Never read it. But the idea of empowering moderate Arabs to reform the Mideast from the ground up is a common theme in a lot of academic circles.
I raised that point when i was playing the liberal contrarion position, but actually I'm more partial to COL JM's position. The idea of a "moderate Arab" wellspring of democratic reform is, to a certain extent, a white whale. Not that I think the Mideast is completely incapable of self-reform, but rather that Arab tribal culture and (even more so) Islam are so strong that its hard to imagine any liberal reform group gaining enough traction for true bottom up democracy.
I think the best hope for democracy in the Mideast is top-down not bottom-up. Enlightened, liberal leaders gently and steadily pushing their countries towards modernity, primarily through economic and education reform first (to create a middle class) and then gradually incorporating political and culture liberties. Look at Jordan, UAE, and Qatar and you'll see what I mean.
If you're interested in the question of "moderate Arabs"...You might want to check out "The Last Crusade: Americanism and the Islamic Reformation." I'm only about halfway through it, but it makes a very convincing argument on how Islamic theology has basically suffocated native political reform and technological advancement at almost every stage of Islamic history.
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Crusade-A...7275549&sr=8-2