Posted on 10/25/2004 6:41:31 AM PDT by KidGlock
Arabs No Longer Want 'Devil They Know' in White House
Mon Oct 25, 2004 07:23 AM ET
By Jonathan Wright
CAIRO (Reuters) - In U.S. presidential elections Arab leaders usually prefer the devil they know over any candidate challenging the man in the White House, however much they view the incumbent as an overbearing partner.
But as Americans choose between President Bush and Senator John Kerry on Nov. 2, analysts say many Arabs wonder whether anyone could be worse than a U.S. president who occupied Iraq, aligned himself with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and turned his back on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Bush, they say, has also blotted his copybook by repeatedly ignoring Arab opinion and advice on foreign policy and launching a heavy-handed campaign for reform which has earned him credit only with a tiny number of middle-class liberals.
"I don't believe that anyone worse could possibly come," said Mohamed Habib, deputy leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, one of the Arab world's most influential Islamist groups.
"The only difference that might tilt the Arabs toward the Democratic candidate is... that there is a belief that it really can't be worse," added Walid Kazziha, professor of political science at the American University in Cairo.
"Bush is a lost cause for most Arabs... Kerry might do better, especially if he does disengage from Iraq," said Mustafa Alani, senior adviser at the Dubai-based Gulf Research Center.
A section of Arab public opinion either says "a pox on both your houses" or prays that the U.S. electorate will give Bush a public humiliation. But some Arab analysts say a Kerry presidency really could be better than the last four years.
They do not believe the Democratic candidate will instantly withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq, recognize that grievances lie behind much Middle East violence or try to impose a two-state peace settlement on Israelis and Palestinians.
In fact many of them say that Kerry's few remarks on the Middle East are disappointing indicators that he would continue many of the pro-Israeli attitudes which have alienated so many Arabs and Muslims from the Bush administration.
He favors the U.S. boycott of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, supports the barrier Israel is building in the West Bank and says that "Israel's cause must be America's cause."
On the positive side, from the Arab point of view, is his commitment to multilateralism, which implies he might take into account the views of others and adjust U.S. policy for the sake of common action. On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he has promised to name a high-level envoy -- a signal that he might resume the intense diplomacy abandoned when U.S. President Bill Clinton handed over the White House to Bush in 2001.
Abdel Moneim Said, director of the al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo, said he expected U.S. priorities in the Middle East to shift, away from Iraq and toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which most Arabs see as the core of the region's problems.
"If Kerry won, then we would move into a new involvement period. If Bush, I think we would have an approach even more restrained than already exists," he said.
In the Arab world, Washington's image problem stems largely from its support for Israel, compounded by the perception that Bush's "war on terror" demonizes Arabs and Muslims by ignoring the roots of violence.
As long as there is no Israeli-Palestinian settlement, Arab-American relations will stay strained, even if Washington can achieve what think tanks say are its two main Middle East goals -- the security of Israel and a steady supply of oil.
The exceptions who favor Bush, analysts say, are the Saudi royal family, whom Kerry has personally antagonized, a small group of liberals who take seriously Bush's commitment to political reform in the Middle East, and a minority who hold that Bush would adjust his policies in a second term.
Habib of the Brotherhood said a second-term Bush would "be free of the pressure of the Zionist lobby." "But Bush might continue his complete support for the Zionist entity," he added.
Neutral analysts said they doubted Bush had the will to shake himself free of the hard core of foreign policy advisers closely associated with the views of Sharon's Likud party.
"Some Arab officials say they wish Bush would announce that he will get rid of the group surrounding him if he is re-elected... I believe they are naive and deluded. It is doubtful Bush can continue to run the United States in the absence of this group," said Egyptian commentator Gamil Matar, writing in the Arabic-language newspaper al-Hayat.
The U.S. presidential election campaign is hardly the talk of Arab cities or villages, where indifference to the result and contempt for both candidates are widespread, analysts say.
"The great majority, even more than 70 percent, don't think that Bush or Kerry make a difference because both are evil, because the United States is evil," said Abdel Moneim Said.
