Near East Policycast

Politics has become a life-or-death struggle for several of America's important partners in the Middle East, says Eric Trager, and their leaders increasingly perceive even mild U.S. encouragement on human rights issues as support for domestic enemies. The next president will face a decision about how to prioritize America's strategic and security interests against our commitment to liberal and democratic values in countries such as Egypt, Turkey, and Iraq. Eric Trager is the Esther K. Wagner Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy and an expert on Egyptian politics and the Muslim Brotherhood. His new book is titled, "Arab Fall: How the Muslim Brotherhood Won and Lost Egypt in 891 Days," on bookshelves now. Near East PolicyCast: Conversations on Middle East issues from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.