Rice makes a case for democracy in the Muslim world
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a forceful case for democracy in the Muslim world yesterday, telling Egypt’s conservative government leaders “the fear of free choices can no longer justify the denial of liberty.”
Rice’s remarks were to some 700 invited government officials, academics and other guests at the American University in Cairo. The setting is notable, both because Egypt plans multi-party elections in the autumn and because the Bush administration has made no secret of its dissatisfaction with political progress and the treatment of opposition figures by the government of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
