Gallup Poll on U.S. image in Middle East

January 28, 4:42 PMProgressive Politics ExaminerJay McDonough

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Progressive Politics Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Just a few words on the new Gallup Poll.  The just released poll of Middle Eastern states views on the U.S. image and how it could be improved was conducted between May and August of 2008. 

Each of ten nation states was offered seven choices as to how the U.S. could improve it's image in the Middle East.  Preferences for each of the ten countries is presented in the poll, but here's a summary table of the first choices by country:

A couple comments about the poll -

First, improving the U.S. image in the Middle East will be tough sledding for any U.S. president.  But, it's also important to note a number of significant things have happened since the poll was conducted.  A status of force agreement was negotiated in Iraq outlining a deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. forces, a new U.S. president promising a new Middle Eastern foreign policy was elected and inaugurated, and that new president has just ordered the closing of Guantanamo.  It will be interesting to see the results of the follow-up poll.

As I just wrote a post on Iran, there's also something very noteworthy about the Gallup polling data from Iran.  Whereas with each of the other six Middle Eastern states, U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, the closing of Guantanamo, and the removal of U.S. forces from the MIddle East were the big hot button issues.  In other words, get out of here and leave us alone.

Here's the Iranian response to the question of how to improve the U.S. image in the Middle East:

My takeaway?  The people of Iran have a whole different set of priorities than the rest of the Middle Easterners and very much interested in engaging the United States on an economic, business and social level.