Arab perceptions of the U.S.

Critics of the Iraq War frequently point to global opinion surveys showing a diminished opinion of the U.S. as key evidence that the Bush Administration is losing its battle for hearts and minds in the Middle East. The U.S. will not win the war on terror, they argue, so long as Arabs maintain their distrust and hatred for America.

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Personally, I have always believed that winning hearts and minds is a long-term task. Historic U.S. support in that region for autocrats and dictators, which sadly there is still evidence of today, has engendered deep Arab suspicions of American intentions. This can only be remedied, I believe, through U.S. actions that underscore its pro-democracy rhetoric. As democracy takes root in Afghanistan and Iraq the people of this region will begin to see that the U.S. truly has changed its ways, and stands on their side rather than that of their un-elected leaders.

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An article in today's Wall Street Journal shows some hopeful signs that this may in fact be occuring:

With Mr. Jaafari as prime minister and a broader Islamist Shiite coalition holding a majority in the nation's new Parliament, this experiment will be tested by the hard task of rebuilding Iraq and shaping its future constitution. If successful, it could offer hope that the global conflict between America and political Islam can be defused -- and that other radical groups can be moderated one day by the transforming force of democracy.

"Who brought us to government? The democratic process," says Mr. Jaafari, a 58-year-old physician who returned here in 2003 after more than two decades in exile. "If we stay on this path, views about America will be changed, in Iraq and outside it. It will send a historic message....All the Islamic movements are watching what's happening here."

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...At one of Daawa's myriad social clubs, a walled compound shaded by palm trees in Baghdad's Karrada neighborhood, Mr. Jaafari's new role, and Daawa's new friendship with the U.S., have left people somewhat dizzy. "Nobody expected all this to happen," said club manager Hassoun Kadhem, a political prisoner under Mr. Hussein. "Everyone thought the Americans would interfere in the elections to help Allawi. But they didn't, and this really improved our opinion of them."

As other activists nodded in agreement, only one Daawa militant voiced dissent. A teacher of Islam, Umm Mohammed, scoffed that the recent rapprochement was just a temporary blip. "America has not changed: It's still in love with Israel, and it still fears Islam and the Shiites," she said from behind a black veil.

Interrupting impatiently, the club's women's programs director, Umm Hussam, rolled her eyes. "No, of course America has changed," she snapped back. "The Americans used to think that we are terrorists. Now they see how peaceful we are."