Democracy and Security International Conference

George W. Bush Speaks at the Conference

The Democracy & Security International Conference also known as the “Democracy and Security: Core Values and Sound Policies” conference was held in Prague on the 5-6th of June, overlapping the 2007 G8 summit in Heiligendamm^[1].

Conference Aims

The aim of the conference was summed up in a background paper by Marc F. Plattner, that argued “building a world of free and democratic states should be our long-term goal”. The world view conveyed by the paper was one where “Increasingly the world is divided between liberal democracies and regimes that are tyrannical”. These tyrannical regimes represent a “growing security threat”, and they are “drawn together” by a “common fear and hatred of liberal democracy”. The hostile regimes “Support terrorism and threaten not only to acquire but to use nuclear weapons”. The regimes themselves were described as comprising of “The unholy trinity of Ahmadinejad, Chavez and Lukashenka”^[2].

According to the Wall Street Journal it was the personal intercession of Natan Sharansky which persuaded George W. Bush to attend in spite of the objections of the State Department.^[3] Sharansky stated at the conference "In today's world of confrontation, there is no better weapon than the promotion of democracy," He argued for the importance of dialogue with dissidents and policy makers, saying "This conference gives those responsible for policy-making an important opportunity for direct dialogue with the dissidents themselves."^[4]

Looking at the conference agenda and the list of attendees (below), the neoconservative credentials of the conference are easily inferred. The subjects discussed focus on expediting political change in selected countries: Mynamar, Cuba, Iran, Belarus. Venezuela were also singled out for criticism in the background paper of the conference”. ^[5]. The potential for dissidents to achieve political change in these countries was a key issue for discussion at the conference. The role of central european states in EU-Russian relations was also discussed, with the conference being underwritten by NATO, these discussions are likely to be centred round the planned U.S. missile defence system which is planned to based in Poland and have a radar base in the Czech republic^[6]

Neoconservative Foreign Policy

Round Table Discussions between dissidents at the conference

Strong elements of neoconservative ideology were prevalent throughout the attendees and agenda at the conference. Neoconservatives advocate an interventionist often aggressive foreign policy and this was reflected through the conference delegations attitudes towards other selected nation states:

Russia: NATO were conference partners and one of the key speakers was Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg. Schwarzenberg signed the agreement with the United States that the radar base for the U.S. European defence missile system was to be installed on Czech soil ^[7]. The missile shield was described by NATO secretary general as “A Key Element For Security”^[8].

Cuba: Rafael Rubio, the president of the Association for the Transition of Cuba attended to offer a dissident perspective against the Cuban regime. ^[9]. Rubio discussed the importance to Cuba of what he called “real paths to the goal of sovereignty, democracy, reconciliation, and rights”. ^[10]. Conference attendees Jan Bubeník and Karel Schwarzenberg, were both arrested and expelled from Cuba for meeting with dissidents^[11]^[12]. Several of the Czech delegation at the conference including Dana Baschová and Igor Klimes are affiliated with the NGO People in Need who aim to “support the opposition movement in Cuba ^[13]”.

Belarus: Belarussian dissident Aliaksandr Milinkevich the President of the Political Council of Democratic Forces of Belarus was at the conference and a conference briefing paper described Belarus along with Venezuela and Iran as an “unholy trinity”.

Iran: Iranian relations were described by Anne Bayevsky reflecting on the conference “There was an elephant in the room that dominated conversations in the coffee breaks and the halls – Iran, its genocidal ambitions, its mad dash towards acquiring nuclear weapons, and its familial relationships with terrorists prepared to use them while screaming the suicide bombers closing argument of choice: Allah Akbar.”^[14]. Reza Pahlavi Opposition Leader to Clerical Regime of Iran was also in attendence.

Conference Agenda

The conference was split into discussion groups who tackled the following issues:

Has the democratization process reached an impasse?
Does the process of democratization contribute to security?
What are the right ways to make the transition from a totalitarian/authoritarian regime to a democracy?
The role of dissidents in society
The role of democratic states, international institutions and the media in the global security environment
The role of central Europeans in EU-Russian relations ^[15]

Organizers

Prague Security Studies Institute
Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem
Foundation for Social Analysis and Studies (FAES)

Participants

DSIC Conference Participants (Detailed)

