The United States, responding to the wave of protests across the Middle East, is urging Arab governments to accept the need for reform rather than resist it.
In an interview on American television , the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, says the “yearning for change and reform is not going away” and “needs to be respected. ” She specifically urged an end to violence amid the rising death toll in Libya, where security forces are believed to have killed more than 170 anti-government demonstrators.
Rice said the status quo is unsustainable in many countries where citizens face high unemployment and a lack of political openness. She said these conditions are “inherently unstable.” She cited Bahrain, the Gulf kingdom that is home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet.
The ambassador rejected the suggestion there was any inconsistency in the U.S. position on the pro-democracy movement in the Middle East and North Africa. She said the Obama administration can press for reforms while at the same time maintaining close ties to America's allies in the region.