Trends point to challenges U.S. faces as identified in Iraq Study Group Report
Attitudes toward the U.S. from those in the Arab world have suffered greatly as a result of American foreign policy in the region, according to an Arab American Institute/Zogby International poll released today.
The results, presented by AAI President James Zogby, show that uncertainty resulting from conflicts in Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon have significantly dampened Arab confidence in U.S. leadership and prospects for economic development and political stability.
Baker and Hamilton had it right, Zogby said at the press briefing announcing the results. U.S. policy regarding the Middle East is hurting our ability to lead a coalition in Iraq. Addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would provide us with much needed credibility from the Arab world.
A sampling of the poll results are included below. For the full report, please visit www.aaiusa.org.
Generally speaking, is your attitude toward the United States very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, or are you not familiar enough to make a judgment?
Table 1.1: Opinion of the United States
| | 2002 | 2005 | 2006 |
| | Fav | Unfav | Fav | Unfav | Fav | Unfav |
| KSA | 12 | 87 | 9 | 89 | 12 | 82 |
| Egypt | 15 | 76 | 14 | 85 | 14 | 83 |
| Morocco | 38 | 61 | 34 | 64 | 7 | 87 |
| Jordan | 34 | 61 | 33 | 62 | 5 | 90 |
| Lebanon | 26 | 70 | 32 | 60 | 28 | 68 |
Overall U.S. favorable/unfavorable ratings in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Lebanon are largely unchanged (though the negatives have hardened). In Jordan and Morocco, the U.S. rating has dropped significantly.
2. Is your opinion of the United States better, the same or worse from a year ago?
Table 2.1: Opinion of U.S. vs. 1 Year Ago
| | Better | Worse | Same |
| KSA | 9 | 62 | 28 |
| Egypt | 4 | 72 | 18 |
| Morocco | 1 | 57 | 40 |
| Jordan | 1 | 76 | 22 |
| Lebanon | 10 | 47 | 40 |
3. On a scale of 1-5 where 1 is very negatively and 5 is very positively, how do each of the following shape your overall opinion of the United States?
Table 3.1: Impact on Overall Opinion of the United States
| | American Freedom/Democracy | American People | American Products | American Movies TV | American Education |
| | Pos.* | Neg.* | Pos. | Neg. | Pos. | Neg. | Pos. | Neg. | Pos. | Neg. |
| KSA | 41 | 31 | 18 | 34 | 50 | 24 | 22 | 43 | 40 | 28 |
| Egypt | 21 | 41 | 23 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 21 |
| Morocco | 23 | 46 | 28 | 29 | 36 | 34 | 27 | 40 | 39 | 23 |
| Jordan | 27 | 43 | 31 | 33 | 30 | 41 | 23 | 51 | 47 | 32 |
| Lebanon | 42 | 32 | 44 | 18 | 34 | 25 | 28 | 37 | 43 | 19 |
*Positive includes both Positive and Very Positive responses (4&5). Negative includes both Negative and Very Negative responses (1&2).
Table 3.2: Impact on Overall Opinion of the United States
| | Palestinian Policy | Lebanon Policy | Iraq Policy | Promotion of Democracy | Challenge to Nuclear Iran |
| | Pos.* | Neg.* | Pos. | Neg. | Pos. | Neg. | Pos. | Neg. | Pos. | Neg. |
| KSA | 4 | 88 | 4 | 91 | 2 | 96 | 7 | 79 | 13 | 74 |
| Egypt | 20 | 51 | 19 | 51 | 26 | 50 | 22 | 42 | 28 | 38 |
| Morocco | 6 | 93 | 6 | 92 | 6 | 93 | 21 | 80 | 7 | 70 |
| Jordan | 7 | 88 | 7 | 88 | 7 | 86 | 10 | 72 | 11 | 71 |
| Lebanon | 16 | 74 | 27 | 62 | 16 | 73 | 26 | 55 | 33 | 51 |
*Positive includes both Positive and Very Positive responses (4&5). Negative includes both Negative and Very Negative responses (1&2).
Back to All News Releases
