Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Obama Faces Mounting Arab Disillusionment

By David Elkins

"WASHINGTON, May 17, 2011 (IPS) - On the eve of a much-anticipated address by President Barack Obama on U.S. policy in the Middle East, a new survey suggests that disillusionment with both Obama and Washington's approaches to the region are once again on the rise throughout the Muslim world.

The survey by the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project (GAP) found that Washington's image, which had largely improved after Obama's inauguration in 2009, is now approaching the very low levels that predominated during the last years of the administration of President George W. Bush.

The poll, which was carried out between Mar. 21 and Apr. 26, covered six predominantly Muslim nations - Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan and Turkey - as well as Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories....

It found that favourable views of the United States have fallen particularly sharply over the past year in Jordan, Pakistan and Turkey. In Jordan, the percentage of respondents who said they had a generally favourable view of the U.S. fell from 21 percent last year to 13 percent this year – the lowest level since 2003 after the U.S. invasion of neighbouring Iraq.

In Pakistan, the favourable percentage fell from 17 to 11 percent – the lowest percentage since 2002 after the U.S. invasion of neighbouring Afghanistan. And in Turkey, it fell from 17 percent to 10 percent – the lowest percentage since 2007......"

I guess the view of the Empire is that, "We don't care if you love us, as long as you fear us!"

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