Bush Aims For 'Greater Mideast' Plan

[kskiska]

Democracy Initiative To Be Aired at G-8 Talks

Monday, February 9, 2004; Page A01

The Bush administration has launched an ambitious bid to promote democracy in the "greater Middle East" that will adapt a model used to press for freedoms in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.

Senior White House and State Department officials have begun talks with key European allies about a master plan to be put forward this summer at summits of the Group of Eight nations, NATO allies and the European Union, U.S. officials say. With international backing, the United States then hopes to win commitments of action from Middle Eastern and South Asian countries.

"It's a sweeping change in the way we approach the Middle East," said a senior State Department official. "We hope to roll out some of the principles for reform in talks with the Europeans over the next few weeks, with specific ideas of how to support them."

Details are still being crafted. But the initiative, scheduled to be announced at the G-8 summit hosted by President Bush at Sea Island, Ga., in June, would call for Arab and South Asian governments to adopt major political reforms, be held accountable on human rights -- particularly women's empowerment -- and introduce economic reforms, U.S. and European officials said.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24025-2004Feb8.html

[aquart]

1. Sounds like the Mafia meeting to carve out the South Side.

I assume that Europe, which has past experience with the Middle East, will be as cooperative as NATO was to Rumsfeld.

Keep in mind, killing forty million people (lowball estimate) isn't a lot of fun. Not to mention they get really testy.

[R Hickey]

2. Last month Bush had a plan to go to Mars. The next week, Hubble' scrapped.

So this is this month's "Pie in the Sky," or should I say this year's "Road Map to Peace." Bush's grandious plans don't impress me much. They sort of remind me of Stalin's "Five Year Plans."

[_Jumper_]

3. We should have done this a long time ago

Even Shrub realizes how important this is.

[aquart]

4. It's important to tell Muslims how to run their lives?

Or important to steal their oil?

Or both?

Doesn't matter. World War III either way.

[0007]

8. Kind of sound like the 1920's, 'eh?

'We hear voices in the greater Middle East region who want democracy and reform, and here are the things we can do to support them.' "

....and is one of these voices that want to be heard here in the U.S. Ahmed Chalabi ? When are the folks gonna wake up and start with a peace place for Palestine and Israel. junior has yet to talk to Yasser Arafat? Chalabi is ten times worse than Arafat.

This is a joke!

[schultzee]

9. Its important to be bullies and tell everyone else that they

must accept our form of government or we bomb them out of existance?

[Devils Advocate NZ]

5. So what's the "or else"?

What happens if the target nations tell Bush and anyone who joins him to get stuffed?

They STILL don't get it do they? For example:

"There is a belief that contributed to bringing Europe together and played a significant role in tearing down the Soviet Union," a State Department official said. "In the same way, this idea would tear down the attractiveness of extremism."

Unlike Helsinki, however, the administration's "Greater Middle East Initiative" seeks to avoid creating committees and structures to strictly monitor progress and issue report cards, U.S. officials say. It also seeks to avoid appearing to dictate to the Islamic world.

"The idea is not to come out with proposals that say, 'This is how the West thinks you guys should live,' " a senior administration official said. "This can't be seen as telling these guys what to do. That won't work. It is instead about saying, 'We hear voices in the greater Middle East region who want democracy and reform, and here are the things we can do to support them.' "

They still don't get that there is a major difference between changing the political views of a country that has held them for less than a century, and changing the RELIGIOUS views of a people who have held them for over a THOUSAND years.

The CRUSADES didn't work, so what makes Bush and his "experts" think THIS will work? Hell, they even seem to recognise that Muslims will not be dictated to by "infidels" any more than Christians are willing to be told how to practice THEIR religion, yet they come up with this moronic scheme to "encourage" them?

Hey, Christians, do you think that if Saudi Arabia came to you and offered cheaper petrol and less terrorism, you would be willing to convert to Muslim beliefs? You wouldn't actually have to be Muslim, you would just have to ensure women wore a Burkha and other such external signs of faith.

Would such bribes convice YOU to change your moral code?

[Snappy]

6. Iraq and Afghanistan

Those two invasion set examples to the Muslim world regarding the dimplomacy of the "War" President.

[JCMach1]

7. There will be Democracy in the ME... however,

it will be on their own terms.

Yet another policy disaster for *