Poll: Mideast Arabs think very highly of Obama

**ddaydetroit** · May-11-09, 03:51 AM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20...latchy/3230489
sounds like a great strategy if everyone dislikes Us you'll never win the war on terrorism. I like the Idea winning the hearts and minds of the people middle east something George Bush was totally clueless on.
ccbatson I can imagine your spin on this.

**Mikeg** · May-11-09, 06:51 AM

sounds like a great strategy if everyone dislikes Us you'll never win the war on terrorism. I like the Idea winning the hearts and minds of the people middle east something George Bush was totally clueless on.

Speaking of clueless, the article makes it very clear that this poll only speaks to his popularity as a person. The article also makes it clear that Obama's "overtures to the Middle East" have not had a similar impact on improving their views of the United States of America:

......his overtures to the Middle East are paying off in positive feelings towards him from Arab peoples that far outpace the region's critical view of the United States itself......

Winning the hearts and minds of the people on the Arab street will not translate into a change of policies by their undemocratically selected leaders.

**firstandten** · May-11-09, 09:33 AM

Point is you have to start somewhere. Our current way of dealing with the mideast is not getting us anywhere. The days of dicatating our way of life to them is over. We may never get to the point where they love us we just don't want to give them reasons to hate us so much that they will plot against us over and over again.

**gibran** · May-11-09, 09:37 AM

Any hatred towards the US is based inpart on policies and threats to perceived ways of life..wipped up by Governments and Regional Bias...The Arab street at one time saw America as a Model and as a balance between Colonial rule...by reaching out to Arabs we can regain our standing if we work with all parties over there and find peaceful solutions to age old conflicts...this is a good move for everyone of the middle-east...every one

**gibran** · May-11-09, 09:39 AM

clarifcation: Arab Governments ...

**Detroitej72** · May-11-09, 06:36 PM

Unfortunately the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood is not feeling all too happy with Pres. Obama. They released a statement Saturday that Obama is continuing the Zionist's strategy and the failed policies of Bush against the Muslim world.

**gibran** · May-11-09, 07:32 PM

Muslim Brotherhod has been around since th e1920's and has followed a radical conservative agenda, and if not for corruption and poverty in Egypt they would loose their targeted audiance..but really no different that the extremist in any country..including the radical nationalists in Israel...these groups are true barriers to a peaceful exchange in the region..which so many desperately desire...
if one were to be honest and realistic..you would see the resemblence in many [[ not all ) of these extreme conservative moments and their lack of tolerance and respect for anyone that does not lock step support their views...extremists in all areas have a tendency to capture the visual imagery of the culture..but are often a result of fear politics and poverty...

**Detroitej72** · May-11-09, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by gibran

Muslim Brotherhod has been around since th e1920's and has followed a radical conservative agenda, and if not for corruption and poverty in Egypt they would loose their targeted audiance..but really no different that the extremist in any country..including the radical nationalists in Israel...these groups are true barriers to a peaceful exchange in the region..which so many desperately desire...
if one were to be honest and realistic..you would see the resemblence in many [[ not all ) of these extreme conservative moments and their lack of tolerance and respect for anyone that does not lock step support their views...extremists in all areas have a tendency to capture the visual imagery of the culture..but are often a result of fear politics and poverty...

All too true. I would add to that the extremists in this country as well, such as Operation Rescue's bombing of abortion clinics, the militia movement fostering and nurturing tools like Timmy McVie, white supremacists, and Peta destroying medical labs and fur warehouses.

They all prey upon the disenfranchised, the ignorant and those who feel powerless in the world.

**gibran** · May-11-09, 08:26 PM

yep...scary isnt it

ccbatson · May-11-09, 09:28 PM

These arab nations are not stupid enough to forego an opportunity to take advantage of weakness. Time will tell.

**gibran** · May-12-09, 09:10 AM

cc what are "those scary" Arab nations going to do with that scary little thing called diplomacy and peace,,exploit our weakness by what? Attacking America..when they and we are reaching out at the same time?

**rb336** · May-12-09, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by Detroitej72

Peta destroying medical labs and fur warehouses..

while I am no fan of PETA, the above statement is flat-out libelous

**rb336** · May-12-09, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by slimshady

It would have been more correct to say that ALF/ELF have committed these acts and that they may or may not have been supported by PETA. Since there is enough evidence to link these groups, however, I would not call the claim "libelous" either.

it is patently false and meant to injure the reputation of the organization, ergo it is definitively libelous

ccbatson · May-12-09, 03:20 PM

Diplomacy with the exact opposite alterior motive used as a tool to gain appeasement while advancing nuclear weapon aspirations and attacking our ally [[Israel) via terrorist proxies while Obama looks the other way is VERY DANGEROUS.

**Detroit Stylin** · May-12-09, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by ccbatson

Diplomacy with the exact opposite alterior motive used as a tool to gain appeasement while advancing nuclear weapon aspirations and attacking our ally [[Israel) via terrorist proxies while Obama looks the other way is VERY DANGEROUS.

