Bush's vision fails to win over Middle East

[kskiska]

Jack Straw put his finger on it. Speaking after a disputatious Middle East summit in Bahrain at the weekend, the foreign secretary said: "It would be a disaster if this region thought democracy was an American idea." Many in the region appear to think exactly that - and have ideas of their own.

(snip)

Backed by Liz Cheney, the vice-president's daughter and state department expert, and Karen Hughes, Mr Bush's image polisher-in-chief, Condoleezza Rice is trying to turn presidential vision into reality. During her current, didactic Middle East tour the secretary of state won a Saudi pledge for $1bn in Iraq reconstruction aid. She reminded Palestinians that groups such as Hamas must be disarmed. And she made clear that Syria was the region's democratic dunce.

"We would like to see democracy, liberty and justice under the rule of law," she said. But Ms Rice and colleagues have encountered a range of obstacles.

The Cheney name, associated with the Iraq invasion, has negative connotations on the Arab street. Ms Hughes's recent goodwill tour was widely ridiculed. Ms Rice's call for international monitoring of Egypt's presidential election last June was rejected.


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http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1642840,00.html

[Wetzelbill]

1. that might be the biggest "No Shit" article headline ever nt

[punpirate]

2. Cheney's daughter is a...

... state department "expert?" Yeah, right, and I'm a jet airplane pilot.

The monarchies of the Middle East understand nepotism, not democracy.

[Art_from_Ark]

3. Syria is "the region's democratic dunce"??

Um, what about that giant oil-rich sand dune a few hundred miles south of Syria? You know, the country that won't let women vote, drive a car, or leave the house unescorted? The country that won't let girls flee from a burning building if they aren't "properly attired"? The country that's never had a free national election in its entire existence? What about THAT country?

[JohnyCanuck]

4. Shhhh. That country has OIL ! n/t

[NYC Liberal]

5. You mean Middle Easterners DIDN'T like that he killed thousands of

their own? SHOCKING! :sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm:

[LiberalFighter]

6. What type of vision could he possibly have with his demented mind?