Clinton Gives Scathing Talk On Reform In Arab States.

DOHA, Qatar -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered a scalding critique of Arab leaders here on Thursday, saying their countries risked ''sinking into the sand'' of unrest and extremism unless they liberalized their political systems and cleaned up their economies. Speaking at a conference in this gleaming Persian Gulf emirate, Mrs. Clinton recited a familiar litany of ills: corruption, repression and a lack of rights for women and religious minorities. But her remarks were striking for their vehemence, and they suggested a frustration that the Obama administration's message to the Arab world had not gotten through. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]