As virtually the only pillar of government left intact, the military now could play a pivotal role in determining whether a new autocrat or the first Arab democracy emerges from the tumult that brought down Mr. Ben Ali — a question that has captivated the region.hey, i thought that iraq was the first arab democracy? at least that's what they kept telling me during the bush years. it's funny how that talk in the u.s. media has faded away.
both iraq and lebanon have legitimate claims at being "arab democracies" today. both are flawed democracies, of course (is there any democracy that isn't?) if you're going to name a first, i would think it would be lebanon. even if their democracy is too flawed to count now, they had an elected parliament and prime minister in 1946, when france finally recognized its independence. and, unlike most other arab countries, since independence lebanon doesn't have a recent history of being ruled by a single king or dictator.
