Tuesday 20 December 2005

Democratization or the War on Terror?

Giving us an insight into what Middle East democratization really means, the EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, warned that aid to the Palestinian Authority might be cut if Hamas make further gains in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The same concerns were heard in the US House of Representatives Friday. How is this making Middle East governments more accountable to their own people?

And what would it mean if Hamas won anyway? In this excellent contribution to the now sadly defunct Middle East International, veteran correspondent Graham Usher charts the movement's gradual drift toward the center.