U.S. Muffles Sweeping Call to Democracy in Mideast

(New York Times) Steven R. Weisman - The Bush administration, yielding to protests from European and Arab leaders, has set aside its plan to issue a sweeping call for economic, political, and cultural reform in the Middle East at a June conference, American and Arab officials said Thursday. The conference will instead proclaim its endorsement of reforms underway in the Middle East.