US President George W. Bush, in speaking out for Arab democracy, is trying to win sympathy for his Iraq policy at home, as much if not more than to reform the Middle East, analysts said.
In Bush's speech last Thursday he challenged countries such as Iran, Syria and Egypt to liberalize their political systems so that freedom can reign in the Middle East.
But he was also delivering a message to Americans, who polls show are beginning to doubt the wisdom of the decision to invade Iraq in March, the analysts said.
Arabs greeted the speech with scorn, noting that Bush did not mention the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory or his decision to take the US to war in Iraq.
"The main purpose of the speech is clearly domestic because he now has to put the war in a principled framework," said an Arab diplomat, who asked not to be named.
The US occupation of Iraq has proved far more costly in casualties and money than officials had predicted. The last few weeks have been especially violent, with more than 40 American troops killed since Oct. 20.
Saturday's bombing of a compound housing mainly foreigners in the Saudi capital Riyadh came as a bloody reminder of the breadth of instability in the region. Al-Qaeda was suspected of the attack, which killed at least 17 and injured 120.
Bush is working to shore up confidence in his Iraq policy and his war against terrorism, which could have a big impact on his chances of re-election in November next year.
When it invaded Iraq last March, the Bush administration at first contended that the main aim was to dismantle president Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction and end alleged cooperation between Saddam and al-Qaeda.
Since then, no weapons of mass destruction have been found nor any conclusive evidence of links with al-Qaeda.
The administration then argued that the war was for the good of the Iraqis, who had suffered so much under Saddam. Since then armed opposition to the US has increased and the rising casualties and cost seem to many Americans to outweigh any benefits.
"Bush's message will have more of an audience at home than abroad. Here the message will resonate but in the Middle East they will see it as a distraction from other problems theys are facing," said Middle East expert Shibley Telhami, a senior follow at Washington's Brookings Institution.
Bush's speech adopted many of the talking points of the pro-Israeli neo-conservative group in and around the administration, which believes that a strong foreign policy backed by force is good for the US and Israel.
"The United States has adopted a new policy, a forward strategy of freedom in the Middle East," Bush declared, adding that this strategy required the same energy and persistence the US devoted to post-war Japan and Germany.
In the days following the speech, officials have been unable to give examples of anything that would change in the US approach to the region, which for decades has been dominated by the need to ensure oil supplies and the security of Israel.
Asked how Washington would implement the strategy, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher cited old programs including the Millennium Challenge Account, which rewards poor countries for good governance, and the Middle East Partnership Initiative, which backs civil society projects throughout the region.
Asked if the US would take any punitive action against undemocratic governments, Boucher said it would naturally have deeper relationships with countries that are "moving toward freedom" and have open economies.
While Bush criticized past policies of overlooking despotism in the Middle East, he also reserved his most severe criticism for those countries that oppose US policies.
Republican US lawmakers on Friday criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration after sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei unveiled a laptop this week powered by an Intel artificial intelligence (AI) chip. The US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list in 2019 for contravening Iran sanctions, part of a broader effort to hobble Beijing’s technological advances. Placement on the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to it. One such license, issued by then-US president Donald Trump’s administration, has allowed Intel to ship central processors to Huawei for use in laptops since 2020. China hardliners
A top Vietnamese property tycoon was on Thursday sentenced to death in one of the biggest corruption cases in history, with an estimated US$27 billion in damages. A panel of three hand-picked jurors and two judges rejected all defense arguments by Truong My Lan, chair of major developer Van Thinh Phat, who was found guilty of swindling cash from Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) over a decade. “The defendant’s actions ... eroded people’s trust in the leadership of the [Communist] Party and state,” read the verdict at the trial in Ho Chi Minh City. After the five-week trial, 85 others were also sentenced on
‘DELUSIONAL’: Targeting the families of Hamas’ leaders would not push the group to change its position or to give up its demands for Palestinians, Ismail Haniyeh said Israeli aircraft on Wednesday killed three sons of Hamas’ top political leader in the Gaza Strip, striking high-stakes targets at a time when Israel is holding delicate ceasefire negotiations with the militant group. Hamas said four of the leader’s grandchildren were also killed. Ismail Haniyeh’s sons are among the highest-profile figures to be killed in the war so far. Israel said they were Hamas operatives, and Haniyeh accused Israel of acting in “the spirit of revenge and murder.” The deaths threatened to strain the internationally mediated ceasefire talks, which appeared to gain steam in recent days even as the sides remain far
RAMPAGE: A Palestinian man was left dead after dozens of Israeli settlers searching for a missing 14-year-old boy stormed a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t,” underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said. Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.” Israel braced on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of