[Dan Cooper]

So if a newly constituted Iraq emerges as a sane state, America will have no desire or need to protect Mr. Mubarak, King Hussein, or the Saudi royals from the wave of popular uprisings that we ourselves helped to let loose in Iraq. Their only long-term salvation, then, is right now to begin democratic reforms, open up their media, and hope for our forbearance.

The popular resistance to these regimes are all Islamist. Democratic reforms will lead to the election of anti-west Islamic parties. Iraq as the most secular Arab state may have a chance of surviving as a democratic republic, but the other states are going to vote themselves into Sharia law and religious dictatorship.

[Uncle Miltie]

"but the other states are going to vote themselves into Sharia law and religious dictatorship."

True, and so we give them an ascendant democratic Iraq to model. After 5-10 years of being left in the dust by Arabs who vote, we can take up some more cases.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Well said. The flaw preventing any expansion of freedom and the rights of individuals in Arab countries is the inherently violent dogma of Islamic law. To those people, ANYTHING secular, including civil government, is without substance and meaningless in the shadow of their religion.