As bombings, assassinations, mortar attacks and helicopter downings threaten the success of the U.S. mission in Iraq, the top priority of Bremer and the American military commanders is likely to swing, as it did in the 1960s, from promoting democracy to combating insurgency.
The panorama remains bleak, with the challenges posed by leftist terrorists and narcotics traffickers still untamed, but the Government believes the key to the survival of democracy lies in combating extreme poverty.
However, the country appears well-placed to avoid the oil curse, given its comparably favorable track record on democracy, press freedom, combating corruption and general government effectiveness.
Some inter-American summits -- initiated by President Bill Clinton in 1994 -- have been dull gab-fests and bland photo-ops, others have featured dramatic divisions among the assembled leaders, while still others have produced constructive agreements on issuing ranging from promoting democracy and combating corruption to growing regional commerce and broadening access to quality education.
Successfully moving Pakistan from military rule to civilian-run democracy is essential to combating extremism.
He said that while they were not a powerful army invading Syria "they are not combating for democracy and freedoms but they are combating for their own agendas".
Both are strong electoral democracies that have combated corruption and have the highest per capita income.
Those of us who support President Bush's focus on spreading democracy as the best long-term solution to combating terrorism need to wrestle with the conundrum created by situations in which democracy can lead to the election of Islamists, as in Algeria in 1990 and 1991.
If he applies the same approach to other restless nationalities or uses excessive force in combating crime, he will undermine democracy.
But when it comes to combating the internal threats to democracy, defenders of that system are still in the early stages.
