View from the Middle East
Brookings wondered what people in the Middle East think about the United States and what leaders they value most. So they they decided to release an opinion poll conducted by the University of Maryland / Zogby International. The results are not exactly encouraging: Arabs greatly dislike America, and support the most anti-American and even terrorist (supporting) leaders in the world.
83% of Arabs polled, the poll was conducted in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Marocco, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, said they think little of the United States. 70% expressed no confidence whatsoever in the US.
“Still, Arabs continue to rank the US among the top countries with freedom and democracy for their own people. 32% believe that, from the point of view of advancing peace in the Middle East, American policy will remain the same, no matter whowins the US elections.”
As if that’s not bad enough, the Arabs asked seem to support the most ruthless and anti-American leaders out there. “Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, increased his popularity as the mostadmired leader in the Arab world (26%) There was also an increase in the popularity of President Bashar Assad of Syria. Also striking, however, was the emerging popularity of modernizing Sunni Arab leaders, particularly Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al Maktoum of Dubai, when respondents identify the twoleaders they admire most.”
What is interesting is that France is viewed quite favorably, as is China, and that “views of Pakistan have declined.”
They were also asked about the war in Iraq: only 6% said they think that the surge is working / effective. 19% said they believe that, although the surge is worthless, Iraq “is headed toward a stable political settlement.”
31%, on the other hand, said that they believe that the decrease in violence is temporary, and that it’s “only a matter of time before violence increases again.” 36% even went so far as to say that they simply don’t believe “the reports of a significant reduction in violence.”
With regards to Israel, 41% of Arabs believe that Israeli policies in the region and American support for them are caused by the fact that the US and Israel “have mutual interests most of the time.” 26%, on the other hand, said they believe Israel “is a tool of US foreign policy,” and 24% said that “Israel influences the US to support its policies.”
Is this news? Yes its a problem but how much should America react to Arab public opinion. Given all the problems with the Israel/Palestine conflict do we really want to say that we denounce the only fully functioning democracy in the Middle East. And I have to ask, will a poor merchant in inner-city Cairo really be better off if Israel is "wiped off the map"?
The countries that they interviewed are controlled by tyrants who filter the news and punish those who challenge them, with the exception of Jordan (I have to check on that one).
Arabian nations, to me, want the US to stay away. Yet they want us to keep giving them money, be dependent on their oil and yet be the kick toy at the same time. Because if their citizens started to look at the diparity of wealth around them, they would be mad at their leaders. And the sheiks don’t want that.