Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine. The Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution

The Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Center for Special Studies (C.S.S) has a great article about how Palestinians are starting to view the Gaza Strip. According to CSS

In an exceptional statement on the first anniversary of the disengagement, Hamas government spokesman Ghazi Hamad criticized anarchy and corruption in the Gaza Strip, blaming Palestinian society and no, as usual, the Israeli “occupation.” He also criticized rocket attacks against Israel, which he said did more harm than good, and said the Palestinians had to search their souls to extricate themselves from their situation.

In return, an August 28 editorial in the Palestinian Authority's official paper, Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda , leveled criticism at Ghazi Hamad's statements.

It stated that the Hamas government was responsible for the dire situation . It is the government, said the article, which is responsible for keeping public order, preventing crime and ending anarchy. The editorial called upon the Hamas government to establish a government of technocrats and coordinate the
activities of the various security apparatuses to extricate the PA from the crisis it has been foundering in since the movement rose to power in January 2006.

This situation is of immense importance since both sides (the PA government and newspapers) are truly beginning to examine the root causes for anarchy and despair among the Palestinian people. Israel's unilateral withdraw from Gaza put the PA in charge of Palestinians for the first time. They are now recognizing it is not Israel which is depressing Palestinians, but their own terrorist organizations.

Just as with Lebanese with regards to Hezbollah, Palestinians with regards to Hamas and Fatah, and Iraqis with regards to Al Qaeda and other internal terrrorists, many Muslims are beginning to look inward as a cause to their plight as opposed to outward against Israel and the United States. These three Muslim dominated countries/terroritories have a chance at democracy if they so choose to secure and embrace it.

With US assistance, Iraqis are actively trying to secure democracy in Iraq. Now with UN assistance, Lebanese can secure democracy in Lebanon. Palestinians too are looking inward to secure democracy in Gaza. Iranians are getting fed up with their internally imposed oppression and descent is growing there too.

As I have stated before, the beacon of light and hope which is a democratic Iraq is beginning to shine bright throughout the Middle East. Muslims want hope, peace, and freedom to pursue a productive life for themselves and their children. The "New Middle East" initiative of exporting democracy is beginning to take hold in the Middle East despite the efforts of the likes of Bin Laden, Zarqawi, Ahmadinejad, Assad, and Nashallah.

During this war, there will be setbacks here and there, but if we stay the course in Iraq and Afghanistan, the beacon of freedom and hope will only shine brighter throughout the Middle East.

Terrorists, insurgencies, and oppressive rulers at the very least need tacit support of their populations to continue to persist. This support has greatly eroded in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and it is beginning to erode in Gaza and Iran.

In just five short years since 9/11, democracy in the Middle East is taking hold. Citizens are questioning their leaders like never before in this oppressive part of the world. Palestinian jailed in Israel have come up with a National Conciliation Document of the Prisoners not unlike the 1776 Declaration of Independence that resulted in the 1787 Constitution which was ratified and formed the USA in 1789. One wonders what the Middle East will look like in six to eight more years given this analogy?