Countries and regions ruled by radical Islamists don't permit women to travel unless escorted by a male relative, limit the availability of medical care and forbid access to higher education. In far too many places, women are not allowed to have their own bank accounts, use a cell phone, participate in political debate or to vote.
Just before the December 2005 election in Iraq, Mamun Rashid, governor of Anbar province told me, "This election will change everything because women are going to vote."
When I asked him why that would change things in Iraq, he replied, "Because women don't vote to have their sons become suicide bombers." Nearly half the ballots in the 2005 election were cast by women.
The American troops I'm heading off to cover for FOX News understand this. They realize the reduced violence in Iraq today can be attributed to much more than simply a "surge" in U.S. forces.
If a broader peace process is to work in the Middle East, then the Annapolis conference participants need to be convinced that granting women the right to vote is essential. The best antidote for radical Islamic terror is a woman's purple finger.
Oliver North is the founder and honorary chairman of Freedom Alliance and author of The Assassins .
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