A Bush policy and Iraq war good news ping.
Bush is succeeding in pushing the ME to reform themselves, by showing that if they don't, we may do it for them.
Well they had better hurry, we're almost done in Iraq and will have time on our hands. You know the old saying "Busy hands are happy hands" :o)
Encouraging news.
Lasting reform has to come from within the country especially when we're dealing with nationalist governments.
Non arab leaders like Ataturk were able to surmount a successful Secular fairly democratic government in Turkey without foreign intervention.
In Arab governments this process will not occur overnight and some countries will "reform" far more than others, also some countries have been reforming such as Jordan, Morocco, and Tuninsia.
As long as the terrorists can operate out of even one nation in the area, no other nation can afford to oppose them.
But tyeing democracy and civil rights and the Israel issue to denying terrorists sanctuary will prevent any agreement.
BUMP
You'll never see this on the television.
Of course, I wouldn't know. I never watch the lamestream media, that includes CNN and MSNBC.
Einstein (I believe) once said that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again, while expecting different results. That has been the US policy for fifty years towards the middle east - talks, talks, talks, talks, talks, talks, talks, talks. Is there anyone who can keep track of the gazillion or so peace plans, initiatives, accords, etc? President Bush changed the paradigm. Talking obviously hadn't worked, so he tried something else. Lo and behold, his approach is working. Iraq and Afghanistan are becoming more free by the day. Libya voluntarily gives up its WMD program. The Islamist government in Iran is teetering on the brink of collapse.
Everything President Bush does goes back to his famous speech on September 13th. When he swore not to ever allow another 9/11, he was looking at the long term. Stopping terrorists at the airport is the LAST line of defense. President Bush intends to stop Islamist terrorism at its very roots, to deny it the ability to exist.
Good news ping!