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U.S. to push free enterprise before democracy in new Mideast plan

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Friday, December 13, 2002

The United States has dropped plans to push for immediate political reform in the Middle East. Instead it will help build free-enterprise economies as a first step toward the conversion of Arab regimes into democracies in a post-Saddam era.

The announcement by Secretary of State Colin Powell at a Washington think tank Thursday appears to have ended a debate within the administration over translating into policy a call by President George Bush for Arab democracy.

Officials said the State Department, including Powell, warned that a high profile pro-democracy effort would jeopardize Washington's relations with Arab allies in the Middle East. Of particular concern, they said, was the impact on Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Middle East Newsline reported.

The officials said the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative is based on improving Arab economies using free-enterprise principles that could eventually lead to political reform.

Secretary of State Colin Powell said the initiative will be launched with an allocation of $29 million. Powell said the $1 billion in U.S. economic aid that is already allocated to Arab allies in the region will also be directed into efforts to encourage economic reforms, civil society, women's rights and improved education.

"Open economies, to be successful, require open political systems," Powell told the Washington-based Heritage Foundation on Thursday.

The State Department has discussed the initiative with all U.S. allies and friends in the Middle East and stressed that the pro-democracy project would not undermine the Arab commitment to Islam, officials said. They said the department has been impressed by democratic initiatives in Bahrain, Morocco and Qatar.

In announcing the project, administration officials said it will seek the cooperation and help of Arab regimes in the Middle East to introduce democracy.

Officials said incentives for democratic reforms rest in the intention of Arab states to join the World Trade Organization. Several Arab states, particularly Saudi Arabia, want to join the WTO as part of plans to improve their trade and debt-laden economies.

In his address, Powell stressed that the U.S. initiative would seek cooperation of Arab regimes. He also warned against expecting any significant changes in the near future.

"I don't see this as something that is going to be done in one year or five years," Powell said. "This is a long-term prospect. But to stand back from it and say, well, we can't possibly discuss these issues with a particular country because there is some other geostrategic agenda that we have in mind or priority we have in mind that makes it too difficult an issue to discuss -- I no longer think that is affordable and sustainable."

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