Realism and Democracy: American Foreign Policy after the Arab Spring

316 Pages·2017·2.9 MB·English

by  Elliott Abrams

Advance Praise for Realism and Democracy
“Elliott Abrams has done the country another important service. This
outstandingbookremindsusthattheenduringpowerofAmericaisthat,
atourbest,weseeourinterestsasourvalues,andourvaluesasourinter-
ests. Now more than ever, Americans and their leaders need to under-
standthatsupportforhumanrightshasbeen,andshouldremain,akey
pillarofU.S.foreignpolicy.Thisbookcouldnotbemoretimelyormore
significant.”
–SenatorJohnMcCain
“ElliottAbramsgivesusabrilliantreviewofthefightforfreedom,show-
ingwithclaritywhatworksandwhatdoesnot.Butevenmore,hehigh-
lightsthepossibilitiesforprogressthatmaybegainedfromadetermined,
long-termstrategyadvocatingdemocracyandhumanrights.”
–TheHonorableGeorgeP.Shultz
“A powerful and persuasive argument that realism as well as American
idealsshouldleadustosupportthestruggleforfreedom.”
–JosephLieberman,formerUSSenatorfromConnecticut,
SeniorCounsel,Kasowitz,Benson,andTorres
“Sincethe1980s,noUSofficialhasdonemoretoadvancethecauseof
democracyandhumanrightsthanElliottAbrams.Herebringinghisvast
experience to bear on American policy in the Middle East, he makes a
powerful,pragmaticcaseforpromotingdemocraticreforminEgyptand
other Arab autocracies. Sure to be controversial in the best sense – his
argumentscannotbeignored.”
–RobertKagan,SeniorFellow,BrookingsInstitute,
authorofTheWorldAmericaMade
“DrawingonhisexperienceasamakerandanobserverofAmericanfor-
eign policy over many decades and presidential administrations, Elliott
Abrams offers a powerful and timely case for why the United States
shouldcontinueworkingtoadvancedemocracy,humanrights,anduni-
versalvalues in the Middle East – not justfor instrumental reasons, but
alsoasendsinandofthemselves.”
–SenatorMarcoRubio
“America’sgreatestassetinworldpoliticsisitsassociationwithfreedom.
Elliott Abrams brings unique experience as an American official who
understoodthepoweroffreedom–andrealizedthatanAmericanstrat-
egytoadvancedemocracyadvancesAmericaninterests.Hereheexplains
howmenlikeScoopJackson,GeorgeShultz,andRonaldReaganworked
to support liberty and democracy – and how to build on their legacy
today,includingintheArabworld.EveryofficialintheStateDepartment
shouldberequiredtoreadthisbook.”
–NatanSharansky,ChairmanoftheJewishAgency,humanrights
activistandformerpoliticalprisonerintheSovietUnion
REALISM AND DEMOCRACY
AmericaisturningawayfromsupportfordemocratsinArabcountriesinfavor
of “pragmatic” deals with tyrants to defeat violent Islamist extremism. For too
manypolicymakers,Arabdemocracyisseenasadangerousluxury.InRealism
andDemocracy,ElliottAbramsmarshalsfourdecadesofexperienceasanAmeri-
canofficialandleadingMiddleEastexperttoshowthatdealswithtyrantswillnot
work.Islamismisanideathatcanonlybedefeatedbyabetteridea:democracy.
ThroughacarefulanalysisofAmerica’srecordofdemocracypromotioninthe
regionandbeyond,fromtheColdWartotheObamayears,Abramsprovesthat
repressionhelpsIslamistsbeatdemocrats,whilepoliticalopeningsoffermoder-
atesandliberalsachance.ThisbookmakesapowerfulargumentforanAmer-
icanforeignpolicythatcombinespracticalpoliticsandidealismandrefusesto
abandonthosestrugglingfordemocracyandhumanrightsintheArabworld.
ElliottAbramsisSeniorFellowforMiddleEasternStudiesattheCouncilonFor-
eignRelations.HeservedasAssistantSecretaryofStateforHumanRightsunder
RonaldReaganandasaDeputyNationalSecurityAdviserintheadministration
ofGeorgeW.Bush,wherehehandledMiddleEastpolicyfortheWhiteHouse.
His previous book, Tested by Zion, is the definitive account of the Bush admin-
istration and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and won the Bronze Prize in 2013
fromtheWashingtonInstituteforNearEastPolicyasoutstandingbookofthe
yearontheMiddleEast.AbramsisamemberoftheboardoftheU.S.National
EndowmentforDemocracy.

