Middle East Policy

Max Boot from the CFR wrote an interesting op-ed on the U.S. efforts to promote democracy after 9/11. I don't agree with all points of this piece, but it still spotlights some good and important points. Some related articles of mine: - The Neo-Internationalism After 9/11 - The End of International Isolationism - Defining the Iraqi Question - U.S. Foreign Aid and Democracy Promotion - Bush, Americans and Spreading Democracy Here is Boot's piece: Democracy, Our Best Protector Max Boot September 13, 2006 Los Angeles Times For the last five years the standard critique of Bush administration foreign policy has run as follows: The president did a great job of rallying the nation after 9/11 and of toppling the Taliban. But then he blundered by invading Iraq and trying to spread democracy at gunpoint. He should have concentrated on working with other countries to track down terrorists. The reality—or so it seems to me—is nearly the opposite. Bush has done a good job of capturing or ki...

The White House released a fact sheet concerning the United States' new Middle East strategy which was included in a presidential speech. Here is the fact sheet: Fact Sheet: Winning the Struggle Between Freedom and Terror in the Middle East President Bush Addresses American Legion National Convention Today, President Bush Discussed The Struggle Between Freedom And Terror In The Middle East – Including The Battle In Iraq, The Central Front In The War On Terror. In the coming days, the President will deliver a series of speeches describing the nature of our enemy in the War on Terror, the insights we have gained about their aims and ambitions, the successes and setbacks we have experienced, and our strategy to prevail. As we approach the fifth anniversary of 9/11, there is a tendency to believe the terrorist threat is receding – that feeling could not be more wrong. Our Enemies Come From Different Places And Take Inspiration From Different Sources – But They Form The Outlines Of A S...

This is the news section of the September issue of Arab Reform Bulletin Published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Egypt: Cabinet Reshuffle; Arrests of Muslim Brothers Continue President Hosni Mubarak carried out a limited cabinet reshuffle on August 28. Former Chairman of the Supreme Constitutional Court Mamdouh Marai was appointed Minister of Justice, a development some observers expect to herald a new round of conflicts between the government and the Judges Club. Mubarak broke up the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (seen as a vestige of Egypt's socialist days) into Ministries for Economic Development (Othman Mohammed Othman) and a Ministry for Local Development (Abdel Salam Mahgoub, formerly governor of Alexandria). Observers believe more sweeping changes in the cabinet might follow the ruling National Democratic Party's annual conference on September 19-21. The Party has promised to preview amendments to the constitution related to the bala...

FREE AND UNITED WE STAND

The war on Iran has already begun and the Iranian people are under severe attack. Indeed, the terrorist thugs of the Iranian regime have been waging the war on the Iranian people to maintain and sustain their imposed totalitarian theocratic system on the Iranian people. Reminding of related earlier posts: Iran's Waning Human Rights About Iran Regime Middle East Totalitarians and Existential Choice Here is additional related information: Ban of Legal Aid Center Raises Concern over Iran's Human Rights Tehran outlaws Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi's Center for Defense of Human Rights By Lea Terhune Washington File Staff Writer Washington - When the Iranian government notified the Center for Defense of Human Rights (CDHR) that it was illegal and that if its activities continued, members risked arrest, co-founder Shirin Ebadi responded with an international e-mail appeal for support. Ebadi, a well-known lawyer, is the first Iranian and first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Pri...

I will spotlight the various academic and scholarly views on Middle East democratization policy in Middle East policy blog to serve eventually as an open source on this topic. Here is an excerpt from Amy Hawthorne's article "Can the United States Promote Democracy in the Middle East?" appeared in the Current History , January 2003: TOWARD A STRATEGY There is no “one size fits all” answer for Middle East democracy promotion. The approach must be tailored for each country, taking into consideration local conditions. The following four basic recommendations should inform at least the initial stages of a serious United States effort, building on much of what the administration has already devised for beyond Iraq and the PA, but giving it more teeth. First, democracy promotion is a very long-term effort, requiring a consistent series of steps to demonstrate United States sincerity over many years. Toward this end, the United States must shift from zero-sum thinking—that the o...