It is important to understand what these initiatives are, how they can be useful in harbouring peace, harmony and stability in the region, and whether or not they can be expected to achieve the desired results.
Offshoots of the US anti-terrorism strategy and a “Forward Strategy of Freedom,” these initiatives are supposed to help reduce the threat of radical Islamic forces that have become more active as a reaction to the US-led War on Terror.
The US has expressed strong conviction that initiatives like the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and the Greater Middle East Initiative (GMEI) could eliminate the political and social unrest in the region that has been especially exacerbated since 9/11. Most of the West, especially the United States, considers that autocratic rule is the root cause of evils such as the lack of education, political institutions, economic development, and most importantly (for them) empowerment of women. The present US reform initiatives in the region are apparently carried out in the context of efforts by external powers to bring changes - that may be permanent - in the internal situation of the region by strengthening security and stability among the regional states. Although apparently, such powers try to provide better solutions to problems in the region, their actions have demonstrated little concern about the actual issues, like territorial conflicts, ideological clashes and the struggles for ethnic dominance in the region. The intricacies of dealing with this region are intensified by the fact that, historically, one or more superpowers have always remained involved in the internal matters of the Middle East, offsetting the rival superpower or groups of powers. The Middle East becomes even more complex when North African and South Asian countries are also included. The Middle East is a junction of ethically, ideologically and socially distinct nations, mainly including the Arabs, Iranians, Turks and Jews as a region, it is characterized by frequent, protracted social and territorial conflicts, and is a political pivot of contemporary international security issues. The declared objectives of the Bush administration are multifaceted, with more emphasis on open markets and exporting democracy. The “Greater Middle East Initiative” is an ambitious plan of the US government for engagement with the countries that occupy the huge geographical area from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to Pakistan in the east and from the Turkish Black Sea coast in the north to Yemen in the south.
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