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Source: http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/001/769bfuqn.asp
Democracy in the Middle East
(Weekly Standard) Victor Davis Hanson - Our greatest challenge may be not the elimination of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction but the subsequent reconfiguration of the Middle East. What we do in Iraq will set the stage for success or failure in the entire region. The realists remind us that there has never been a truly free Arab democracy in 1,500 years. But our commitment to political reform - not to any individual or clique - will give us the military and ethical advantage of consistency, purpose, and clarity. At root, the Arab masses probably hate us less than they abhor their own governments for lack of freedom and economic progress. Let September 11 remind us that inaction can be as deadly as intervention. We need to prevent more Egyptians, Kuwaitis, Pakistanis, Palestinians, and Saudis from murdering more Americans.