Letter: Iraqi example inspired Arab Spring

Crediting President Barack Obama with the internal strife spreading throughout the Middle East is pure wishful thinking and just an effort to grab onto any success that would help the president's re-election chances ["Credit prez for 'Spring,'" Letters, Nov. 25]. Arab displeasure with their governments is a result of failure to provide citizens with other means of organizing political discourse and life. In addition, these same governments have proven incompetent to respond to requests of their citizens for more responsive governance.

I believe that the most important moving force behind the demonstrations is the Iraqi attempt to create an elected representative system of government. We on Long Island may not have been paying attention to this part of recent Iraqi history, but Arabs throughout the Middle East certainly have been talking, reading and viewing. The Iraqi influence cannot be overstated.