Arab media: Clinton will strike due to sex scandal
Regional-Iraq, Politics, 2/7/1998

Hatred and resentment from the Arab public opinion toward the United States of America is greatly increasing because of the intensive US position toward Iraq and its insistence on striking Iraq without any rational reason.

The Arab public opinion and governments are accusing the US of not having a similar attitude in dealing with Arab - Israeli issues. Many in the Arab states are questioning why the US insists on applying the United Nations' charter to Arab countries such as Libya, Iraq and Sudan, while ignoring UN and Security Council resolutions against Israel, including resolution No. 425 that provides for Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon without any restrictions or conditions and resolutions No 242 and 338.

Arab citizens views concerning Iraq and its president Saddam Hussein are different now than in 1990, when the Arab media greatly succeeded in defaming Saddam's reputation and made him more hated than Israeli prime minister.

Now the Arab media succeeded in making President Clinton's image the same as Saddam's in 1990.

The Arab public opinion reflects a conviction that the Iraqi strike has no defined goals, except that the US president wants to distract the American public from his scandal involving former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, that may cause the US presidents downfall. Many Arabs who view Lewinsky as part of the reason for any strike on Iraq are resentful that the Lewinsky scandal would control the destiny of an Arab state.

The United States stands almost alone, only supported by Britain and no other member of the previous coalition against Iraq. At the same time the US position is meeting objections by three important Security Council member states -- France and Russia, who are making continuous diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation, and China, which refuses any military strike against Iraq.

The Russian President Yeltsin warned against striking Iraq, saying that this could lead to a world war and directed intensive criticism at the American president, accusing him of misusing US power.

Yeltsin also said Moscow is taking as-yet unspecified procedures. The Russian parliament passed a resolution that calls for the removal of sanctions imposed on Iraq if the United States launches a military attack on Iraq.

Yeltsen's declaration has eased somewhat the popular feeling that a strike is imminent, and Yeltsin's popularity improved as Clinton's popularity greatly deteriorated, with some calling for a boycott of the US and recalling Arab ambassadors from Washington.

Previous Stories:
  Jordanian PM meets with Arab League chief   (2/7/1998)
  Means Israel has to deploy in attacking Iraq   (2/6/1998)
  Dissecting US sanctions: The domestic politics   (1/28/1998)

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