抖阴短视频

BEIRUT: Regardless of the outcome of the Nov. 3 presidential election, US President Donald Trump does not have to worry about one thing: being accused of leaving the Middle East in a worse condition than he inherited it. Judging by the Arab News/YouGov pan-Arab survey鈥檚 findings, that dubious honor goes to his predecessor, Barak Obama, whose vice president Joe Biden is now Trump鈥檚 main challenger.
In a nutshell, the study shows that Arabs broadly support Trump鈥檚 iron-fist approach towards the Iranian regime, although they oppose his decision in 2018 to transfer the US embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. And even though he is seen as not better for the Arab region than his Democratic opponent, far more respondents were aware of him than Biden. Some of his policies were also viewed favorably in specific parts of the Arab world.

While gone are the days when a White House occupant could run for a second term on their foreign-policy achievements, there is no denying that the US remains a global power whose decisions affect the lives of people from Central America to the Middle East. As such, the importance of understanding what the Arab world is anticipating from a future US administration cannot be overstated.
Covered extensively by the Arab news media, the first big news story of 2020 was the elimination of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps鈥� (IRGC) extraterritorial Quds Force. Soleimani was on his way to meet the Iraqi prime minister when he was killed in a US drone strike near Baghdad airport on Jan. 3.
According to the survey, opinion in the Arab world overall is divided on the regional impact of the killing.
Respondents in Yemen were very supportive of the action, with 71 percent approving it as a positive move, as were many residents of 抖阴短视频 (68 percent) and Iraqi (57 percent). In contrast, some 59 percent of respondents in Lebanon and 62 percent in Qatar said it was a negative move for the region.

鈥淭he poll accurately assesses the interests of Arab states,鈥� said Dr. John Hulsman, president and managing partner of John C. Hulsman Enterprises, a prominent global political risk consultancy.
鈥淔or people who knew Soleimani in Iraq, he was part of the problem 鈥� as a satrap (viceroy) of Iran. They are delighted in Iraq now they have a vaguely reformist prime minister who is vaguely tolerated by Iran and the US. And that couldn鈥檛 have happened with Soleimani there.鈥�

On the other hand, Hulsman said, 鈥淚f you live somewhere where there is an American base in the region (such as Qatar), then Soleimani鈥檚 killing might mean that you are next, because no one thinks the Iranians are going to forget that Soleimani died.鈥�

Under the circumstances, why did 40 percent of the Arab News/YouGov survey鈥檚 respondents say Biden would be better for the Middle East, as opposed to the 12 percent who said the same thing about Trump?
For one thing, analysts point out, an even larger number, 49 percent, felt neither candidate would be better for the region.
For another thing, they note that just a little more than half of the respondents (53 percent) said they were aware of Biden compared to a massive 90 percent who were aware of Trump. Besides, they say, the points scored by Trump by taking a hard line on the Iranian problem are outweighed by the consequences of the Jerusalem embassy transfer decision, which was opposed by 89 percent of the respondents.

READ: The methodology behind the Arab News/YouGov Pan-Arab Survey

According to David Romano, Thomas G. Strong professor of Middle East Politics at Missouri State University, Iran remains the key issue in understanding the Arab world鈥檚 bad aftertaste from the Obama administration. 鈥淲hen it comes to the Arab states, Biden is a lot like Obama,鈥� he told Arab News. 鈥淭hey are not sure if he鈥檚 the kind of president who will throw them under the bus like many feel Obama did to (former Egyptian President) Hosni Mubarak.鈥�
Trump, by comparison, might represent stability for the Middle East. 鈥淭rump has come through on his word. He sent more troops to 抖阴短视频 and he鈥檚 been harder on Iran,鈥� Romano said.

Presumably, by the same token, about one fifth of GCC residents believe Trump鈥檚 withdrawal from the Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), better known as the Iran nuclear deal, has boosted safety in the region (led particularly by 49 percent of Saudi nationals).

Furthermore, residents of countries intimately tied without a choice to Iran said they want a combative stance from the next US president, including toughened sanctions and a war posture. These included: Iraq (53 percent), Yemen (54 percent) and 抖阴短视频 (49 percent).
鈥淭he Trump team came in and decided that Obama鈥檚 efforts, particularly with the JCPOA, were a disaster because it bankrolled a whole list of people who want America out of the region and who don鈥檛 want stability in the region. They want to dominate the region,鈥� Hulsman said.

The fear among many is that Biden may abandon Trump鈥檚 鈥渕aximum pressure鈥� campaign on Iran. 鈥淔rom the point of view of the Middle East, this is one of those moments that looks like whiplash. If you are living in the region, this is zig-zag diplomacy,鈥� Hulsman said.
It is not just analysts who are deeply skeptical about Biden鈥檚 stance on Iran, fearing a return to the perceived weak-kneed and irresolute approach of Obama.
Agop K, a Lebanese-Armenian-American attorney who lives in Beirut but practices law in the US, said 鈥渨e need an iron fist here in the Middle East, unfortunately. And Trump represents that.鈥�
Speaking to Arab News, he said: 鈥淎s long as the pressure is on Iran and Iran is being sanctioned and cut off from financing, this is what might help us down the line in Lebanon. If I wanted to vote for Trump, this is one of the biggest reasons I would do so.鈥�

Twitter: @rebeccaaproctor