Mubarak: Arabs Hate U.S. More Than Ever

[1CAV]

PARIS (Reuters) - Arabs in the Middle East hate the United States more than ever following the invasion of Iraq (news - web sites) and Israel's assassination of two Hamas leaders, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (news - web sites) said in comments published Tuesday.

Mubarak, who visited the United States last week, told French newspaper Le Monde that Washington's actions had caused despair, frustration and a sense of injustice in the Arab world.




"Today there is hatred of the Americans like never before in the region," he said in an interview given during a stay in France, where he met President Jacques Chirac Monday.



He blamed the hostility partly on U.S. support for Israel, which assassinated Hamas leader Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi in a missile strike in the Gaza Strip (news - web sites) Saturday weeks after killing his predecessor, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.



"At the start some considered the Americans were helping them. There was no hatred of the Americans. After what has happened in Iraq, there is unprecedented hatred and the Americans know it," Mubarak said.



"People have a feeling of injustice. What's more, they see (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon acting as he pleases, without the Americans saying anything. He assassinates people who don't have the planes and helicopters that he has."



Israel says such killings are self-defense. But Mubarak said the assassination of Rantissi could have "serious consequences" and that instability in Gaza and Iraq would not serve U.S. or Israeli interests.



"The despair and feeling of injustice are not going to be limited to our region alone. American and Israeli interests will not be safe, not only in our region but anywhere in the world," he said.



Asked about Sharon's plan to pull out of Gaza, Mubarak welcomed any withdrawal that was agreed with the Palestinians and in line with a peace "road map" drawn up by the United States, the European Union (news - web sites), the United Nations (news - web sites) and Russia.

[1CAV]

After the WMD angle turned up to be bogus, then Bush tried to sell it as we are doing good for these people, they are better off without Saddam, we are going to "unify", we are going to GIVE THEM democracy, etc. etc.

Well golly they don't seem to realize any of this???

That's ok, Bush has told us, he doesn't really have any clue how to fix this mess, but he has more resolve than he knows what to do with

[odannyboy]

The invasion of Iraq has left this country and the entire Middle East much less safer as a result.

In fact, our costly military adventure will end up accomplishing more instability and future terrorism, to say nothing of anti-American sentiment, and I won;t even mention the cost in dollars and lives.

And still much of the herd supports this. Incredible.

[Hoss68]

If y'all think you can do any better as President, I would suggest you get off your butts and computers and run for President, instead of the arm-chair quaterbacking you're doing...

[RFC Rudel]

The problen is this:

if you look at the history US foring policy you find a lot of lies, so even if the president is not bad, stil a lot of people dont trust the US.
Plus the american Cant put on the shoes of another and are always judging fron their point of view.

The problems that the US have today are 80% their foult.




PD: I dot think that the US goverment represent the US people.

[BrianK]

Doesn't anyone question why Mubarek didn't make his speech to the American press? Surely he knows that not every media source in America favors Pres. Bush. IMO his comments while visiting here would have had a much larger impact.

If you consider Mubarek as a political leader & where he is located appearing to be friendly to America isn't where he wants to be. A more neutral position does what for him? Lessens the chance for terrorism in Egypt now while he is Egypts leader. If read carefully the thrust of his comments are aimed at what Israel has done recently & Israel says they plan on continuing.

I'm not well informed on how women are treated but as RFC Rudel points out changing religious belief takes on a whole new area that isn't to well received. Should we really be surprised that embracing democracy isn't happening? We aren't happy with being attacked in order to reduce America to the point of embracing Islam.

As a leader Mubarek is doing a 1st class job of CYA.

[Caldric]

Originally Posted by RFC Rudel

The problen is this:

if you look at the history US foring policy you find a lot of lies, so even if the president is not bad, stil a lot of people dont trust the US.
Plus the american Cant put on the shoes of another and are always judging fron their point of view.

The problems that the US have today are 80% their foult.




PD: I dot think that the US goverment represent the US people.

Oh and everyone else in the world "always" judges from the other point of view?? Come on give us a break ok? Maybe Eurovision is enlightening to you but all I see is double dealing and lame duck policies that have been the conerstone of Europe for 5 decades. So perhaps you should take up that "put on the shoes of another" and perhaps take a look.


Dan:

The "Herd" is supporting the troops more then the war. I think most Americans could give a rats arse about Iraq now. But to say that they feel like they let the troops down and they will not do that. I mean lets be honest the average Joe has no understanding of these people and for the most part has no desire to learn a way to understand. However they are not going to do anything that demoralizes the troops or puts them in a bad light. Bush has put the entire nation between a rock and a hard place and they have little choice in what they say.