(Washington Post) Jim Hoagland - President Bush's grand ambition to halt terrorism in the Middle East and inspire democracy there is under challenge in Iraq, Iran, and the Palestinian territories. It may not seem the opportune moment for the administration to take on an urgent new task in the region. But it is. The task is to squeeze Syria into ending its oppressive, decades-long control over Lebanon. Helping that small, part-Muslim, part-Christian, Arab state escape Syrian hegemony and establish an independent democracy would put flesh on the bones of Bush's visionary commitment to transform the Middle East over the next generation.
2004-09-21 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive