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Tuesday, January 10, 2006
In Support of Arab Democracy
How to Bring Stability, Freedom and Investment to the Arab World
By Karen Fragala Smith
Source: Newsweek MagazineFor decades, U.S. presidents have spoken poetically about the spread of democracy as a tenet and moral obligation of American foreign policy. But despite the seductiveness of this mantra, international relations are a complicated balancing act. Successive U.S. governments have cited "political stability" to justify their dealings with despots in Central America, military dictators in Africa and absolute monarchs in the Middle East.
With the insurgencies still raging in Iraq and political unrest fomenting in other Arab nations, the question remains whether democracy is the long-term solution to regional conflict and the spread of terror. To address this issue, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), a nongovernmental think tank, put together a team of experts, co-chaired by former U.S. secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright. Their conclusions were outlined in the recently released report "In Support of Arab Democracy: Why and How." Newsweek's Karen Fragala Smith discussed the group's findings with Albright. Excerpts:
Karen Fragala Smith: Is there a conflict between key democratic rights -- particularly in the area of women's rights -- and the cultural dictates of Islam?
Madeleine Albright: Islam itself and the Qur'an are not actually antiwoman. [The Prophet] Mohammed was married to a businesswoman. It is more the culture of particular Arab countries and not Islam. And I think that what we all have to do is make clear that women's rights do not undermine anybody's system. It's a matter of empowering women, so that societies are actually more stable, not less stable.
Karen Fragala Smith: How does the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal, as well as recent allegations that top military leadership sanctioned the use of torture in interrogations, affect the United States' credibility on human rights issues in Arab countries?
Madeleine Albright: It's hurt U.S. credibility beyond measure. It has lost us the moral high ground, and I am very troubled by it. The only way to restore our credibility is for there to be accountability of those who had something to do with it -- not just lower-level military. I was at an event recently where somebody said, "Isn't it great that the Senate voted 99-0 against torture?" and I said, "Isn't it amazing that we actually have to have a vote like that?"
Karen Fragala Smith: The report states that "democracy cannot be imposed from the outside," and that "sudden, traumatic change is neither necessary nor desirable." How does this apply to Iraq?
Madeleine Albright: Imposing democracy is an oxymoron. You have to be there in order to assist the process, but not at the point of a gun. I think it has misrepresented to a lot of people about how democracy comes about. I'm chairman of the board of the National Democratic Institute, and we work very hard on what I call the nuts and bolts of helping people with democracy. That's very different from invading a country. And I think it has hurt the process immeasurably, because it's now equating democracy with occupation.
Karen Fragala Smith: What will it take for Iraq to make the next step from holding basic elections to a full-fledged independent democratic state?
Madeleine Albright: It's very hard for people to exercise their democratic rights anywhere when they are terrified and there are suicide bombings and a general sense of chaos. Also, when the economic situation is so dire. So everything goes together. There has to be an improvement in the security situation, the reconstruction efforts have to be such that they provide people with jobs and [a] sense of the future and then democracy can flourish. While people did turn out to vote, which I think is quite remarkable, it's very difficult when the situation in the security arena is so tenuous.
Karen Fragala Smith: One of the key components of a democracy is a free press, but some Arabic-language media outlets have spread corrosive propaganda against the United States. What can be done here without limiting the free press?
Madeleine Albright: It's hard for us to censor them if we're talking about the need for free press. There has to be the development of other avenues that would allow the people in those countries to get alternative views. Also, Al-Jazeera is opening up in the United States, and I think it doesn't hurt if Americans go on Al-Jazeera so that we can tell our story. We have to make clear that a great deal of it is distortion.
Karen Fragala Smith: Democracy seems impossible if the majority of a given population does not possess at least basic literacy. What did the task force recommend to improve education in Arab countries?
Madeleine Albright: We have said that the Arab educational systems have generally done an inadequate job of preparing students for life in a global economy. Washington can't all of a sudden start teaching Arabs. On the other hand, the U.S. government could have partnerships with Arab, American, European and Asian educational institutions and foundations and help in terms of expanding English-language instruction and promoting scholarships.
Karen Fragala Smith: The report indicated that democracy can "diminish the appeal of extremism and terrorism." But isn't it possible that many Arab voters would choose a theocracy with strict limits on what we would classify as "personal freedoms."
