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Militant Jihadists' Rise in Arab World Imperils Region's Stability
(Washington Post) Ernesto Londono and Liz Sly - The proliferation of militant jihadi groups across the Arab world is posing a new threat to the region's stability. The push for greater democracy made possible by the "Arab Spring" has also unleashed new freedoms that militants are using to preach, practice and recruit. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton noted Friday: "A year of democratic transition was never going to drain away reservoirs of radicalism built up through decades of dictatorship." "There are extremists who seek to exploit periods of instability and hijack these democratic transitions." The longer the conflict persists, the greater the likelihood that support for the radicals will grow, said Charles Lister, an analyst at IHS Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Center in London.