I don't think it's hypothetical whether or not it's a good idea to topple secular dictators in the Middle East and hope to get a good outcome and hope that stability comes thereafter.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Were there peace and justice in the Middle East, the Arabs would no more need their tinhorn dictators than they would their corpulent princes.
There is little doubt that an unstable Syria will destabilize the whole Middle East.
The situation of any leader in the Middle East is not easy.
Certainly we've seen the enormous changes across the whole of the Middle East. The democratic genie is out of the bottle.
No Arab ruler will consider the peace process seriously so long as he is able to toy with the idea of achieving more by the way of violence.
Some leaders think time will solve the problem. Their hope is that Assad's regime will ultimately fall from the heavy toll of the horrors it has spawned. From past experience with such regimes, this scenario is unlikely to happen.
Can you get a democracy in Saudi Arabia? These people talk about theocracy, not democracy. So I think it's a very tough situation.
You in the West have been sold the idea that the only options in the Arab world are between authoritarian regimes and Islamic jihadists. That's obviously bogus.
I don't believe in regime change, certainly not in the Middle East.
The Middle East is hopeful. There's hope there.