Debaters punch holes in Bush’s democracy rhetoric

[Kadie]

Debaters punch holes in Bush’s democracy rhetoric
Web posted at: 4/2/2005 2:25:25

DOHA: Participants at the fifth chapter of Qatar Foundation’s Doha Debates blasted President George W Bush for what they called his undemocratic policies in the Middle East and refuted his claims of promoting democracy and reforms in the region in the wake of the Iraq war.

The motion for the day was: “This house believes that George W Bush has kicked open the door to democracy in the Middle East.” At the end of a heated and lively debate, the audience rejected the motion with a majority of 73 per cent votes, against the 27 per cent who voted in favour of the motion.

The debate began with its famous host Tim Sebastian introducing the panelists to the audience, which comprised students and faculty members of the Education City and several Qatari and Arab dignitaries. Speaking in favour of the motion were Fouad Ajami, director of Midde East Studies at the John Hopkins University School for Advanced International Studies, and Salameh B Nematt, the Washington DC Bureau chief for Al Hayat and LBC.

The panelists who spoke against the motion were Ghayti Armanazi, chairman of the Arab International Media Forum and former Arab League ambassador to London and Dr Azzam S Tamimi, head of Institute of Political Thought in London.

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=April2005&file=Local_News2005040222525.xml

[slor]

1. Thanks for posting this...

my belief that the chimp "brought democracy to the Middle East" argument would be something of an insult to those that were actually working for it, peacefully, has been confirmed.

[0007]

2. Perhaps one day junior will have an escort to the Hague.

"Girls dominated the scene by strongly articulating their sentiments against the Bush administration, which they felt was unjust in advocating democracy after devastating a whole nation and killing its people"...