Well HOT-DOG. Arabs (Muslims?) want Kerry in the WH? This should be advertised all over the country. America is fighting muslim fanatics and they support Kerry. I'll let America draw it's own conclusions.
Go Doubia!!
You know I do disagree with a lot of what Bush has done but Kerry is pure evil. A poodle so steeped in lies he does not even have a concept of notion of truth.
The Arab street is scared. A Kerry sellout of Israel and Tehran and Damascus are toast. A Bush reelection and they will face democratization.
Hmmm... Humanity or a loss of?
Them A-rabs was always strong Bush-supporters and Republicans - what a durned shame!
Give me a break.
Yeah, well I dont want to have to hear Kerry for 8 more days, but thats life, TUFF STUFF "arabs" from a White Devil supporter...you bunch of sand morons...
PUHLEEZE!
Middle East violence has no other "root cause" than getting rid of Israel. If Kerry thinks otherwise he's a bigger fool than he seems.
"The Arab street is scared. A Kerry sellout of Israel and Tehran and Damascus are toast. A Bush reelection and they will face democratization..."
====
Been that way all along. The Arab dictators have been more afraid of the "D-BOMB" (democracy) than they are of any neighbor, SH, or any other threat they have had. Of course they don't want Bush in the White House...even though we cleaned up the biggest threat to their nice "little" oil business they have...
Yeh, the "roots of violence".
Like the Koran and how they interprate it?
The Arab gutter wants Kerry? The answer is clear! Bush-Cheney!
Well Dubya must be doing something right. You get a REAL president in office, not an appeaser, someone who sees the problem for what it is, steps on toes and forges ahead do do the right thing to protect our country and it's citizens. Screw the Arabs and the donkey's they rode in on! I still can't believe this election is so close. I'm beginning to lose my confidence in the intelligence of the electorate in this country. God help us!
This is going to hurt Kerry with a group that votes largely democratic. Jews will not vote for someone that their enemies endorses, know that it would mean an end to their homeland.
This should be very interesting these last few days before the election. Kerry's base is split. When one group is in the news as supporting Kerry, he loses another group that supports him.
No. Don't waste your diddly-damns here.
|
|
 |
||
|
A group of people belonging to the Pakistani Christian minority hold an effigy of U.S. Presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) during a rally in Islamabad October 25, 2004. Hundreds of Christians took to the streets on Monday to show their support for John Kerry for the up coming U.S. election. REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood |
|||
|
|
 |
||
|
Christian minority leader in Pakistan J. Salik, center, holds special prayers for the success of the U.S. Democrat Presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) in Islamabad, Pakistan on Monday, Oct 25, 2004. Salik told his supporters that Kerry is in favor of global peace specially in Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites) than his opponent President George W. Bush (news - web sites). (AP Photo/B.K.Bangash)
|
|||
|
|
|
||
|
A child belonging to the Pakistani Christian minority holds a placard next to a picture of U.S. Presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) during a rally in Islamabad October 25, 2004. Hundreds of Christians took to the streets on Monday to show their support for John Kerry for the up coming U.S. election. REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood
|
|||
|
|
|
||
|
Christian minority leader in Pakistan J. Salik, center in the background, holds special prayers for the success of the U.S. Democrat Presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) in Islamabad, Pakistan on Monday, Oct. 25, 2004. Salik told his supporters that Kerry is in favor of global peace specially in Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites) than his opponent President George W. Bush (news - web sites). (AP Photo/B.K.Bangash) |
|||
I regret that there is a perfect thread to put that photo on. sKerry Kerry indeed.
There is no wrong so big that he cannot be forgiven, eh?
interesting side note: someone did an excellent job lettering those posters. . . who is behind this? who supplied the materials needed to produce those many well-lettered posters?
Yeah, I was thinking that too, they have very good English skills....
Great minds think alike. This alwaaaaays cracks me up. They went to their local Wal-Mart or Eckerds and purchased them there. Being as they all make probably $35.00 a month and can so readily afford poster board, paint and English lessons.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
