There is a gross misunderstanding of a democracy. Some believe ANY form of government that is put into place by a popular vote is a democracy. To be a democracy, EVERYONE must be given certain BASIC rights under the government formed. The right of FREE SPEECH. THE RIGHT TO VOTE. THE RIGHT TO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM and THE RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS at a minimum. If in an election the majority selected a Dictatorship, a Communist form of government or a Monarchy, the resulting government is not a democracy. In fact the most likely consequence of the voters choosing a Theocracy, Dictatorship, Communist government or a Monarchy is that if in the future the majority wanted a different form of government, they would be prevented from selecting that new government by another vote. It would require a popular uprising to effect a change in the type of government.
The form or government that has resulted from the Bush policies in the Moslem world so far has created governments where the rights are predicated on a religious creed which in the case of Moslem countries is Islam. Any laws passed by the legislative body and all judicial rulings must conform to Islamic Law. If there is a conflict between the secular laws and the religious law, the religious law is supreme. That is true in the case Abdul Rahman in Afghanistan. It is true in the government elected in December in Iraq and it is true in the government elected in Palestine.
There is a basic conflict for Bush who is now faced with a dilemma. Even if he is able to get Rahman freed, the issue is not settled so long as Islamic law is the controlling principal in these countries. What we have accomplished is created three new governments like the government in Iran. In no way has the Bush policy in the Moslem World created free democratic governments that have reduced the danger to America!