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| Terror Networks & Islam |
| Reform needed in Arab world to defeat terrorism: Powell |
| 2004-12-11 |
| RABAT: US Secretary of State Colin Powell stressed on Saturday the need for economic and political reforms in the Arab world to defeat terrorism. Opening the one-day "Forum for the That's kind of tough when so many of the Arab governments are merely using their extremists as non-military proxies to carry out anti-American agendas. A stronger hint may be needed. Like the threat of wholesale nuclear annihilation should even one single Islamic country assist a terrorist nuclear attack upon America. (Thank you, Mrs. Davis) About 20 Arab, African, Middle Eastern and Asian countries attended the gathering, along with members of the Group of Eight (G8) industrial states, which launched the idea of promoting reform across the region in June. Always a popular topic. It surfaces somewhat routinely during interrogation sessions. Mr Powell acknowledged on Friday that when the idea was first floated it was regarded by some as "America, once again. dictating to the world". But, he said, the US intent was to help countries modernise and reform in their own way. "We all agree that effective and sustainable change can only come from within," he told the opening plenary session. Independent Moroccan news magazine Le Journal Hebdomadaire called the meeting's organisers delusional and branded the forum "a flop" even before it took place. A leading Moroccan human rights activist, Khaled Soufani, who had attended a peaceful protest by about 500 people outside the Moroccan parliament on Friday night, said that the forum was imperialist. He added that the fact it was being held legitimised "American military aggression on the Arab and Muslim worlds". Playing the old "humiliation" card, as usual. Boo-f&%king-hoo! The concept of promoting democracy across the Arab world has been watered down since the plan was first leaked to the press, putting more emphasis on economics and less on political reform. The idea, diplomatic sources said, was to make it more palatable to governments loath to give up power, including constitutional monarchies like host Morocco. It's the perennial vicious scratch-itch cycle. Despotic governments so enjoy their grip on power that it extinguishes all motivation for any reform. Nothing is going to change until the outside world finally institutes more aggressive (i.e., punitive) measures to propel corrupt governments towards political reform (read: regime change). |
| Posted by:Zenster |
| #2 Zenster--- âForum for the LOL! That's a good-un. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-12-11 8:26:23 PM |
| #1 Secretary Powell: Stating the plainly obvious to the truly oblivious and clueless ME. |
| Posted by: Capt America 2004-12-11 8:18:09 PM |