As Walid Jumblatt, the leader of the Lebanese Druze community and an erstwhile critic of the U.S.'s regime-change policy in Iraq has put it candidly: “This process of [democratic] change has started because of the American invasion of Iraq. I was cynical about Iraq. But when I saw the Iraqi people voting three weeks ago, eight million of them, it was the start of a new Arab world.”

The Liberal Magazine Der Spiegel’s cover article reads, “Could Bush be Right?”

Richard Gwyn an opponent of the Iraq War from the Start, writes in the Toronto Star, “It is time to set down In type the most difficult sentence in the English language. That sentence is short and simple. Bush was right.”

Claus Christian, of Der Spiegel, states, “Germany loves to criticize US President George W. Bush’s Middle East Policies just like Germany loved to criticize former President Ronald Reagan”. And “But Reagan, when he demanded that Gorbachev remove the Berlin Wall, turned out to be right. Could History Repeat itself?

“During the run up to the invasion of Iraq,” wrote Daniel Schorr of the Christian Science Monitor, “President Bush said that ‘a liberated Iraq can show the power of freedom to transform that vital region.’ He may have had it right.”

The New York Times in an unexpected editorial declared, “The Bush Administration is entitled to a healthy share of the credit for these many advances It broadly proclaimed the cause of Middle East democracy at a time when few in the West thought it had any realistic chance. And for all the negative consequences that flowed from the American invasion of Iraq, there could be no democratic elections this January if Saddam Hussein had still been in power.”

“A robust promotion of democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq has important synergistic benefits for the democratic outcomes in other countries in the region, near and far. Freedom does indeed beget freedom. Examples of this democratic shift are abundant.
Libya: turning over its nuclear-weapons development programs and cooperating with the U.N.;
Lebanon: Pro-Syrian government steps down and the Lebanese stage protests demanding prompt withdrawal of all Syrian military and intelligence agents and free elections without Syrian meddling;
Egypt: pressure to open up the electoral process; Saudi Arabia: allowing municipal elections to be held.

Such democratic political thought and action were unimaginable just four years ago, and are reinforced by the administration’s willingness to criticize publicly not only the rogue Arab regimes, but also such traditional American allies as Egypt’s Mubarak for their undemocratic policies.”

Liberals across the globe are starting to acknowledge that Bush was right. His War on Terror is working. We see that now with the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon, Outspoken Intellectuals in Iran speaking for freedom and Hosni Mubarak being pressured into free elections.
The recent success in the Middle East has had liberals ask, “is history repeating itself?” Referring to the fact that Republicans are once again succeeding in a supposed impossible situation.
There are of course things outside of Bush’s control that have contributed to eh Middle East peace process. For instance, the death of Yasser Arafat, none best as the Father of Modern Terrorism and the assassination of the Lebanese Prime Minister.
The Iraq elections have, however inspired many young Iranians and Lebanese to stand up for freedom.
But this is no means for republicans to start and gloat. We must rumble on in the freedom fight. This war on terror is far from over and still may be crushed. Only through strength, courage, and resolve will we pull through victorious. There are still impending threats out there that must be dealt with. The Hezbollah, Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi, Sheikh Nasrallah, Asshar Bassad, and Al-Qaeda (namely the threat of Osama Bin Laden) are all prominent threats and must be dealt with.
If Osama bin laden falls and is killed, al-Qaeda will cease to function as a unified force. Only a man with such a commanding prescence such as bin laden can keep the squabbling factions of Al-Qaeda together.
If the mullahs are allowed to gain access to nuclear bombs, it will bring another Cold War over the Middle East and will undermine our efforts.
Tactical Teams are ever watchful for UBL. Captured Al-Qaeda Agents rage that America has harried any attempt for a terrorist attack. Not to get too cocky. An attack is still a legitimate threat and we must always be on the watch for it.
The resounding success in the Mid East is deafening and is indeed encouraging.

“As our Founding Fathers were aware, freedom and democracy are worth the sacrifice. This is all them more true in the 21st century, when the forces of rogue Islamist regimes and pan-national terrorist organizations continue to pose a grave threat to American security.”

quote:

actually no. the warring factions which warred against each other in teh lebanese civil war have UNITED against the syrians.

Not Hezbollah and the Shiites who demonstrate pro Syria.

The only evidence you can offer up is coincidence. Had the Lebanese suffered from such an attack before the invasion of Iraq, you can't say that they wouldn't have done anything.

There is no way to prove Iraq is having th domino effect the Neo Cons believe.

"What we are seeing in Lebanon is really a reopening of old ethnic/political divisions that existed during the civil war as a result of the assassination of their former prime minister."

actually no. the warring factions which warred against each other in teh lebanese civil war have UNITED against the syrians.

"We see anti-syrian demonstrators because they belive Syria assassinated their beloved former leader, not because of elections in Iraq."

like i said. some of this spread of democracy was given help from outside-bush-control circumstances. such as teh assassination of hityazi (idk) and the death of yasser arafat.
when was there anti syrian protests during the war?
before the war?
there were none. the people of lebanon have been given strength, and have been inspired by teh freedom of iraq's election as my quote will tell you of a lebanese man. (see above)

"People in Ira have been speaking out for some time now and Mubarak has also been pressure for some years. This is all nothing new.[/quote]"

Mubarak has been pressured largely by teh Administration. And the Iranian case is the same as that of the people of lebanon.

quote:

We see that now with the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon, Outspoken Intellectuals in Iran speaking for freedom and Hosni Mubarak being pressured into free elections.

Nice try. This is just continuation of what was happening before we invdaed Irq now being cited as proof taht "freedom" is spreading out from Irq.

What we are seeing in Lebanon is really a reopening of old ethnic/political divisions that existed during the civil war as a result of the assassination of their former prime minister. We see anti-syrian demonstrators because they belive Syria assassinated their beloved former leader, not because of elections in Iraq.

People in Ira have been speaking out for some time now and Mubarak has also been pressure for some years. This is all nothing new.

Probably because I'm more libertarian than liberal.

you are at odds with fellow liberals.

Meh. Call me a skeptic (and that's what I'm being), but I won't acknowledge Bush's "success" until three things happen: terrorism is wiped out, the last American soldier leaves Iraqi soil, and pigs begin to sprout wings and fly around.