The Wrong Way to Sell Democracy to the Arab World

By ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI Published: March 8, 2004

WASHINGTON The Bush ad i!is"ra"i#! deser$es credi" %#r i"s l#!&'"er c# i" e!" "# de #crac( i! "he Middle )as"* Bu" e$e! a &##d idea ca! be s+#iled b( clu s( e,ecu"i#!* W#rse s"ill, "he idea ca! bac-%ire +ar"icularl( i% +e#+le c# e "# sus+ec" "ha" ul"eri#r #"i$es are a" .#r-* This is +recisel( .ha" is ha++e!i!& .i"h Preside!" Bush/s 0Grea"er Middle )as" i!i"ia"i$e,0 .hich #u"li!es s"e+s "he 1!i"ed S"a"es a!d i"s +ar"!ers i! "he Gr#u+ #% 8 i!dus"riali2ed !a"i#!s ca! "a-e "# +r# #"e +#li"ical %reed# , e3uali"( %#r .# e!, access "# educa"i#! a!d &rea"er #+e!!ess i! "he Middle )as"* )le e!"s #% "he +r#+#sal i!clude "he crea"i#! #% %ree "rade 2#!es i! "he re&i#!, !e. %i!a!ci!& %#r s all busi!esses a!d hel+ #$erseei!& elec"i#!s* A%"er a dra%" #% "he i!i"ia"i$e .as +ublished las" #!"h i! Al Ha(a", a 4#!d#!'based Arabic !e.s+a+er, Arab leaders res+#!ded s.i%"l( a!d u!ha++il( a" .ha" "he( +ercei$ed "# be A erica! e%%#r"s "# i +#se cha!&e* Preside!" H#s!i Mubara- #% )&(+" .e!" s# %ar as "# call "he +r#+#sal 0delusi#!al*0 5#r"u!a"el(, "here is s"ill "i e %#r "he ad i!is"ra"i#! "# se" "hi!&s ri&h" a!d rescue "his +#"e!"iall( .#r"h.hile +r#6ec"* Bu" i" us" #$e 3uic-l(, +ar"icularl( i% i" .a!"s "he G'8 "# si&! #! "# "he +la! a" i"s su i" ee"i!& i! 7u!e* There is !# 3ues"i#! "ha" "he ad i!is"ra"i#! has i"s .#r- cu" #u" %#r i"* 5#r s"ar"ers, "he de #crac( i!i"ia"i$e .as u!$eiled b( "he +reside!" i! a +a"r#!i2i!& .a(: be%#re a! e!"husias"ic audie!ce a" "he A erica! )!"er+rise I!s"i"u"e, a Washi!&"#! +#lic( i!s"i"u"i#! e!a #red #% "he .ar i! Ira3 a!d !#" +ar"icularl( s( +a"he"ic "#.ard "he Arab .#rld* The !#"i#! "ha" A erica, .i"h )ur#+e/s su++#r" a!d Israel/s e!d#rse e!", .ill "each "he Arab .#rld h#. "# bec# e #der! a!d de #cra"ic elici"s, a" "he $er( leas", a bi$ale!" reac"i#!s* 8This, a%"er all, is a re&i#! .here e #r( #% 5re!ch a!d Bri"ish c#!"r#l is s"ill %resh*9 Th#u&h "he +r#&ra is ea!" "# be $#lu!"ar(, s# e %ear "ha" c# +ulsi#! is !#" %ar behi!d* There are #"her reas#!s "# be .ar( #% "he ad i!is"ra"i#!/s +la!* :e #crac(, i +a"ie!"l( i +#sed, ca! lead "# u!i!"e!ded c#!se3ue!ces* I% "he Pales"i!ia!s .ere able "# ch##se a leader i! "rul( %ree elec"i#!s, i&h" "he( !#" #+" %#r "he head #% Ha as; I% %ree elec"i#!s .ere s##! held i! Saudi Arabia, .#uld <r#.! Pri!ce Abdullah, a re%#r er, +re$ail #$er Osa a bi! 4ade! #r a!#"her ili"a!" Isla ic leader; I% !#" &e!ui!el( acce+"ed a!d rei!%#rced b( "radi"i#!s #% c#!s"i"u"i#!alis , de #crac( ca! de&e!era"e i!"# +lebisci"es "ha" #!l( add le&i"i ac( "# e,"re is a!d au"h#ri"aria!is * <# +#u!di!& "he +r#ble is "he sus+ici#! !#" #!l( a #!& "he Arabs bu" als# a #!& "he )ur#+ea!s .h#se su++#r" "he 1!i"ed S"a"es is see-i!& "ha" "he sudde! %#cus #! de #crac( has bee! +r# #"ed b( ad i!is"ra"i#! #%%icials .h# .ish "# dela( a!( seri#us A erica! e%%#r" "# +ush "he Israelis a!d Pales"i!ia!s "# reach a &e!ui!e +eace se""le e!"* Tha" sus+ici#! .as %ueled b( =ice Preside!" :ic- <he!e(/s rece!" re ar-s a" "he W#rld )c#!# ic 5#ru i! :a$#s, S.i"2erla!d* The s+read #% de #crac(, Mr* <he!e( said, .as 0"he +rec#!di"i#! %#r +eace a!d +r#s+eri"( i! Wes"er! )ur#+e0 a%"er W#rld War II* He .e!" #! "# asser" "ha" de #cra"ic re%#r 0is als# esse!"ial "# a +eace%ul res#lu"i#! #% "he l#!&s"a!di!& Arab'Israeli dis+u"e*0 Mr* <he!e(/s ar&u e!" "ha" de #crac( is "he +rec#!di"i#! %#r +eace a++eared "# a!( "# be a ra"i#!ali2a"i#! %#r +#s"+#!i!& a!( e%%#r" "# res#l$e "he Israeli'Pales"i!ia! c#!%lic"* M#re#$er, i" i&!#red "he his"#rical reali"( "ha" de #crac( ca! %l#urish #!l( i! a! a" #s+here #% +#li"ical di&!i"(* As l#!& as "he Pales"i!ia!s li$e u!der Israeli c#!"r#l a!d are hu ilia"ed dail(, "he( .#!/" be a""rac"ed b( "he $ir"ues #% de #crac(* The sa e is lar&el( "rue #% "he Ira3is u!der "he A erica! #ccu+a"i#!* 5#r "he Bush ad i!is"ra"i#!/s i!i"ia"i$e "# succeed, i" us" be e!d, "he ad i!is"ra"i#! sh#uld "a-e "he %#ll#.i!& s"e+s: #re i! s(!c .i"h re&i#!al reali"ies* T# "ha"

