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An increased emphasis on democracy promotion in the Middle East over the past decade has returned few positive results for the United States. Originally inspired to foster democratization by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the George W. Bush administration failed to transfer its rhetoric on democracy to effective policy. After setbacks to the so-called freedom agenda in Iraq, Lebanon, ... read moreand the Palestinian Territories, democracy promotion was essentially dismissed as a pipe dream. However, the Middle East is possibly in greater need of political reform now than ever before. Growing radicalism and years of conflict and instability have left the area in a turmoil that cannot be alleviated by the corrupt, autocratic leaders that govern with no popular support or legitimacy. In order to retain the favorable position the United States occupies in the Middle East, policymakers must now be concerned with the internal politics of Middle Eastern states. The entrenched autocratic regimes currently in place are entirely inadequate to meet the challenges of the region today. The most effective way to address these challenges is to promote political and economic liberalization in the region with the ultimate goal of democratization.read less
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