Blah blah blah blah......blablablabla....

**Detroitej72** · May-12-09, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by slimshady

It would have been more correct to say that ALF/ELF have committed these acts and that they may or may not have been supported by PETA. Since there is enough evidence to link these groups, however, I would not call the claim "libelous" either.

Thanks Slim for the clarification, I mistyped, and should have said ALF/ELF.

**gibran** · May-13-09, 01:50 PM

so by cc'c above assessment negotiating a peaceful resolution is giving into the terrorists ...or by developing a fair and balanced plan for peace in Israel is a threat to it's security...unlike the last thirty years as a model...boy it has been a great time in the old town tonight...I would welcome a real peace for all peoples over there...and maybe some radicals who don't want peace for land are frightened...on both sides of the WALL...seems like they found common ground ...afterall

ccbatson · May-13-09, 02:59 PM

Look at the basic tenets of all of the peace proposals...first, Palestinians renounce terrorists, and recognize Israel as a sovereign nation....THEY WILL NOT DO EVEN THAT!!

Try again.

**Detroitej72** · May-13-09, 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by ccbatson

Look at the basic tenets of all of the peace proposals...first, Palestinians renounce terrorists, and recognize Israel as a sovereign nation....THEY WILL NOT DO EVEN THAT!!

Try again.

I have to agree with Bats on this one. Why did Arafat walk away from the peace deal with Israel when he was promised a Palestinian State?

**gibran** · May-13-09, 06:38 PM

Historians have proven that peace propsoal suicidal for Arafat [[ no right of return, economic development and water rights controlled by Israel, no resoluation on Jerusalem and a few other little details ..hell even Ehus Barak own negoaited said if it was offered to him he would ahve resfused it) ... not to mentiom that Israel needs to stop building settlements and recognize the Palestinians right to a free and continous state without the interference of other countries...see it is really a two sided issue...thatis why we need an honest broker to ensure Israel's rights as well as the other people's [[yes they are people too)

**Atwater** · May-14-09, 02:33 AM

Gibran, I think you have some facts wrong.. there was resolution for Jerusalem in the 2000 deal that Arafat walked away from. Barak's first name is Ehud, not 'Ehus', and where did he say even he would have refused it? Huh? That makes no sense, as he was a proponent of it. Can you site a source?

Anyway, President Clinton, the host and a third-party to the talks, placed the blame squarely on Arafat.

Now while I don't think Wikipedia is always reliable, this section appears to be very well sourced and informative:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Da...ns_for_impasse

**rb336** · May-14-09, 07:19 AM

considering that the "source" of the comments about how much israel was giving was an israeli...

**ddaydetroit** · May-14-09, 08:42 AM

Well this thread sure got hijacked by the haters! Am I wrong to think its ok for Arabs to have a more positive attitude towards the president and America ?
I haven't heard Obama talk about giving anything up to anyone in the Middle east yet.
Yes he does have a speech coming up in Egypt but its a speech and isn't the first part of peace open communications? should he not be talking with countries like Egypt Jordan ?
I'm just amazed by the hate in this forum by an article of Arabss with a more positive attitude towards us when we haven't even gave up or promised anything yet.
I see things like most people I see a huge problem with Iran, the Palestine state and how many Arabs view Israel. But how all Arabs and are put into one category by a couple of people in this thread amazes me.

**gibran** · May-14-09, 11:14 AM

First of all thank you for recognizing my typo's in spelling...I know how to spell Ehud and I didn't attribute the qoute to him but one of his negotiators..[[ i will find the source.. even though I have posted it many times in the other forum) ..generally all my sources are straight out of books by Jewish intelectuals who want and view the coflict from a very humanitaran perspective. Th ereality is camp David proposals would have left Palestine dependent on Israel for many of their basic right [[water and travel)..as witnessed by the current conditions that a majority of the people are being held captive by their respective governments over there...Israeli's and Palestinians...

A two state solution that is viable for both an dsecure for both is the only answer period..anything short would be unacceptable...itwill come when the rhetoric stops and the recognition of each as equal people begins....

but here are quotes from Ehud;
"The Palestinians are like crocodiles, the more you give them meat, they want more"....
-- Ehud Barak, Prime Minister of Israel at the time - August 28, 2000. Reported in the Jerusalem Post August 30, 2000

"If we thought that instead of 200 Palestinian fatalities, 2,000 dead would put an end to the fighting at a stroke, we would use much more force...."
-- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, quoted in Associated Press, November 16, 2000.

"I would have joined a terrorist organization."
-- Ehud Barak's response to Gideon Levy, a columnist for the Ha'aretz newspaper, when Barak was asked what he would have done if he had been born a Palestinian.

http://gush-shalom.org/archives/pundak.doc

ccbatson · May-14-09, 10:19 PM

Right of return? To where? If peace were struck, the occupied territories would no longer need to be occupied, and the Palestinians would stay there...which is where they were in the first place [[if not Jordan or Egypt)...not in Israel proper.