Western educated - almost came to campus last semester (!!!)
Conservative, but since they're a US ally, they have been helping out with refugees
especially during ISIS mess
Has a lot on his plate
King Abdullah II of Jordan
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He holds that position, though technically Palestine is not a state
Fighting to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state
Has been in office for over a decade
Is pretty discouraged and tired and usually goes to UN all the time and just asks for
freedom…
Mahmoud Abbas President of Palestine
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Huge power player in middle east
A lot of smart people
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi President of Egypt
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World Regions Page 22
A lot of smart people
Terrible economy
That's why Arab Spring and Arab uprising and people got pissed and elected a new
leader but also hated their new leader
US ally
Was center of Arab uprising spring for more liberal democracy and government
Succeeded after a year or so and had election but elections put in an Islamic person to
make it more like an Islamic state and so military stepped in and they're back where
they started from
Hosni Mubarak did the same thing - militarily gained power for 30 years and now Sisi
is doing basically the same thing
Those were the Arab leaders
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Other areas in the Arab Spring: Lybia (Gaddafi), Mubarak (Egypt), Bin Laden, Sudan, Assad,
King Abdullah, Saddam Hussein
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Both are conservative
Iran is a theocracy
Functioning democracy - Rouhani is the current president of Iran, he is a cleric, but
he's not part of the theocracy part
In Iranian society, there is an undertone of people who want more democracy and
want to liverate more people and have more human rights and want Rouhani's
position to have more power
Ayatollah is actually the holder of real power - thye have an election and democracy
and congress and huge voter turnout, but Ayatollah has the real ultimate power, him
and grou pof clerics get to veto any legislation, declare war, ultimate say in entire
country
Two different leaders, it is a theocracy so the Ayatollah does have real power but the
day to day operations is by Rouhani
Both on conservative right, but Ayatollah is wayy right
Rouhani may want to open back relations with US - every since Iranian Revolution,
we've hated each other
People from Iran are Persians
Ayatollah is not like King, Chancellor, or leader. He is a high priest or cleric. Mostly in
Shia Islam. There are many. THE Ayatollah is Khameini (Took over from KhOmeini)
Not our ally, and not liked by most Arab leaders, has more tendency to side with
Russia because both anti western; Arab leaders don't like them because they don't
like theocracies
Ayatollah Khameini and President Hassan Rouhani of Iran
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He is an asshole because most people see him as a right wing dictator
Some economic growth but degradation of individual human rights
He is the only sitting leader with a war crime out for his arrest - can't go to Europe
Omar al Bashir President of Sudan
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Robert Mugabe President of Zimbabwe
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World Regions Page 23
Right wing dictator
