Arabs 'feel US does Israeli bidding'

Dubai: The US military hegemony in the Gulf has failed in its overall objectives, said Dr Mohammad Ayoub of Michigan State University, who added that despite this failure he did not see much change under the new US President Barack Obama.

In addition, a very dangerous impression has become common currency in the Arab world that Israel runs the United States' actions in the Middle East, and America does not think for itself, said Ayoub, who is University Distinguished Professor of International Relations and Coordinator of Muslim Studies Programme at Michigan State University. He was talking to Gulf News after giving the Spring Semester Convocation Lecture at the Dubai campus of Michigan State University.

"US policy was to put a pliable regime in power in Iraq, but this did not happen. The American-forced regime change in Afghanistan and Iraq worked to the great advantage of the Unites States' leading opponent, Iran, by removing the Taliban and Saddam from power, both of which had bitterly opposed the Iranian government," he said.

"In addition, the Americans failed in a third important objective of getting the Taliban out of Afghanistan. Although they are out of power, they are still operating in Afghanistan with substantial popular support, and are still an important part of the political and military process in the country."

As well as failing in its objectives, Ayoub made clear that the war in Iraq has also been very counter productive since it has had a very bad effect on American standing in the Middle East. The opinion polls across the region prove this with their very low ratings for US policy.

For example, Saudi Arabia only gave a four per cent approval rating for the US, and in Turkey, a Nato partner with the US, Americans only got a six per cent approval rating. One of the most damaging shifts in the Arab perceptions of the United States is that it does not operate in the Middle East on its own account, but rather that it does the bidding of Israel, according to Ayoub.

"The vast majority of the Arab people think that the US went into Iraq to make sure of a secure supply of oil, and to follow what Israel wanted," he said.

"Many Arabs could understand, althoughnot agree with, the US' support of Israel during the Cold War, when they see that maybe the US needed a close military ally in the region. But now the Cold War has ended, they see Israel leading the US, rather than the other way round."