Letter urges Obama to push for democracy in Mideast
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/03/10/obama.mideast/art.b.obama.afp.gi.jpg caption="A letter from scholars and experts notes President Obama has taken steps to reach out to the Middle East."]
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Prominent scholars and experts are urging President Obama to adopt strong policies backing democracy in the Middle East.
More than 140 people signed an open letter to the president. Its message will be the topic of a news conference Tuesday at the National Press Club in Washington.
"We urge you to elevate democratic reform and respect for human rights as key considerations in your engagement with both Arab regimes and Arab publics," the letter said.
"We are writing this letter to raise our profound belief that supporting democrats and democracy in the Middle East is not only in the region's interests, but in the United States' as well."
The signees hail from the United States and across the globe. They include college professors, members and heads of think tanks, and activists.
You can't FORCEa country to be a democracy.
That hasn't worked for the past 6 years as we've slogged through the quagmire of Iraq.
The petrodictators of the Middle East have no stake in promoting democracy when they can drill a hole and pump revenue straight out of the ground with little to no workforce required.