Every one of these countries contain a popular extreme Islamist element, which could use elections as a means to gian the power to eventaully destroy democracy, instead of fostering it.

It’s beyond me to foretell the future, but I can certainly understand a need for cautious, incremental steps. I wonder if the focus on national elections is not putting the cart before the horse. I would pay more attention on a country’s judcicial system and areas like education, if I were to form US policy. Preparing a society for democracy seems like a necessary first stage to delivering it via national elections, regardless of the state of the society.