.US bases in Gulf not especially popular, except with Americans
The Project on International Policy Attitudes just released an intriguing result from its multi-national surveys of international public opinion: outside of the United States, there isn't a lot of support for U.S. bases in the Gulf.
As the above chart shows, 70% of Americans think that bases in the Gulf are a fine idea. The UK and France are roughly evenly split (43-39 and 41-43, respectively), but 52% of Germans are opposed. Only 4% of Russians and 8% of Chinese approve -- ah, the smell of great power politics in the air. And then you get to the Arab and Muslim world: 11% of Jordanians approve, 6% of Turks, 4% of Palestinians, 5% of Indonesians, and a statistically insignificant number of Egyptians. A pity they didn't (couldn't?) ask the question in the Gulf itself... would be interesting to hear what the Kuwaitis, Qataris, Bahrainis -- or Iraqis -- in question have said about their "protectors"."
Abu Aardvark
As the above chart shows, 70% of Americans think that bases in the Gulf are a fine idea. The UK and France are roughly evenly split (43-39 and 41-43, respectively), but 52% of Germans are opposed. Only 4% of Russians and 8% of Chinese approve -- ah, the smell of great power politics in the air. And then you get to the Arab and Muslim world: 11% of Jordanians approve, 6% of Turks, 4% of Palestinians, 5% of Indonesians, and a statistically insignificant number of Egyptians. A pity they didn't (couldn't?) ask the question in the Gulf itself... would be interesting to hear what the Kuwaitis, Qataris, Bahrainis -- or Iraqis -- in question have said about their "protectors"."
Abu Aardvark
posted by madtom at 1:24 AM
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