POTENTIAL ARAB REACTIONS TO US EFFORTS TO FACILITATE THE PROMOTION OF DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0001327065
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: June 23, 2015
• Document Release Date: February 17, 2010
• Case Number: F-2006-01072
• Publication Date: December 12, 2002

APPROVED FOR
RELEASE DATE:
19-Nov-2009
Arab citizens' opposition to US policies in the Middle
East and perceived differences in values between
Arabs and Americans will complicate US efforts to
help promote democratization and economic
development in the region, according to expert
panelists at a recent seminar sponsored by the
? Poll findings suggest that many Arab citizens
believe that the United States is more interested in
achieving geopolitical gains than in improving
living conditions.
Panelists noted that members of the Arab public
would better receive US democratization and
development programs if, among other things:
? They were tailored to meet the specific needs and
capabilities of individual countries.
? Arab Americans were used as interlocutors to
promote US programs.
? The United States was perceived to be more
sensitive to cultural differences, such as the-role
of women.
Public Opinion Polls Reveal Deep Tensions
Path-breaking Gallup and Zogby international (ZI)
polls conducted earlier in 2002 found substantial
negative feelings toward the United States in the
Muslim world but differed in what motivated the ill
will:
? They were disinclined to see the United States as
trustworthy, friendly, caring about poorer nations,
or willing to share technology.
? Gallup found that majorities in Jordan, Lebanon,
Morocco, and Saudi Arabia think Western values
Comparing the Gallup and. Zogby Polls
 Issues of Particular Concern for Development
Conference participants laid out a number of Arab
perceptions of the West that could specifically affect
the success of US-sponsored initiatives for
development and democratization.
One perception is that the United States imposes
reforms on countries without asking for local input.
Many participants noted that US development
initiatives often appear patronizing to Arab citizens,
generating resistance instead of cooperation:
? Arab citizens support better health care, technology,
and civic freedoms but do not want reforms
imposed on them by foreign institutions or
governments. Instead, they want to play a key
role in the development and realization of such
projects themselves.
+ Messages from projects such as the UN
Development Program Arab Development Report
that are initiated and carried out by respected
Arab scholars are much better received in the
Arab world than those engineered by "external"
organizations, scholars, or states.
Several participants noted that Arab women strongly
resist American efforts to impose reforms on their
societies that are based on Western perceptions of
what Arab women need:
? One expert explained, for example, that Saudi
women want gender equality and job opportunities
but want to play a key role in determining how
these objectives are met within the confines of their
culture and Islamic society.
Many individuals in Arab countries also doubt the
sincerity or usefulness of US efforts to promote
democratization and economic reform, according to
several. of our experts:
? Civil societies already believe that the United States
denies funding to Islamists, Arab nationalists, and
other groups whose views differ from theirs,
according to a recent academic study.
? Arab governments also have a history of misusing
foreign democratization funds by encouraging
foreign donors to allocate them to state=run human,
rights, election, and other "pseudodemocracy"
organizations that undermine genuine
democratization initiatives in the private sector.
US media reporting and commentary on the Middle
East will continue to have a strong influence on the
shaping of these and other perceptions:
? One expert noted that, although al Jazirah has
a powerful influence on Arab opinion of the
West, the statements of prominent US political,
religious, and social leaders in the US media have
much more.
? One of the region's most well-received "messages"
was President Clinton's allusion to the great
civilization of Iran when offering aid to Tehran.
Bridging the Divide
Arab citizens in many countries would respond snore
positively to US programs that were presented and
supported by successful Arab Americans:
? Participants noted that the US Muslim and Arab
communities are among the most affluent and
successful in the world, -and their success would
reflect positively on the United States.
? One expert noted, for example, that, in his own
efforts to promote democracy in the Middle East,
having a Muslim American present ideas-and
funding to Arab institutions "cleansed" them of
perceived US Government influence.
Several experts thought that Arab perceptions of the
West also would improve significantly if Arabs had
greater exposure to the West through cultural,
education, and other exchanges:
? One expert noted that he did not see how any
Middle Easterner visiting the United States could be
 convinced that all of the negative stereotypes about
America are true.
? Arabs also might gain a better understanding of the
role of authority in the United States, which tends to
differ from that in the Arab world. Because of the
nature of many Arab governments, they tend to
view authority as oppressive and unfair while
Americans tend to see it as more apt to protect
their interests.
Participants thought Arab perceptions of the United
States might also improve if Arabs were portrayed
favorably in the US media. They would gain, in part,
an impression that the United States knows,
understands, and listens to them:
? One participant suggested, for example, that an
American movie similar to Gandhi that lauds
the positive things about the Arab world would
impress Arabs.