Historically, Transition to Democracy Rare Under Military Occupation

Interview with historian Howard Zinn, conducted by Scott Harris

While many political observers in the U.S. are trumpeting the success of Iraq's Jan. 30 election as a first concrete step toward democracy and stability, others caution that the strength of the insurgency will not soon diminish and the war will likely continue. President Bush has cited his invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq that brought elections to those nations, as an example of what he says is among his administration's top priority: the democratic transformation of the Middle East and other authoritarian countries across the world.

But people living in Arab and Persian Gulf nations had mixed reactions to the vote. Many are skeptical that a credible election can take place under a military occupation, while others are concerned that the divisions inside Iraq will be exacerbated by the vote and could lead to civil war. Still, some citizens living under one-party rule expressed hope that a democratic change would take hold in their countries and improve their own lives.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with historian and activist Howard Zinn, who examines the Iraq election by looking at the track record of establishing democracies under military occupations throughout history.

Howard Zinn's best-known work is titled, "A People's History of the United States." Learn more about his work by visiting the website: www.howardzinn.org

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