WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Government leaders in the tumultuous Middle East must recognize they can't bully their citizens who "hunger for freedom," U.S. President Obama said Tuesday.
"The world is changing … with a young, vibrant generation within the Middle East that is looking for greater opportunities," Obama said during his first news conference of 2011. "If you're governing these countries, you've got to get ahead of change; you can't get behind the curve. You can't maintain power through coercion … there has to be consent."