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Freedom House
Part of the blame is being pinned on the Trump presidency.
In the months after Hosni Mubarak stepped down as president it seemed as though some invisible force was trying to turn what had been a peaceful revolution into a deeply divided and violent one. There were riots, assassinations and acts of arson; all committed by unknown perpetrators.
The results for 2014 are in and they are, to say the least, not encouraging. 2014 was not a good year for freedom in the world with negative trends evident in all regions. In fact, global rights declined for the ninth straight year.
In any case, Washington's influence is limited: The Sisi regime will do whatever it believes necessary to retain power. Whatever America does, Egypt is likely to end up without liberty or stability. Washington should step back from a crisis that it can't resolve.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
WHAT'S HAPPENING
Authoritarian leaders now prefer to quietly manipulate their countries' legal frameworks, silencing dissent and limiting civil liberties to ensure that they remain in office. This rule by law has supplanted rule of law in many African countries, with troubling consequences for democracy.
The sad truth of the present situation is that the current Iraqi leadership effectively paved the way for ISIL's deadly ascent through policies that actively aggravated sectarian rifts and undermined the resilience of security forces.
