The United States flaunts the banner of democracy in the Middle East onlywhen that advances its economic, military, or strategic interests. The historyof the past six decades shows that whenever there has been conflict betweenfurthering democracy in the region and advancing American national interests,U.S. administrations have invariably opted for the latter course. Furthermore,when free and fair elections in the Middle East have produced results that runcontrary to Washington's strategic interests, it has either ignored them ortried to block the recurrence of such events.