Former Virginia Congressman Tom Perriello has been relatively quiet since he left office earlier this year. Now we know why. According to a short bio that accompanies a commentary published by The Atlantic, Perriello has spent time in the Middle East and was reportedly detained for 12 hours by security forces in Egypt. Perriello traveled to the country to work on behalf of the National Democratic Institute but, he told the Roanoke Times, didn’t get past the airport.
In his essay, entitled “Osama bin Laden’s Fall and the Arab Spring,” Perriello makes the case that a young, technologically savvy generation might bring about lasting reform.
“The true bullet through the eye of al Qaeda will be our courage to stand on the side of reform during the seasons that will follow this year’s Arab Spring,” he writes. “This is why when the Arab revolution began, it was led not by jihadists trained in al Qaeda-linked camps but by courageous young people using new technology to demand a better future.”
To read the article in its entirety, click here.