5irs", "he +r#&ra us" be de$ised .i"h Arab c#u!"ries a!d !#" 6us" +rese!"ed "# "he * )&(+"ia!s a!d Saudis .ill !#" e brace de #crac( i% "he( %eel "ha" "heir reli&i#us a!d cul"ural "radi"i#!s are bei!& sli&h"ed* The )ur#+ea!s sh#uld als# be %ull( e!&a&ed, a!d "he( sh#uld li-e.ise +ursue a dial#&ue #% "heir #.! .i"h "he !a"i#!s #% "he re&i#! re&ardi!& "he de%i!i"i#! a!d "he &#als #% "he +la!!ed u!der"a-i!&* A!( di%%ere!ces i! a++r#ach c#uld "he! be rec#!ciled a" "he G'8 su i" ee"i!&* Sec#!d, "he i!i"ia"i$e us" rec#&!i2e "ha" .i"h#u" +#li"ical di&!i"( deri$ed %r# sel%'de"er i!a"i#! "here ca! be !# de #crac(* The Ger a!s re&ai!ed "heir +#li"ical di&!i"( i! a rela"i$el( sh#r" "i e a%"er "he e!d #% W#rld War II, a!d "ha" i! "ur! hel+ed "he "# re$i$e "he de #cra"ic "radi"i#!s #% "he +re'Na2i era* The +r#&ra %#r Arab de #crac( .ill be #re success%ul, a!d %i!d .ider acce+"a!ce, i% i" is a"ched b( e%%#r"s "# &ra!" s#$erei&!"( "# "he Ira3is a!d Pales"i!ia!s* O"her.ise, de #crac( .ill see "# a!( i! "he Arab .#rld "# be .i!d#. dressi!& %#r c#!"i!ued e,"er!al d# i!a"i#!* 5i!all(, "he 1!i"ed S"a"es us" de%i!e "he subs"a!ce #% a +eace se""le e!" i! "he Middle )as" a!d "he! .#re!er&e"icall( "# +u" "ha" a&ree e!" i! +lace* :#i!& s# .ill &i$e &rea"er credibili"( "# "he c#!s"ruc"i$e #"i$es behi!d "he de #crac( i!i"ia"i$e> i" .ill als# sh#. "he c#u!"ries #% "he Middle )as" "ha" "here is a shared basis %#r a &e!ui!e +ar"!ershi+ .i"h "he de #cra"ic Wes"* The "ra!s%#r a"i#! #% "he Middle )as" .ill be a #re c# +le, u!der"a-i!& "ha! "he res"#ra"i#! #% +#s".ar )ur#+e* A%"er all, s#cial res"#ra"i#! is i!here!"l( easier "ha! s#cial "ra!s%#r a"i#!* Isla ic "radi"i#!s, reli&i#us c#!$ic"i#!s a!d cul"ural habi"s us" be "rea"ed .i"h +a"ie!" res+ec"* O!l( "he! .ill "he "i e be ri+e %#r de #crac( i! "he Middle )as"* Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security adviser in the Carter administration, is the author of "The Choice: Global omination or Global !eadershi"#"

(http://www.iranandworld.com/showarticle.asp?id=255)