Al Arabiya Global Discussions with Dr. Thomas Schaller on US elections

Wednesday, 1 June 2016

America’s security “umbrella” over the Middle East may hold strong if Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton takes office next year, political science expert Dr. Thomas Schaller told Al Arabiya English on Tuesday.

“If it’s Hillary Clinton, then I do believe we will have a continuation of more of the Obama-era policies,” said Schaller, a professor at the University of Maryland, speaking in an Al Arabiya English Global Discussions session titled “US Elections 2016: Facts, Forecasts and Foreign Policy.”

In recent years, Arab officials and commentators have frequently voiced concerns over the US’s pivot away from the Middle East despite America’s long-standing connections – including military aid, training, intelligence-sharing and diplomatic support – with many Arab states.