[Mark Felton]

"set to grapple with vital regional issues like democratic reform"

It is thanks strictly to the Bush doctrine, that these authoritarian states are even considering democracy.

[js1138]

Wake up, it's 1987 in the Middle East. Two more years until 1989.

[Cicero]

Very poorly written article. You have to get down to the bottom of it to see that "Tunisia pulled the plug, announcing that it would not preside over a gathering willing to make what it called only a tepid commitment to reform."

Doesn't the Times at least have a stringer in Tunisia who could ask the government for a statement? Even a "No comment"? Shoddy, slipshod, poorly written journalism, all too typical of the Times today. They are not only over the top politically, they no longer can write, spell, or compose a decent news article.

[JohnnyZ]

Khairallah Khairallah, a political commentator and former editor in chief of Al Hayat, a London-based Arabic newspaper.

I think he's related to Duran Duran. I'll have to check.

[Robert_Paulson2]

ahh good...
The pan arab state, in a de facto condition tantamount to civil war.

Their "hate fest"
for the WEST:

cancelled due to division and strife.
excellent Mr. President.

Mark,
given a reasonable split, how many of the
arab "states" do you think might actually
be flirting with the idea of Westernization
and constitutional democracy?

I would guess 8-10 at least.
WHO are the chief holdouts?
Iran?
Syria?

[NormsRevenge]

disarray Bump

[Alouette]

the agenda, which bogged down in details like how to present Arab culture at the Frankfurt book fair

Especially how to avoid being placed within twenty feet of the Israeli booth.

[Betaille]

"Arab Leaders in Disarray"
It's just like in the book... when you kill sauron/saruman his followers go into disarray. Anybody have that double frame of saruman and Yassin?

[rageaholic]

Israel's continued existance is proof the Arabs can't get their acts together.

[tubavil]

The exact reason is a matter of some dispute, but all sides viewed the meeting's collapse - even as some heads of state were on their way - as an embarrassment.
______________________________

Breakdown of the all-boy entertainment committee's bus was completely unrelated to the tension and frustration exhibited by delegates.

[CurlyDave]

It is thanks strictly to the Bush doctrine, that these authoritarian states are even considering democracy.

Not only that, but president Bush has managed to sow disarray among the entire arab world. This is a wonderful thing from the western standpoint.

From disarray comes revolution and true reform.

[sdk7x7]

BIAS

the American occupation of Iraq See also: reconstruction, rebuilding, liberation.

[prophetic]

when I read the title I thought of Samson and the Biblical story of 'Bring down the house' and it brought very warm & fuzzy pleasant thought to my mind.

[GretchenEE]

The very idea of reform remains too divisive, and many nations' governments have yet to decide how to deal themselves with issues like elections.

Got to get one's own house in order before telling the neighbors how to keep theirs, or forming neighborhood patrols.

[FreeReign]

The Arab League is infamous for its fractious gatherings, but even its most experienced bureaucrats described the cancellation as extraordinary. Some commentators thought the collapse inevitable from the start. The very idea of reform remains too divisive, and many nations' governments have yet to decide how to deal themselves with issues like elections.

Elections, while being a divisive issue for the Arab League nations, is not the most divisive issue. Elections may even be a bad idea right now in such a place as Saudi Arabia -- not that the NY Times would agree with that.

Anyway, the most divisive issue in the Arab League remains that a few members are still aligned with the terrorists. For instance Lebanon, "Palestine" and Syria are still are on the wrong hump.

This is why the meeting was canceled and this is what the NY Times hides.

IMO.

[Southack]

"Their lines have broken. Now we charge."

[q_an_a]

this is another example of jerk journalism. except for the "book fair" in germany, do you see any specific topics mentioned? how do thiese people make a living writing so little and filling so much space?