New moderation may be rising in troubled Mideast: "The success of the U.S. attempt to remake Iraq is not guaranteed. And the Israeli-Palestinian peace process is moribund.
But in recent weeks, Libya has said it will abandon plans to pursue weapons of mass destruction. Iran has promised to allow international inspections of its nuclear facilities. Syria has announced that it is again willing to talk peace with Israel.
Egypt and Iran are ending an era of mistrust. So are Turkey and Syria. Saudi Arabia is allowing unprecedented internal debate.
''It's the end of radicalism,'' says Abdel Monem Said, director of the Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in ter for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo. Said said that ''radical movements, whether pan-Islamic or pan-Arab, have come to the conclusion that continuation of confrontation with the status quo or the West in general is either futile or very costly.''"
But in recent weeks, Libya has said it will abandon plans to pursue weapons of mass destruction. Iran has promised to allow international inspections of its nuclear facilities. Syria has announced that it is again willing to talk peace with Israel.
Egypt and Iran are ending an era of mistrust. So are Turkey and Syria. Saudi Arabia is allowing unprecedented internal debate.
''It's the end of radicalism,'' says Abdel Monem Said, director of the Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in ter for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo. Said said that ''radical movements, whether pan-Islamic or pan-Arab, have come to the conclusion that continuation of confrontation with the status quo or the West in general is either futile or very costly.''"
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