part of a reassurance tour by administration officials in the wake of President Donald Trump’s sudden announcement of a US troop withdrawal from Syria, stressed that the US would remain a partner in the region. However, he noted that the US expects allies to ‘shoulder new responsibilities.'”

-Jennifer Hansler and Nicole Gaouette, “Pompeo rebukes Obama and takes on Iran in Cairo speech,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, January 10, 2019 7:42 pm