Madeleine Albright: We don't know, that's part of the issue. If you believe that people want to choose the government that will represent them the best, you have to give them that opportunity. But that's the red herring that's put out there. We do not think the status quo in the Arab world is working. So do we think that democracy is worth supporting? Clearly there are issues, and potentially short-term dislocations, but the way that the situation has evolved now, it's not stable at all. Therefore, we came out with the idea that being in support of democracy was something that was in our interest, and obviously in theirs.
Karen Fragala Smith: The report says that "the U.S. has done a poor job of explaining its policies in the region and spreading its message about democracy and reform." In September, President Bush sent Karen Hughes, the recently appointed under secretary of State for public diplomacy, on a listening tour of several Muslim countries. What was she able to accomplish, and what do you think should be the next step?
Madeleine Albright: It was clearly a very first voyage of hers into this arena, but it didn't strike me as a particularly great success. I think it's very important that this post has been filled with somebody of such high rank and visibility, but it's a hard job, and you have to go into societies and have some sensitivity for the various issues.
Karen Fragala Smith: What steps can Washington take toward establishing a peace in the region that both the Israelis and Palestinians can live with?
Madeleine Albright: First of all, the Israeli-Palestinian issue cannot be blamed for everything. What can be done is exactly what Secretary [of State Condoleezza] Rice has finally done, which is to be in the region and spend time with both sides in order to hammer out agreements. The U.S. has to be actively involved in this. But I think it is wrong for anybody to blame everything on the Israeli-Palestinian issue. It's not at the base of every problem throughout the whole region.
Karen Fragala Smith: What is the task force recommendation for U.S. policy regarding Arab states -- such as Dubai in the United Arab Emirates or Morocco -- that are not democracies but are nonetheless, politically stable and relatively free.
Madeleine Albright: Even in those countries, we spoke about the importance of a rule of law, the importance of having political, economic and social change and to keep moving the process forward. Education in those countries is very important, as well as the ability to recognize different views and to have a freer press.
Karen Fragala Smith: Certain Islamist groups such as Hamas in Palestine and Hizbullah in Lebanon are in fact political parties and do provide important services to the people such as food assistance and education. Can these groups be integrated into the legitimate political arena even though they have been involved in terrorist acts in the past and are currently classified by the United States as terrorist organizations?
Madeleine Albright: We can't have terrorist organizations participating, but if there are some Islamist organizations that can give up the use of force and follow the rules, then I think that it's useful to include them in the political process. We should not allow Middle Eastern leaders to use national security as an excuse to suppress nonviolent organizations. And we should support the political participation of any group or party that is committed to abide by the rules and norms of the democratic process.
Karen Fragala Smith: What can the international community do to stimulate economic development in Arab nations given that corruption and isolation have been deterrents to foreign investment in the past?
Madeleine Albright: This is where the whole issue of rule of law is so important. If countries can meet certain criteria then they can be a part of the World Trade Organization, which then provides a set of rules around which everybody has to operate. Nobody is saying any of this is easy, but I think it is important that many of these Arab nations become part of this global economy. We depend on some of them for oil, and these are potential markets, as well, if there is proper investment that then creates jobs, which takes care of the problem of people being disaffected or unemployed.
Karen Fragala Smith: Is democracy in conflict with the United States' best interests in Arab countries? What stance should the U.S. take toward supporting opposition leaders such as Ayman Nour in Egypt?
Madeleine Albright: If we think that stability is in America's best interest and so we are afraid to think about changes in government, then in the long run, there is no stability. There is nothing less stable then a long[-serving] authoritarian government. That doesn't mean that the U.S. should go out and support particular political figures. Some of the political figures might not even want it given our reputation at the moment, but I think that it is important to support a political process. I don't think Americans -- either as NGOs or even in the government -- should be afraid to meet with opposition figures. It doesn't mean that they are supporting them -- they are supporting a process. I've been in discussions about what is it that really is the essence of democracy, and frankly it isn't elections. It is the existence of an opposition party, which means that there is accountability by the ruling party, and always the possibility of the opposition party getting in.
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Posted by fm on January 10, 2006 at 12:35 AM