"Friedman supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq, writing that the establishment of a democratic state in the Middle East would force other countries in the region to liberalize and modernize."[1]
"Nevertheless, until his piece dated August 4, 2006, his columns remained hopeful to the possibility of a positive conclusion to the Iraq conflict [...] Friedman chided George W. Bush and Tony Blair for "hyping" the evidence, and stated plainly that converting Iraq to democracy "would be a huge undertaking, though, and maybe impossible, given Iraq's fractious history"."[1]
"his recurrent assertion that "the next six months" will prove critical in determining the outcome of the conflict. A May 2006 study by Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting cited 14 examples of Friedman's declaring the next "few months" or "six months" as a decisive or critical period"[1]
Anywho, just a bit of explanation for why they might be noting him, since the article doesn't strictly require him to make the theory work.