Democrats as Realists?
The American Prospect has an article titled “Illusion and Reality” arguing that the Democratic Party should adopt a foreign policy in the Middle East based on “Kissingerian” realism. Flynt Leverett, the author, contends that such a policy would focus less on creating democracies by birthing a new Middle East–as Dr. Rice is fond of saying–and more on supporting states friendly to US interests regardless of governing structure.
Prior to 9/11 and the current Bush Administration’s reworking of Middle East policies, this is how the US operated in the region. As Leverett notes, “Traditional “allies” like Egypt and Saudi Arabia were also to be fundamentally changed, through U.S.-mandated political transformation. Such transformation would bring a wider range of elites into these countries’ decision making; these elites would be more focused on internal reform and grateful to the United States for their empowerment, which would improve the regional security environment.” As is quickly becoming apparent, this is destabilizing the region putting US interests (i.e. cheap, dependable oil supply) at risk.
What would a “recovery strategy” look like? Leverett gives the following framework:
Under current circumstances, a realist strategy for restoring American leadership in the Middle East would include at least five elements:
• The United States needs to widen its approach to defusing the current crisis to include direct engagement with both Syria and Iran. To facilitate a cease-fire and introduction of a multinational force in southern Lebanon, Washington should recognize that Hezbollah’s disarmament would come about only as part of a broader political settlement in the region.
• The United States should convey its interest in a broader strategic dialogue with the al-Assad regime in Damascus, with the aim of re-establishing U.S.-Syrian cooperation on important regional issues and with the promise of significant strategic benefits for Syria clearly on the table.
• Washington should indicate its willingness to pursue a “grand bargain” with Iran, in which the Islamic republic would accept restraints on its nuclear activities and abandon its support for the terrorist activities of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah in return for U.S. commitments not to use force to change Iran’s borders or form of government, to lift unilateral sanctions, and to normalize bilateral relations.
• The United States and key partners should articulate a more substantive vision for a two-state solution to the Palestinian question, including parameters for resolving key final-status issues that would meet the minimum requirements of both sides. This vision should incorporate the Saudi-initiated Arab League peace plan, which offers normalization of Arab states’ relations with Israel to complement peace treaties that end Israel’s occupation of Palestinian and Syrian territory.
• While the United States should engage moderate Arab partners more systematically on economic reform and human rights, Washington should drop its insistence on early resort to open electoral processes as a litmus test for “democratization.”
Let’s hope the Democrats, or at least some wing of the Republican Party, picks this up as we charge toward the midterm elections.
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