Democratizing the Middle East

This article, on Egypt, is from the Khaleej Times. There is no clear idea of what the US administration wants out of "Middle East democracy" nor a feasible plan (see Bush's cheerleading rally yesterday and strategy). There is, however, an increasingly clear strategy in the opposite direction. Or maybe not the opposite direction, since we don't really know what the US direction is by comparison. But we do have some vague sense of US aspirations, don't we? Then here are more signs of growing aspirations in a different direction than the vague plan-for-victory prayers of the administration. The legacy of Bush's Iraq War is the proliferation of unliberal undemocracy.

Young men prevented from voting in the slums of Egypt’s second city say US support for their government has added to their mistrust of a country already deeply unpopular in the Arab world.
The US, criticised by Arabs for invading Iraq and supporting Israel, says it favours greater democracy and respect for human rights in the Arab world but has delivered only mild protests about abuses in elections in Egypt, where hardline candidates have eclipsed the secularists favoured in Washington.
When Egyptian riot police pushed youngsters away from polling stations in a Muslim Brotherhood stronghold in the Nile Delta town of Damanhour at the weekend, youngsters picked up spent teargas canisters and found them marked “Made in USA”.
“Those dogs are fed and clothed by America,” said one of about 800 youths facing riot police who sealed off a polling station in Alexandria to stop Brotherhood supporters from voting in the second stage of Egypt’s parliamentary election.
The Brotherhood, which opposes US policies in the Middle East, has so far won 76 of the 444 elected assembly seats and its tally could top 100 seats after the third and final stage, which starts today and ends on December 7.