On middle eastern reform from within, a good sign..
They have cited any number of reasons: Their Islamic identity, opposition to foreign intervention, Arab ways, their unique environment, and the Palestinian dispute. Many of these reasons won’t wash. Islam, cultural identity and the unresolved Palestinian question are no deterrents to the establishment of democracy and the rule of law in the region. The real problem lies in US unilateralism. There are two problems linked to this approach. First, it is seen as undermining the sovereignty of states already feeling the heat of an interventionist US which remains highly unpredictable in its “treatment” of the region after the invasion of Iraq. Secondly, given the US’s track record on subverting democracy and democratic forces in the region, its motives as a promoter of democracy must remain suspect.
Washington must go back to a partnership approach, facilitating locally identified and reasonably paced reforms. Reforms in the Middle East are a key policy item for European and North American nations, as they are for the people of the region. Yet such efforts are also suspect and are viewed by many as deflecting pressure from Israeli atrocities and rejectionist positions on Palestine.
Along with reform within the Middle East, the US needs to reform its own approach. It must reverse its policy of accepting only such “democratic” setups in the region that favors US interests.
It has shown an ability to do it in Pakistan and Turkey. Similarly the US administration must develop the intellectual and political robustness to engage with nationalist leadership in the region that would inevitably be thrown up through genuine political reform.