REALISM AND DEMOCRACY
American Foreign Policy after the Arab Spring
Elliott Abrams
ACouncilonForeignRelationsBook
OneLibertyPlaza,20thFloor,NewYork,NY10006,USA
CambridgeUniversityPressispartoftheUniversityofCambridge.
ItfurtherstheUniversity’smissionbydisseminatingknowledgeinthepursuitof
education,learning,andresearchatthehighestinternationallevelsofexcellence.
www.cambridge.org
Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9781108415620
DOI:10.1017/9781108234894
(cid:2)C ElliottAbrams2017
Thispublicationisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexception
andtotheprovisionsofrelevantcollectivelicensingagreements,
noreproductionofanypartmaytakeplacewithoutthewritten
permissionofCambridgeUniversityPress.
Firstpublished2017
PrintedinTheUnitedStatesofAmericabySheridanBooks,Inc.
AcataloguerecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Names:Abrams,Elliott,author.
Title:Realismanddemocracy:Americanforeignpolicyafter
theArabSpring/ElliottAbrams.
Description:NewYork,N.Y.:CambridgeUniversityPress,2017.|
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
Identifiers:LCCN2017020173|ISBN9781108415620(hardback)
Subjects:LCSH:Arabcountries–Foreignrelations–UnitedStates.|
UnitedStates–Foreignrelations–Arabcountries.|ArabSpring,2010–|
Arabcountries–Politicsandgovernment–21stcentury.|BISAC:
POLITICALSCIENCE/Government/International.
Classification:LCCDS63.2.U5A357 2017|DDC327.73056–dc23
LCrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2017020173
ISBN978-1-108-41562-0Hardback
CambridgeUniversityPresshasnoresponsibilityforthepersistenceoraccuracyof
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To
Raphael,Maya,Samson,Levi,Lily,Shiloh,
andthosetocome
The creation of a free society, as the history of existing democracies in the world
makesclear,isnoeasymatter.TheexperienceoftheTurkishrepublicoverthelast
halfcenturyandofsomeotherMuslimcountriesmorerecentlyhasdemonstratedtwo
things:first,thatitisindeedverydifficulttocreateademocracyinsuchasociety,
andsecond,thatalthoughdifficult,itisnotimpossible.
The study of Islamic history and of the vast and rich Islamic political literature
encouragesthebeliefthatitmaywellbepossibletodevelopdemocraticinstitutions–
not necessarily in our Western definition of that much misused term, but in one
deriving from their own history and culture and ensuring, in their way, limited
governmentunderlaw,consultationandopenness,inacivilizedandhumanesoci-
ety....
[T]heforcesoftyrannyandterrorarestillverystrongandtheoutcomeisfarfrom
certain....Thewaragainstterrorandthequestforfreedomareinextricablylinked,
andneithercansucceedwithouttheother.Thestruggleisnolongerlimitedtoone
ortwocountries,assomeWesternersstillmanagetobelieve.Ithasacquiredfirsta
regionalthenaglobaldimension,withprofoundconsequencesforallofus.
Iffreedomfailsandterrortriumphs,thepeoplesofIslamwillbethefirstandgreatest
victims.Theywillnotbealone,andmanyotherswillsufferwiththem.
BernardLewis,“DemocracyandtheEnemiesofFreedom,”WallStreet
Journal,December22,2003.Availableatwww.wsj.com/articles/
SB107205654377356100