Middle East

As someone who doesn't know allot about how the middle east works a few questions come up about the recent revolutions that bother me.

1) Is it possible that 9/11 could have been avoided if the U.S. took a more firm stance againts regimes in the middle east that showed little respect for democracy or human rights? (in other words not support them?)

2) Would it be practical in a strategic or economic sense for us to not do buisness with these kind of states? If so why aren't we?

3) What can the U.S. do to improve its own human rights record after some of the things its done during the war on terror? (for example detaining people for years on end without charges or trial and torture)

1) "a more firm stance againts regimes in the middle east that showed little respect for democracy or human rights" is too ambigious, it could mean either an idealistic shunning of middle eastern dictators without considering the practical consequences or a carefully assessed policy of maximizing the process of gradual political liberalization without compromising political stability or economic efficiency. If it's the former no, if it's the latter, yes.

2) Again not specific enough, obviously we should not go so far as to sell nuclear materials and expertise to middle eastern dictators, likewise we should not use aggressive threats to try and get countries to blockade these countries and shut them off completely. Ideally we should be fostering global free trade since economic cooperation in turn fosters peace and the development of an educated middle class who are in a position to demand political rights for themselves and their lower class brothers, we can't stop Iran and other countries trading globally for arms either so there's no point aggressively trying to stop them unless it is something we do have control over like nuclear materials.

3: Totally abolish the patriot act and invasive and/or disturbing anti-terror laws in a landmark ruling re-affirming the US's love of liberty. Keep the practical laws like intelligence services, special forces, metal detectors, x-raying luggage and sensors for detecting explosives vapors, just cut the fat.