From the issue dated November 8, 2002
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Prospects for Democracy in the Middle EastFive years after a U.S. war with Iraq, it is likely that the Arab world will be
Just as the track records of the Clinton and Bush administrations have thus far demonstrated that the strategic interests and goals of America preclude any real desire to promote democracy in the Middle East, America will, in 2007, still be charged by many in the region with having a double standard. The current belief in the Arab and Muslim world and much of the international community that the administration's desire to change the government in Iraq has little to do with democracy will have been reinforced by the perpetuation of its post-9/11 tendency to look the other way as Central Asian and Southeast Asian governments, as well as Russia and China, use the label "terrorist" to repress any and all opposition. Democracy cannot be imposed through military force. The removal and replacement of Saddam with a handpicked American ruler, and the measures necessary to both hold Iraq together and guarantee U.S. influence in Iraq, will mirror and recall the policies of European colonial powers in configuring the modern Middle East and signal a new American imperialism. Moreover, for America to safeguard oil supplies and fight global terrorism, it will want compliant allies and governments in the Arab world -- and will fear open elections that might bring Islamist enemies to power. As a result, the United States will be forced, at the end of the day, to support strong, authoritarian governments that will rely on their security forces, political repression, and American aid. John L. Esposito, professor of religion and international affairs at Georgetown University and author of Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam (Oxford University Press, 2002) http://chronicle.com Section: The Chronicle Review Volume 49, Issue 11, Page B10
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Copyright © 2002 by The Chronicle of Higher Education