Saudi Public Leery of Bush

[seafan]

(With a hat tip to Think Progress)


Saudi Public Leery of Bush



US President George W. Bush, left, with Saudi King Abdullah, right, inside the terminal at the King Khalid International Airport, Monday, Jan. 14, 2008 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In the middle is US interperter Gamal Helal.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)


By DONNA ABU-NASR
Associated Press Writer

January 14, 2008

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- Saudi Arabia's warm official welcome for President Bush, the scion of a family with close ties to the kingdom's ruling family, masks his deep unpopularity among ordinary Saudis.
A recent poll found only 12 percent here view Bush positively - lower than Iran's president or even al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden - and more think warmly toward Iran than America.
Among the reasons are the chaos in Iraq that followed the U.S.-led invasion and the widespread Arab feeling that the United States is biased in favor of Israel and not serious in seeking Mideast peace. A recent editorial said everything the president touches "turns to dust and ashes."

.....

When the Saudi-American relationship began in the 1940s, it was built on a simple bargain: Saudi Arabia offered oil in return for U.S. protection. It was a relationship of accommodation between a monarchy ruled according to Islamic law and a secular, liberal democracy.
The United States became the kingdom's biggest trading partner. The Saudis became the biggest buyers of U.S. weapons - $39 billion worth in the 1990s. They have also been major U.S. creditors, buying billions in Treasury bonds, and enthusiastic investors in U.S. business. Many Saudis sent their children to American schools.

But over the years, issues arose as the United States became more involved in the region, especially in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where Saudis, like all Arabs, feel Washington leans unfairly to Israel's side.

.....

And newspapers in Egypt have been running critical editorials. Rose el-Youssef, a paper close to Egypt's ruling party, called Bush "the leader of sabotage, the thief of Arab lands."

Analyst Abdullah al-Fozan said in a recent column in Al-Watan daily that Bush's "black pages" have been piling up.

.....

And an editorial in Saturday's Arab News, a Saudi English-language newspaper, said Bush's record makes it hard for Arabs to believe he can deliver.

"No Palestinian, no Arab believes he will, or can, deliver," the editorial said. "Everything he touches turns to dust and ashes. Iraq, Afghanistan - maybe now even Iran."

Heckuvajob Bushie rides herd again.

[cloudbase]

1. Who'd have thought we'd have so much in common

with the Saudis?

[shain from kane]

2. "Everything he touches turns to dust and ashes." Over here, we call it shit. King Midas in Reverse.

He's King Midas with a curse
He's King Midas in reverse
He's King Midas with a curse (all he touches turns to dust)
He's King Midas in reverse (all he touches turns to dust)
{fade out}
He's King Midas with a curse (all he touches turns to dust)
He's King Midas in reverse (all he touches turns to dust)
He's King Midas with a curse....