The opinion columns this week were filled with commentary on the unfolding events and preliminary progress in democratization of the Middle East (see RealClearpolitics.com for a compilation of these). There can be no denying it now. The freedom genie is out of the bottle and the unintended puller of the cork is none other than Osama Bin Laden. His stated intentions of course was to drive the infidels from the areas surrounding the Islamic holy lands and to strike back at the great Satan America for its crimes against Islamic people. The underlying theme is to diminish American influence and promote Islamic fundamentalism throughout the Arab world.
His attack on the twin towers and the Pentagon on 9/11 would strike a blow against us and show the Islamic people how weak and decadent we Americans were. This Islamic extremism could be fostered toward the ultimate goal of establishing Islamic fundamentalist regimes throughout the Arab lands and return the Caliphate to lead the Arab world under the Quran. http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/ISLAM/CALIPH.HTM
Poor Osama, based on current events he must rue the day he came up with this strategy. For what 9/11 proved to George Bush was that our strategy of a "realistic approach" in the Middle East of accepting the status quo of oppressive authoritarian rulers in the name of stability had only resulted in "the bigotry of low expectations" and that strategy needed to be drastically shaken.
Although many other factors are at play here such as the death of Arafat, the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Lebanon and the peaceful revolution in Ukraine these coupled with the new Bush policy are combining to put Arab lands on an unalterable course toward freedom. There is no question that a good deal of this progress can be laid directly at the feet of President George Bush. In just a couple of months since his State of the Union address laying out the Bush doctrine, more progress has been made in Israeli/Palestinian relations than in the previous decade. Saudi Arabia has held municipal elections (a tiny step), Syria is under extreme popular and international pressure to vacate Lebanon and Egypt has announced plans for multi party presidential elections. There are popular expressions of freedom all over the region and we are encouraging it.
These events reinforce the absolute need for the United States to maintain our commitment to restoration of Afghanistan and Iraq and to leave those lands to their people as soon as it is practical from an economic and security standpoint. Reinforcing the idea that we don't covet the natural resources of Iraq will send a strongest possible message to the rest of the region. Leaving them with operating democratic institutions will be just as historic as the Marshall plan in post world war two Europe.
Liberation from the current regimes and prevention of the adoption of the Bin Laden vision is a noble goal and worthy of our efforts as a nation. Open and free elections, institution of free markets and capitalism, women's rights and multi cultural governments are just the punishment that Osama deserves.
