US standing in the Middle East faces serious crisis
June 2004

AMMAN (JT) — Opinion polls conducted by the University of Jordan's Centre for Strategic Studies in Palestine, Lebanon and Egypt, in cooperation with research institutions in these countries during March and April 2004, have indicated that the US' credibility in the Middle East is facing a serious crisis.

With regard to Iraq, only nine per cent of respondents in Jordan, 25 per cent in Lebanon, seven per cent in Palestine and 10 per cent in Egypt reported that the use of military force against Iraq to overthrow the regime of Saddam Hussein was justified, according to a statement released by the centre.

In addition, an overwhelming majority of the respondents in the four countries stated that the US presence in Iraq would lead to both the drainage of Iraqi resources and the enhancement of the Israel's security (see the table). Similarly, only a small minority in these societies believes that the US will make Iraq a model democratic state for the region.

The overwhelming majority of respondents in these states (except Lebanon with a slight majority) reported that the US and its allies in Iraq would fail to provide Iraqis a better quality of life than the one they had under the former regime.

On the Palestinian issue, the standing of the US is further weakened, the statement said.

The poll indicated that 95 per cent in Jordan, 84 per cent in Lebanon, 95 per cent in Palestine and 95 per cent in Egypt reported they are dissatisfied with the way the US is handling the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Moreover, the overwhelming majority of respondents in the four countries do not think that the US is serious about implementing the roadmap as a basis for a final settlement for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict — 89 per cent in Jordan, 79 per cent in Lebanon, 88 per cent in Palestine and 87 per cent in Egypt.

Furthermore, the majority of respondents in these states do not think that the roadmap is a fair and just basis for a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict — 79 per cent in Jordan, 61 per cent in Lebanon, 82 per cent in Palestine and 52 per cent in Egypt..