For example, the Western emphasis on reform and democracy in recent years has been used more often than not as a threat, a typical message being: “Help us in Iraq or we will press for democracy and human rights in your own country.” And the Arab reply is equally threatening: “Stop pressing us on the reform issue or we won’t cooperate in the ‘war on terror’!”
而为了维持这个联盟，双方都用尽了胡萝卜加大棒等十八般手段。比如说，西方这些年来对改革和民主的强调简直就是某种威胁，常用的典型口吻如下：“帮我们搞定伊拉克，否则我们就在你家里推广民主人权！”而阿拉伯人这边的回答同样也毫不示弱：“别在我这里搞改革，不然就别想我们支持你的‘反恐战争’！”