On reforms helping Arabs

Two clear patterns have emerged in the post-Sept. 11 era: Arab countries have answered the call to help the United States track down genuine terrorists but the Americans have been anything but appreciative. Explaining why this has been so requires more than an understanding of the familiar differences of opinion over what constitutes terror and what qualifies as legitimate resistance. The gap between the Arab world's actions and the Americans' responses demonstrates the former's inability to produce governments with the standing to make their case in the latter's terms. The United States sees nothing but rot when it looks at Arab regimes, and with good reason: Many Arabs see precisely the same thing.

-- Daily Star, Beirut, Lebanon