{ "id": "RL33486", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "RL33486", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 316134, "date": "2006-06-15", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T18:59:56.991029", "title": "U.S. Democracy Promotion Policy in the Middle East: The Islamist Dilemma", "summary": "This report assesses U.S. policy toward Islamist organizations in the Arab world, specifically\nthose\ngroups that have renounced violence and terrorism. The report analyzes U.S. government attitudes\ntoward Islamist movements and investigates how U.S. democracy promotion policy is applied in\nthree Arab countries with a significant Islamist presence in the political sphere: Morocco, Egypt,\nand Jordan. It may be updated periodically to include new case studies of Islamist movements in\nAlgeria, Yemen, Kuwait, Bahrain, or areas outside the Arab world.\n The Bush Administration has made the promotion of democracy in the Middle East a national\nsecurity priority, stating that greater political freedom can undercut the forces of Islamic radicalism\nand indoctrination. As U.S. democracy promotion policies have moved forward, policy makers have\nconfronted a significant dilemma: how to respond to challenges posed by political Islamist\nmovements (i.e. parties and political organizations that promote social and political reform in\naccordance with Islamic religious principles that may lead them to oppose U.S. foreign policy).\n In response to this dilemma, some observers have questioned whether the United States should\nexert pressure on Arab governments to open their political systems and respect human rights with\nthe knowledge that such steps, if successful, may benefit Islamist groups. Representing a powerful\nand popular political force in the Arab world today, many Islamist political parties and organizations\nare largely opposed, at least rhetorically, to key aspects of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East,\nsuch as support for Israel, the occupation of Iraq, and the large U.S. military presence in the Persian\nGulf. Elections in Iraq, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority that were supported by the United States\nhave strengthened the political positions of Islamist organizations, including, in the case of Hamas,\narmed groups that have refused to renounce violence.\n Non-violent Islamist groups, which have chosen or been permitted to peacefully participate in\npolitics, present their own challenges to U.S. policy makers. This report raises the following\nquestions: Are Islamists liberal democrats or fundamentalists? Should the United States support their\nparticipation in democratic politics? Do non-violent Islamists welcome dialogue with the United\nStates or would such action discredit them among their followers?\n While many continue to speculate over the direction of U.S. democracy promotion in the\nMiddle East, Congress may use its oversight authority to bring further clarity to the Administration's\nregional strategy, particularly on the issue of dealing with Islamist groups. Congress also\nappropriates funds for regional democratization programs and foreign aid projects and may specify\nthat these funds be used for certain projects or channeled to certain groups.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL33486", "sha1": "7e4bf8cbcadd22346bc6bbabb806024563c83834", "filename": "files/20060615_RL33486_7e4bf8cbcadd22346bc6bbabb806024563c83834.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL33486", "sha1": "cb9f6ca13400a857ee2502126d5202971c35951b", "filename": "files/20060615_RL33486_cb9f6ca13400a857ee2502126d5202971c35951b.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] } ], "topics": [ "Foreign Affairs", "Intelligence and National Security" ] }