US faces crossroads in ties with Islamic world: Asian scholar

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2005/March/middleeast_March193.xml§ion=middleeast

WASHINGTON - US policy towards the Middle East has unwittingly made Osama bin Laden nearly the most popular figure in the region, according to a respected Asian scholar whose new book has triggered debate on why Muslims hate America.

Kishore Mahbubani, Singapore’s former two-term chief diplomat to the United Nations, warns that the level of anger in the Islamic world will become even stronger if the United States does not act swiftly to enhance its image among Muslims. snip

“In my conversations, when I travel around the world, I discover there are two sets of conversations -- there is one set of conversation when you have Americans in the room and everybody will say the right, nice things and how wonderful America is.

“And then the Americans will leave the room and the real conversation begins. And inevitably, the comment comes up: “Who do these people think they are?’”

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[ClintonTyree]

1. It might be part of the PNAC master plan...............

to keep bin Laden alive so they'll always have that "bogeyman" they so desperately need available at all times, and to keep a never ending supply of Islamic "insurgents" available to keep their perpetual war going.
Whatever the reason, it's damn wrong and there will never be any sort of fence mending initiative as long as the neo-cons are in power. I fear it's already way too late for diplomacy to have any affect on US-Mid East relations, and that the neo's will have their way with a never ending war in the region. I don't think the Big Dog himself could repair the damage done.

[bemildred]

2. “Who do these people think they are?’”

A good question. The Neocons are guilty of not only hubris,
but an amazing level of indiscretion, who have they not offended
with their loose mouths, threats, and insults?

[megatherium]

3. not entirely our fault

there are lots of mullahs out there spreading the vilest antisemitic propaganda (meaning anti-Jewish), including the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and the blood libel. This stuff creeps into official government media of countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

But certainly things would be much better if we stopped trying to control that part of the world, if we spent our $300 billion per year going for energy independence instead. They might listen to us if we asked them for reform and toleration if they knew our interest were truly peaceful.

[Supersedeas]

4. policy follows the money and profits say Moslem concerns are trivial