Something Iraq currently is not.
Of course it is. They have independent institutions to secure the democracy. It is not a fig leaf covering an authoritarian regime. All people of Iraq has representation and deals and negotiation is occurring.
Proves there is a free press, which you claimed was not the case.
Wait, so now your saying Iraq didn't influence the need for protests but the Arabs will look to Iraq as a political model? Do you mean parliamentary democracy?
This is what I have been saying. But even more, Iraq will be a model for political transformation to a democracy. Other instances of democracies do not provide a recent example of transition. There are more than one cause for this. It is not black and white. Events in Iraq, and very importantly to the region, the coverage of these events by Al Jazeera, provide this model of transformation.
What do you think of Al Jazeera? It is in a VERY UNIQUE position within the region. Can you say PsyOps?
Turkey has also influenced them, arguably more. The protests where started because of the economic situation specific to there nation. They look at Iraq and see a nation with far more economic problems then them. I could say Turkey on the other hand, did. It is economically stable, and expanding. Democracy was domestically achieved there, not imported. Its foreign policy is far reaching, its military is strong, its judiciary independent.
Turkey is non-Arab and does not provide a recent example of transformation.
But im merely speculating, as you are. Only you talk with a flawed conviction.
Then is it your position that events in Iraq over the past 7 years have had NO IMPACT on events in the region or the protests within Tunisia and Egypt? How do we evaluate that impact? The only thing that comes to my mind is opinion surveys of folks in the Arab world.
If Iraq inspired them, why protest now?
There own plight inspired them.
As I said, both Iraq as a model and internal, local conditions and example of protests in Tunisia all fomented the current protests in Egypt.
Are you not aware of what is happening?
Explain the connection to Turkey, with the protests in Egypt.
The impact of Turkey will be to help democratization of ME countries as Turkey's influence grows over the region to counter Iran and re-establish a pseudo-Ottoman Empire again. The economy, literacy, and diplomacy will dominate the ME over the next 30 years. Turkey unequivocally supports the opposition to these dictatorships.
It took egyptians to topple the interior ministers fascism, not an external power.
I don't understand your point. Please explain.