Affiliations

Contact, References and Resources

Contact

Website: www.democracyandsecurity.org

Resources

Jim Lobe, A Neo-Conservative International Targets Iran, Lobelog.com, 9 June 2007
Anne Bayefsky, Prague Marching Orders: Walking the Talk, National Review Online, 8 June 2007
George Bush, Fora.tv, Bush Speech on Democracy and Security, Accessed 26-February-2009
Karel Schwarzenberg,Karel Schwarzenberg's Speech at “Democracy and Security International Conference” (Prague, June 5, 2007), Accessed 26-February-2009
Rafael Rubio, Remarks Democracy and Security Speech, Accessed 28-February-2009
Security & Democracy International Conference, Conference Program, Accessed 01-March-2009

References

↑ Natan Sharansky, PRESIDENT BUSH TO ADDRESS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS, Accessed 08-March-2009
↑ Marc F. Plattner, Background Paper, Background Paper for the Conference on Democracy and Security, Accessed 08-March-2009
↑ The Ghost House: If Prague can be free, why not Sudan? by BRET STEPHENS, Wall Street Journal, 12 June 2007.
↑ Natan Sharansky, PRESIDENT BUSH TO ADDRESS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS, Accessed 08-March-2009
↑ Marc F. Plattner, Background Paper, Background Paper for the Conference on Democracy and Security, Accessed 08-March-2009
↑ Karen DeYoung, U.S., Poland Closer to Deal on Missile Defense, Washington Post, 2-February-2009, Accessed 11-March-2009
↑ Dan Bilefsky, 08-July-2009, International Herald Tribune, U.S. and Czech Republic sign agreement on missile shield, Accessed 28-February-2009
↑ Radio Free Europe, NATO: Alliance Chief Calls Missile Defense A Key Element For Security, 05-May-2008, Accessed 08-March-2009
↑ Democracy and Security Conference, List of Participants, Accessed 25-February-2009
↑ Rafael Rubio, Remarks Democracy and Security Speech, Accessed 28-February-2009
↑ Mimi Whitefield, (2001), Detentions in Cuba open a bitter divide,Miami Herald, Acessed 26-February-2009
↑ Jennifer Rankin, 19-July-2007, European Voice, The Prince, Accessed 28-February-2009
↑ Radio Prague, (2005), Cuba expels Czech senator, Accessed 26-February-2009
↑ Anne Bayevsky, Prague Marching Orders, National Review Online, 8-June-2007, Accessed 09-March-2009
↑ Security & Democracy International Conference, Conference Program, Accessed 01-March-2009
↑ Democracy and Security International Conference, List of participants List of Participants, Accessed 25-February-2009

[1] Natan Sharansky, PRESIDENT BUSH TO ADDRESS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS, Accessed 08-March-2009

[2] Marc F. Plattner, Background Paper, Background Paper for the Conference on Democracy and Security, Accessed 08-March-2009

[3] The Ghost House: If Prague can be free, why not Sudan? by BRET STEPHENS, Wall Street Journal, 12 June 2007.

[4] Natan Sharansky, PRESIDENT BUSH TO ADDRESS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS, Accessed 08-March-2009

[5] Marc F. Plattner, Background Paper, Background Paper for the Conference on Democracy and Security, Accessed 08-March-2009

[6] Karen DeYoung, U.S., Poland Closer to Deal on Missile Defense, Washington Post, 2-February-2009, Accessed 11-March-2009

[7] Dan Bilefsky, 08-July-2009, International Herald Tribune, U.S. and Czech Republic sign agreement on missile shield, Accessed 28-February-2009

[8] Radio Free Europe, NATO: Alliance Chief Calls Missile Defense A Key Element For Security, 05-May-2008, Accessed 08-March-2009

[9] Democracy and Security Conference, List of Participants, Accessed 25-February-2009

[10] Rafael Rubio, Remarks Democracy and Security Speech, Accessed 28-February-2009

[11] Mimi Whitefield, (2001), Detentions in Cuba open a bitter divide,Miami Herald, Acessed 26-February-2009

[12] Jennifer Rankin, 19-July-2007, European Voice, The Prince, Accessed 28-February-2009

[13] Radio Prague, (2005), Cuba expels Czech senator, Accessed 26-February-2009

[14] Anne Bayevsky, Prague Marching Orders, National Review Online, 8-June-2007, Accessed 09-March-2009

[15] Security & Democracy International Conference, Conference Program, Accessed 01-March-2009

[16] Democracy and Security International Conference, List of participants List of Participants, Accessed 25-February-2009

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Democracy and Security International Conference

Contents

Conference Aims

Neoconservative Foreign Policy

Conference Agenda

Organizers

Participants

Affiliations

Contact, References and Resources

Contact

Resources

References

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