DATE=08/15/2003

TYPE=ON THE LINE SHORT

NUMBER=1-01377

TITLE=Democracy and Extremism

INTERNET=Yes

EDITOR=OFFICE OF POLICY 619-0038

CONTENT= INSERTS IN DALET

Voice: This is On the Line and I'm ______________. The Middle East is a region of tremendous potential. It is the birthplace and spiritual home of three of the world's great religions, and an ancient center of learning, tolerance and progress. It is a region of twenty-two countries with a combined population of three-hundred million, but today, the Middle East has a Gross Domestic Product less than that of Spain. It is a region suffering from what has been described as a political and economic freedom deficit. And it is a region where hopelessness provides a fertile ground for terrorism.

ACT1 MATTHEW LEVITT 0:05

"Terrorism, of course, has happened in the West as well. This is not something that's only happened in the Middle East."

Voice: This is Matthew Levitt of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

ACT2 MATTHEW LEVITT 0:14

"The fact is that we have an environment in the Middle East today that is extremely conducive to recruiting young individuals who don't have much hope, and when you add on top of that other frustrations, you have a situation where terrorists have it really very easy."

Voice: Joshua Muravchik of the American Enterprise Institute says that a lack of freedom and democracy in the Middle East contributes terrorism:

ACT3 JOSHUA MURAVCHIK 0:36

"In this region you have on the one hand, many of the governments themselves which encourage terrorism and support terrorist groups, and on the other hand, you have other governments that are, whether they support terrorism or not, very repressive, and so people in those systems have differences of opinion or grievances against their governments have no what we would consider normal ways to appease their grievances. I think that when you have a situation in which there's no democracy and no freedom, it conduces extremism."

Voice: Ali Al-Ahmed is executive director of the Saudi Institute. He says that all too often governments in the Middle East have resorted to violence against their own people:

ACT4 ALI AL-AHMED 0:33

"They put you in jail, they kill you, [or] they torture you. They have limited the options of the people to solve political differences. Another thing is lack of freedom has prevented local elements from fighting extremism and fighting terrorism. For example, in Saudi Arabia, those people who speak against extremism are banned or fired. The extremists know they are allowed to flourish. This, in my opinion, is because those regimes, they want to create a gap between the population of the regime and the West. They can play both sides."

Voice: Mr. Al-Ahmed says that "It's the duty of free countries to spread freedom and export democracy to other people":

ACT5 ALI AL-AHMED 0:27

"It is in the best strategic interest of the West and the United States to support, for example, why don't we export with American cars Americanism, American ideas and values of governance, transparency, justice, and human rights, instead of bombs. I think you spend less money and effort, And you get better results exporting values."

Voice: U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice says, "Like the transformation of Europe, the transformation of the Middle East will require a commitment of many years....And, as in Europe, our efforts must work in full partnership with the peoples of the region who share our commitment to human freedom, and who see it in their own self-interest to defend that commitment."

For On the Line, I'm ________________.