Stability vs. Democracy: Sec. Rice in North Africa

Secretary Rice continued her tour of North Africa with visits to Algeria and Tunisia. Her meetings with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and President Zine Abidine Ben Ali, respectively, focused on counterterrorism cooperation. Though she said she raised the issue of democratic reform in private meetings.  “We talked about internal matters here in Tunisia and about the course of reform,” Rice said. “We have been very clear that we would hope that Tunisia would do more.”

In Algeria, Rice called President Bouteflika “truly one of the wise men” of the region.  No word on who else makes the secretary’s “wise men” short list.

Bret Stephens in the WSJ argues that Rice’s rapprochment with Libya represents the final “triumph of the stability agenda over the freedom one.”