Mideast stability at risk from Iraq  SINGAPORE: With President George W. Bush's personal approval rating at a record low, and with U.S. public opinion turning increasingly against the Iraq war, both supporters as well as critics of U.S. policy in Iraq have substituted spin for considered debate on the war. The midterm elections may not be the best time to debate the war calmly, but Americans should come to grips with one fact: Withdrawal from Iraq is not an option that the United States can consider with a clear conscience. Can America afford to leave behind a seething cauldron that will most certainly destabilize the entire region? A U.S. withdrawal will hand Islamist terrorists a greater victory than the one the mujahadeen achieved in evicting the Soviet Union from Afghanistan. The United States, as well as the rest of the civilized world, including most Islamic states, will not easily recover from so signal a defeat.   Rewarding good governance in Africa   TORONTO: A Sudanese-born billionaire, Mo Ibrahim, is offering a cash award for elected leaders in sub-Saharan Africa who leave office when their term is up, and who strengthen the rule of law while in power. The Mo Ibrahim Award for Achievement in African Leadership is a sad comment on Africa. It seems like a bribe to reinforce the notion of public service. Not a small one, either; it's worth $5- million over 10 years, followed by $200,000 a year for life. Ibrahim says African leaders don't have the money-making opportunities that Western leaders have when they leave office. Those who might be tempted to hang on to power could be swayed by the award. "Would such a prize be offered elsewhere?" asked an academic who dislikes the idea. No, probably not. But the important question is whether Ibrahim's efforts will contribute to ending Africa's culture of despotism.    Drinking Scotland dry  EDINBURGH: Scots might enjoy the benefits of cheap clothing and electronics from China, but there is a downside to trading with the Middle Kingdom. Since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, the import tax on Scotch has been slashed from 65 percent to only 10 percent. As a result, Chinese imports of whisky surged by 86 percent in 2005 alone. In turn, skyrocketing Chinese demand has created relative shortages of whisky and so pushed up the global price. Even in Scotland, drinkers will soon have to pay a pound a bottle more for their tipple. What can be done? Boosting whisky production would help, but it will take at least ten years to come on stream because malts have to be aged. We face even greater demand for Scottish whisky when India gets around to lowering its import tariffs. So we may have to resign ourselves to imbibing less.