More
Matrix Masters
Blogs
World Events
US News
Science & Health
Earth News
Free Speech
News from Africa
News from Palestine
Bill of Rights Under Attack

Matrix Masters'
SUPPORTERS

Lorenzo's
Random Musings
. . . about Chaos,
Reason, and Hope

 

Arab opinion of US hits all-time low
(James J. Zogby, The Jordan Times, March 18, 2003)
ARAB PUBLIC opinion towards the United States has dropped to dangerously low levels, even before an anticipated US-led attack on Iraq. . . . The most significant drops in US ratings occurred in Morocco and Jordan. In 2002, for example, 34 per cent of Jordanians had a positive view of the United States, as compared to 61 per cent who had a negative view. In 2003, only 10 per cent of Jordanians hold a positive view of the United States, while 81 per cent see the country in a negative light. Similarly, in Morocco, the favourable/unfavourable rating towards the United States in 2002 were 38 per cent to 61 per cent. Today they are 9 per cent favourable and 88 per cent unfavourable. . . . The US' favourable/unfavourable ratings were already quite low in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. They have remained low. In 2002, the ratings in Egypt were 15 per cent favourable to 76 per cent unfavourable. In 2003, Egyptians' ratings of the United States are 13 per cent favourable and 80 per cent unfavourable. In Saudi Arabia, 12 per cent viewed the United States favourably and 87 per cent unfavourably in 2002. Today, 3 per cent see it favourably and 97 per cent unfavourably. In the UAE, the ratio showed almost no change from an 11 per cent favourable/87 per cent unfavourable in 2002 to 11 per cent favourable/85 per cent unfavourable in 2003. . . . In all five countries, US policy towards Iraq received only single digit favourable ratings, while nine respondents out of ten opposed current US policy towards that country. . . . What is important to note is that Arabs in all these countries do not support the United States' acting unilaterally to disarm Iraq. . . . . . . What should be most disturbing to US policy makers is the lack of confidence in and goodwill towards US policy that this poll establishes. . . . Arab public opinion may simply no longer believe that the US will act in an even-handed manner to end the Arab-Israeli conflict. After failing to act to end the crisis of last March and April, siding with Israel's Ariel Sharon, and then failing to issue the Quartet's “roadmap” in a timely manner, Arab opinion may have concluded that the United States simply will not act to bring Palestinians justice. It may be that the conflict has gone on so long without any positive US action, that even if there were to be a change in policy, it may be too little too late to win Arab support. Finally, it may also be due to the fact that the US' unilateralist approach towards Iraq has done such damage to American standing in the region that even a hypothetical change in policy is not enough to replenish the reservoir of goodwill towards the United States that once existed. . . . the United States is treading on dangerous ground in the Arab world today. It is a fact that has been the subject of much discussion. But now we have hard numbers to support what is a widely held view.

posted by LoZo 2:25 PM