Barack Obama in the Middle East

As Barack Obama tours the Middle East for the first time since he won the Democratic primary, Arabs and other Middle Easterners have no illusions. It’s nice that his middle name is Hussein, the region’s consensus appears to be; it’s encouraging that he knows a thing or two about Islam, having had a Muslim father. But it’s not going to change essential facts about American policy.

The problem with his approach, as Arabs and Afghans see it, is that it presumes that American interests will continue to be protected, violently if need be, over somebody else’s land. It’s the sort of presumption that did not endear George W. Bush to the people of the Middle East. It’s not likely to endear Obama to them.

Read my full analysis of "Barack Obama in Arab and Middle Eastern Eyes."