Obama to address Arab World on Thursday

Obama on Thursday is set to deliver an address on US policy regarding the "Arab Spring" uprisings that have shaken governments in North Africa and the Middle East. The speech at the State Department also will address the ongoing fight against al Qaeda following the May 2 killing of its leader, Osama bin Laden, as well as the current status of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, officials said, according to the CNN. The speech comes nearly two years after a 2009 address in Cairo, the Egyptian capital, that called for "a new beginning" between the United States and the Muslim world. While Obama's Cairo speech of 2009 was well-received, a feeling persists in the region that US policy in reaction to the Arab Spring has been inconsistent. Expectations therefore are high for Obama to this time lay out a clear and strong statement of intent and action rather than general platitudes and half-measures that fail to materialize.