Lebanon and Iraq are gearing up for elections that many fear could result in victories for the Lebanese Hezbollah, a designated terrorist organization, and the Iraqi Al-Hashd, an Iranian proxy that maintains its own paramilitary force. These elections raise, once again, long-standing questions about democracy in the Middle East and America’s role in promoting it:

Is democracy in the Middle East possible? Is it in America’s interests? Can it be imposed? Will it result in victories for radicals?