Arab attitudes toward U.S. worsening

According to a Zogby International poll conducted this June, Arab countries dislike America and its president more than ever.

In its publication of the survey, the Arab American Institute said, “With the 2008 election of Barack Obama, favorable attitudes toward the U.S. more than doubled in many Arab countries.” But ever since President Obama’s “Cairo speech” two years ago, attitudes have worsened significantly. The United States ranked less favorably than counties like Turkey, China and France—and only Saudi Arabia placed the U.S. higher than Iran.

The surveyed nations reportedly view American meddling as “the greatest obstacle to peace and stability in the Middle East, second only to the continued Palestinian occupation.”

Wrote the Washington Timeslast week, “This news likely comes as a shock to Mr. Obama and his advisers, who thought that traveling the Arab world on a so-called ‘apology tour’ and bowing down and bad-mouthing American power would make the Arab world love America more—or at least make the Arabs love Mr. Obama more than Mr. Bush.” But this latest poll means “the Arabs hate him more while he bows down to them than they hated Mr. Bush while he was bombing them.”