There’s been a lot in the news this week and last about pro democratic reform in Lebanon. Could the elections that took place in Iraq have fueled the Lebanese to demand the withdrawal of Syrian forces from their territory? Perhaps seeing one middle eastern state take the first steps towards self-government persuaded others that this was possible? The situations in Iraq and Lebanon are entirely different, but the timing is certainly interesting given additional recent events in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Nay sayers would point out that “democracy” in Iraq is not guaranteed in light of the ongoing terrorism and that the Syrian pullout from Lebanon doesn’t mean the government will become secular.<\/p>\n
Although I hesitate to believe Bush’s undoubtably forthcoming claims that he sparked this “revolution” with the ousting of Saddam Hussein, I’ll certainly be watching events closely.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There’s been a lot in the news this week and last about pro democratic reform in Lebanon. Could the elections that took place in Iraq have fueled the Lebanese to demand the withdrawal of Syrian forces from their territory? Perhaps … Continue reading