December 10, 2002
A HARD RAIN'S GONNA FALL:
Powell to pledge backing for democratic reform in Arab world (The Associated Press, Dec. 10, 2002)With peacemaking stalled, Secretary of State Colin Powell is ready to offer Arab nations U.S. support in promoting democracy and adapting to the modern world.Powell will outline the Bush administration's intentions in a speech Thursday at the Heritage Foundation, a private research group.
He had planned to make the speech in early November, but held off while Iraq took center stage in U.S. policy-making in the Middle East and Gulf.
Powell will declare that U.S. interest in fostering democracy and reform among Arab nations is comparable to the attention the United States gives those goals in its European policy.
One wonders if that "gives" should really be "gave", because what's necessary is to apply exactly as much pressure as Ronald Reagan applied to the Iron Curtain countries. Posted by Orrin Judd at December 10, 2002 9:23 PM
I'm sure all those MIddle East leaders will jump at the opportunity
(especially if there's a bit of monetary incentive)...
I hope he makes the offer and they all take him up on it.
Then I can admit I have been wrong all along and shut up about it.
On the other hand, if he makes the offer and . . .
'tis a consumation devoutly to be wished.
Posted by: oj at December 11, 2002 8:20 PMBut if Washington does provide "material incentives," it ought to keep in mind that it will not have any leverage over those newly democratized countries (just in case it might have thought so), primarily because they have their honor and cannot be bought (no hard feelings, of course, except for the outraged indignation they might be tempted to feel when Washington tries to exert some influence).
Just so that there are no illusions....