| In a speech delivered at the American University in Cairo on June 20th, 2005, Secretary of State Rice praised what she viewed as encouraging signs that the Arab world was on a path to democracy. She promised US support for “impatient patriots” among the Arab populations ready to “choose liberty and democracy” against authoritarian governments. For various reasons – the January 2006 victory by Hamas in the Palestinian Authority elections, Hezbollah’s popularity in Lebanon, the worsening situation in Iraq, and the rise of Iran – the Administration has downplayed this strategy in its relations with the conservative Arab states such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. A State Department official told us: “we still talk about transformational diplomacy but the reality is that we need the Arab states more as our allies than as democracies. This is the unstated message being delivered by Vice-President Cheney during his current Middle East visit.” In return for reduced US pressure to democratize, the Administration expects more understanding from the Arab governments of its reluctance to seek concessions from Israel. Elliott Abrams, the National Security Council’s top official for the Middle East, recently assured supporters of Israel in the US that President Bush would act as an emergency brake to stop pressure on Israel. Another NSC official commented: “Bush will not use this language, but he certainly agrees with the sentiment.” |
