By Nawal Sayed
CAIRO, Dec. 20 (SEE) - U.S.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo plans to deliver a speech about America’s role in the Middle East at Cairo University during a visit to Egypt next month, a State Department official told POLITICO Magazine.
The magazine revealed that the address would come as President Donald Trump struggles to settle on a coherent policy toward the region.
Pompeo is expected to deliver his remarks in Cairo on or around Jan. 10, the State Department official told POLITICO, cautioning that the plans could change. The Cairo visit will likely be part of a broader swing through the Middle East by Pompeo, with potential stops in Israel and nearby Arab states.
The Egyptian capital was the site of then-President Barack Obama's June 2009 address to the Muslim world, in which he sought to reboot America's image in the region as the Iraq War wound down, according to the magazine.
U.S. President Barack Obama waves to the audience as he leaves the Grand Hall of Cairo University after delivering a speech in Cairo June 4, 2009. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
On June 4, 2009, Obama addressed the world’s more than 1 billion Muslims from Cairo. He called for a“new beginning” in ties between Washington and the Islamic world in his speech that also tackled grievances over two U.S.-led wars and tensions over Iran.
Some Muslims welcomed Obama’s fresh tone after George W. Bush’s departure even as others expressed frustration that he failed to outline specific changes to U.S. policy.
US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in the Oval Office at the White House in April, 2017- Reuters/File photo
Trump has maintained warm relations with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, calling him a“fantastic guy.” And Pompeo has approved releasing U.S. military aid to the country.
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