April 4th, 2008 by Stephen

Middle East Progress features a new commentary by Brian Katulis that argues against seeing democratic reform in the region as incompatible with progress on Iraq, Iran, or the Arab-Israeli conflict. Instead, he argues that supporting reform of governance in the region should be an integrated component of policy toward the region, and he identifies three key shifts needed in the U.S. approach to democracy promotion which could help such efforts “reinforce initiatives to address the broader challenges.”

Katulis concludes that “with the right approach and necessary tact, modest expectations about the timelines for sustainable reform and proper integration with other policy initiatives, U.S. efforts to promote democracy and the rule of law can be one of several vital engines driving progress in the Middle East for years to come.”

Posted in Democracy Promotion, US foreign policy |