Strategic Implications of Muslim Democracy

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Chris Zambelis provides our second article in this feature, “The Strategic Implications of Political Liberalization and Democratization in the Middle East.” Zambelis bases his thesis on the differentiation between democratization and liberalization. He examines the long-term strategic implications of a democratic Middle East and its impact on US interests, concluding that dramatic changes in the political and foreign policy orientation of many of our Middle Eastern allies may not result in what America really wants or needs.

(Excerpt) Read more at carlisle-www.army.mil …

Chris Zambelis is a policy analyst with the Strategic Assessment Center of Hicks and Associates, Inc., a subsidiary of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). He specializes in Middle East politics. His recent work includes political and cultural intelligence analysis on Iraq and the Middle East for the US Army, Marine Corps, and other Defense Department clients. He is a contributor to Jane’s Islamic Affairs Analyst, and has studied and worked with a number of international organizations in East Europe and the former Yugoslavia, the Middle East, and Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of New York University and holds an M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.

 

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from the article:

Before going further, it is important to lay out a theoretical framework outlining the ideas of democracy, democratization, and liberalization as they apply to Middle East politics, because each has implications for US strategy. In a few words, democracy consists of more than just free, competitive, and regular elections. According to Larry Diamond, freedom of expression, association, and press, an independent judiciary, a functioning legislature, the rule of law and due process, a military and security apparatus that is apolitical and constitutionalist, and the protection of human and civil rights all comprise the basic framework of a liberal democracy. Democratization signifies a move toward greater degrees of political participation in existing governmental systems. In essence, it enhances the collective freedom of the citizen vis-à-vis the state, especially in terms of the public’s ability to participate in and influence the government.