Uploaded January 2025 | Updated September 2026, 11 hours ago
Two Middle East experts held a formal discussion about whether the United States should rely on Islamists. Reuel Marc Gerecht, former member of the Central Intelligence Agency, argued that democratization efforts should be encouraged, but not at the expense of giving opportunity to groups, including Hamas, that the United States does not want to see come to power in the Islamic World.
He said that the propagation of democracy could leave the Middle East suffering from traumas and in the short term be possibly anti-American. Daniel Pipes debated that there should be a gradual transition, rather than intense policies on democratization of the region. During their debate, he two experts spoke about the political process in Iran and Iraq. (10-24-2005)
Two Middle East experts held a formal discussion about whether the United States should rely on Islamists. Reuel Marc Gerecht, former member of the Central Intelligence Agency, argued that democratization efforts should be encouraged, but not at the expense of giving opportunity to groups, including Hamas, that the United States does not want to see come to power in the Islamic World.
He said that the propagation of democracy could leave the Middle East suffering from traumas and in the short term be possibly anti-American. Daniel Pipes debated that there should be a gradual transition, rather than intense policies on democratization of the region. During their debate, he two experts spoke about the political process in Iran and Iraq. (10-24-2005)
