Even after the Benghazi assault, Lawrence said there’s “still a lot of pro-American feeling in Libya” but that the government’s failure to install reforms in a post-Qaddafi era have left Libyans “a little more disheartened.” Still, the Arab Spring is generally seen as “a good thing” for Libya and the region, Lawrence said. “There were autocrats in place who were privileging stability over progress, and a lot of these were longtime allies of the U.S., but these governments were corrupt and really not moving these populations forward, so the Arab Spring had to happen to get rid of some of these autocrats,” said Lawrence, “but what we were left with in the wake of their departure were Islamist groups because in many of these countries Islamists were the best organized.” Lawrence said he’s optimistic for the region in the long term. “The younger generation in these countries tend to be more pro-Western, like in Iran, and more willing to sort of make compromises between the different parts of society, not have a democracy that excludes one group and privileges another,” said Lawrence, “but, you know, the young people who made these revolutions really want democratic futures, so I’m optimistic for the long term if I’m pessimistic for the short term.”