(Washington Post) David Ignatius - In an interview, Defense Secretary Bob Gates says the unrest in the Middle East has highlighted "ethnic, sectarian and tribal differences that have been suppressed for years" in the region, and that as America encourages leaders to accept democratic change, there's a question "whether more democratic governance can hold...countries together in light of these pressures." The implication: There's a risk that the political map of the modern Middle East may begin to unravel too, with, say, the breakup of Libya. "I think we should be alert to the fact that outcomes are not predetermined, and that it's not necessarily the case that everything has a happy ending."
2011-03-23 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive