So, a servant of the great satan (and therefore not just some pinko dhimmi) says the US should not only support the democracies it likes, but allow the ones it's doesn't see eye-to-eye with to continue to exist. The example of Algeria is an interesting one -but not the only one, Somalia and the government of the Islamic courts could also be considered.

Below are some of my thoughts, not meant to guide the discussion in any way.

Why does the US and others balk at the idea of even a mildly Islamist government? Would the US be as safe (less or more?) if it relaxed a bit about political Islam, recognising as Mr Grenier does, a difference between AL Qaida type violent jihadis and other Islamist political organisations?

Those who have studied movements such as Hamas chart a swing in its policy between populist Islamism and pragmatic governing. Pushing such groups back out into the cold has been said to re-enforce their dogmatic Islamism when they could instead be brought into the center of peaceful and rational politics.