THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume VI, Issue # 149, July 8, 2004
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
TERROR & DEMOCRACY IN THE MIDDLE EAST
By Dr. Michael Ledeen
FULL STORY:
The war on terror is far from a new phenomenon. In reality, this war has been an ongoing event for at least the past twenty-five years.
The tragic events of September 11, 2001, however, put an end to a one-sided war, fought by our enemies alone. Until then, terrorists
were able to attack with confidence, knowing that the response from their victims and victims' allies would be small or uncoordinated.
President George W. Bush set a precedent following September 11, since he began to wage war on terror, as opposed to the reaction
of every other president since Jimmy Carter, who had merely declared war on terror.
WHO ARE WE AT WAR WITH?
Prior to the liberation of Iraq, there were four "terror masters" in the Middle East: Iran, Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia, but only two of
which had Islamist governments: Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Syrian and Iraqi regimes secured and maintained their power precisely
because they were the opposite of Islamists. Their strong secular backgrounds allowed them, at various points in their existence, to
gain support from Western powers in the consolidation of power in the Middle East. It is wrong, therefore, to qualify all terror as
simply the work of radical Islam. Rather, if looking for a common theme among the "terror masters," one should identify tyranny
threatened by United States constitutional democratic strength and success.
WHY DO THEY HATE US?
People in the Muslim world can be divided into the three categories devised by Bernard Lewis:
Oppressive regimes that are hostile towards the U.S.A., but whose people look to the U.S.A. because
they see it as their only hope for freeing themselves from those regimes;
Oppressive regimes that are formal U.S. allies, but whose peoples despise the U.S.A. because they hold
it accountable for the preservation of those regimes;
A small subset of Middle Eastern states in which both the government and the people are pro-American.
This category, not surprisingly, includes the only two democracies in the Middle East: Turkey and Israel.
Finally, Saudi Arabia has the unique distinction of being both a friend and an enemy at the same time. While the Saudis assist the
United States with bases, intelligence and oil supplies, they also fund the "assembly line" of terrorists.
We failed to take steps earlier against our enemies and dubious friends because of the severe, long-standing Congressional
restrictions on the activities of the CIA and FBI.
DEMOCRATIZING THE MIDDLE EAST
The influence of Iran in the Middle East is enormous. Less Iranian interference in Iraq would be the best boon Iraq could receive in
developing a new liberal society. Change in Iran is a crucial step towards democratization in the Middle East, and, unlike Iraq,
invasion is not required. Iran should have been dealt with before U.S. military action in Iraq, dealt with through bloodless revolution.
An Iranian revolution must be lead by a strong figure currently residing within the country. Neither the powers that be in
Washington, D.C. nor the family of the late Shah of Iran can lead a popular uprising.
The leadership of Iran is passionately committed to its own survival. The dictators of Iran thoroughly doubt their own legitimacy,
their paranoia is immense, and they expect to be driven out of power in a relatively short period of time. If instead of hankering after
United Nations approval of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, President Bush had worked with the Iranian people, the despotic regime in Iran
would have been gone in a few months. The Iranian people are very pro-American. It is in the best interests of the United States of
America to support them and have them liberate themselves.
There was a 14-month gap between the Afghanistan campaign and the invasion of Iraq. At the end of the Afghan war, all Middle
Eastern tyrants believed their time had come; however, a few unfortunate events happened to delay the Iraqi invasion.
Saudi Arabia, through Thomas Friedman of the New York Times, unleashed the Saudi peace plan that specified that the
U.S.A. could not invade Iraq until the Israel-Palestine conflict was solved. The Saudis presented this diversion out of fear that the
Iraqi invasion would lead to the democratization of the Middle East.
Prime Minister Tony Blair said that the United Kingdom needed a UN resolution before it would become completely involved. The
only UN precedent that could be used to justify invasion was Saddam Hussein's failure to live up to WMD requirements. Every
intelligence agency in the world believed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, and it probably did. These WMDs were most likely
hidden somewhere within Iraq or transported to Iran and Syria.
The resulting delay was a serious blow to the cause for Iraqi liberation, as those opposed to the war, along with Iraqi supporters, were
able to organize. In order to attempt to rectify these problems, the U.S.A. turned over power in Iraq to local leaders on June 28, 2004.
While power was technically given to the new Iraqi political leadership on that date, the U.S.A. continues to play a major role and
will not leave until requested to do so by the new Iraqi government.
LINKS TO RELATED TOPICS:
Islamism & Jihadism -- The Threat of Radical Islam
Page Three
Page Two
Page One
The Middle East & the Arabs
The Middle East & the Problem of Iraq
Page Two
Page One
The Problem of Rogue States:
Iraq as a Case History
The Middle East & the Problem of Iran
The Middle East & the Problem of Syria
War & Peace in the Real World
Page Two
Page One
Islamist Terrorist Attacks on the U.S.A.
Osama bin Laden & the Islamist Declaration of War
Against the U.S.A. & Western Civilization
Islamist International Terrorism &
U.S. Intelligence Agencies
U.S. National Security Strategy
Dr. Michael Ledeen, an expert on United States foreign policy, is the Freedom Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute for Public
Policy Research. He holds a PhD from the University of Wisconsin and his commentary regularly appears in National Review,
the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Post. The author of fifteen books, Dr. Ledeen's latest one, The War
Against the Terror Masters: How it Happened, Where We Are Now, How We'll Win (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2002), explains
the key priorities he sees for the United States of America. Dr. Ledeen presented his briefing, "Terror & Democracy in the Middle East,"
in an address to the Middle East Forum in New York on May 20, 2004.
The foregoing summary account of Dr. Ledeen's briefing was written by Patrick J. Murphy, research assistant at the Middle East Forum.
Republished with Permission of the Middle East Forum
Reprinted from the Middle East Forum News
mefnews@meforum.org (MEF NEWS)
June 29, 2004
Return to Top of Page
Go to the WEBSITE INDEX
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Public Issues & Political Controversies
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
Most Recent Articles
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Volume VI, 2004
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Subject Matter Highlights
Return to POLITICAL EDUCATION Homepage
CONTACT & ACCESS INFORMATION
This is not a commercial website. The sole purpose of the website is to share with interested persons information regarding civics,
civic and social education, political science, government, politics, law, constitutional law and history, public policy, and political
philosophy and history, as well as current and recent political developments, public issues, and political controversies.
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Conservative & Free-Market Analysis of Government, Politics & Public Policy, Covering Political, Legal, Constitutional, Economic,
Cultural, Military, International, Strategic, & Geopolitical Issues
Government, Politics, Public Policy, Legal Issues, Constitutional Law, Government & the Economy, Cultural Values, Foreign Affairs,
International Relations, Military Defense & National Security, Geopolitics, Terrorism & Homeland Security, American National Interests,
Political Systems & Processes, Political Institutions, Political Ideologies, & Political Philosophy