ANOTHER VICTORY FOR AL QAEDA?:

THE BIRTH OF DEMOCRACY... (AMIRA AL HUSSAINI, 14 December 2002, Gulf Daily News)

Bahrain ushers in a new era of democracy with the opening of the National Assembly today.

The assembly, which comprises the elected parliament and the appointed Shura Council, will be opened by His Majesty the King. [...]

Bahrain yesterday praised the speech of US Secretary of State Colin Powell in which he hailed the process of reforms and democracy introduced in the kingdom as part of the modernisation programme initiated by His Majesty the King.

A Foreign Ministry official said Bahrain hoped to see increasing US co-operation with the countries of the Middle East with the aim of establishing a just and comprehensive regional peace and bolstering the development process in the area.

It's a start anyway. Posted by Orrin Judd at December 14, 2002 8:22 AM