(Christian Science Monitor) John Hughes - The collapse of a Bush administration plan for the Arab world offers a sharp lesson for U.S. diplomats in dealing with the Muslim world. The "Greater Middle East initiative," as it was called, was shot down barely after takeoff by governing regimes of countries whose citizens might most have benefited from it. It's naive to suggest that Arabs are a branch of mankind untouched by the desire for freedom. It's insulting to conclude that, despite the backwardness into which the Arab world has lapsed, it is incapable of embracing and practicing democracy. Democracy cannot be imposed like a Coca-Cola marketing plan. It must have grass-roots support.
2004-03-18 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive