IS RUSSIA DOING BETTER IN THE MIDDLE EAST THAN THE US? [+] serious ballot by Mithrandir created Sun Feb 18, 07 source : M K Bhadrakumar Although the Soviet Union did poorly in the Middle East in the 80's, Russia in its new incarnation is doing much better in the region. It seems to be striving to differentiate itself from the US policies and practices. As the US is losing its influence in the region, Russia is moving into the power vacuum, forging links with the Islamic world and portraying itself as listening to Muslim opinion with respect, accepting Hamas as a product of fair and free elections, and seeking to reopen the peace process that has largely been abandoned by the US. Just in the last year, Russia has hosted Hamas, Mahmound Abbas, the secretary general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the prime minister of Lebanon, the president of Syria, the secretary general of the Arab League, the king of Jordan, the president of Egypt, etc. Russia has also suggested that regional states such as Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia and the Arab League should be made full participants of the Middle East peace process. allowing them to formulate a common Arab position against Israeli interests. The US was outraged, because it felt that Russia was ursurping its allies in the region, by championing the cause of pro-American Arab regimes in the Middle East. The US had been trying to manage its Arab allies randomly case by case while always favouring of Israel's positions. In the Middle East, perception there is that the US and Russia are rivals. And Russia has been quick to see the mistake that the US and the UK made in giving an inter-civilizational character to the "war on terror". Moscow realizes that the consequent sense of hurt and alienation in the Islamic world is profound. While the US has been using pressure and the ever-threatening prospect of the use of force. Russia has been negotiating, listening, and conciliating. It has maintained a sort of strategic partnership with Iran, a high level of relations with Israel and has developed close economic cooperation with Persian Gulf countries. As the secretary general of the Arab League recently stated - "Relations between Russia and the Arab world are flourishing today and we greatly value Russia's policy in the Middle East. The policies of other countries regarding our region have not proved as successful, perhaps. Russia is one of the few countries whose policy is distinguished by an understanding of the reality of our region" Do you thinking Russia is doing better than the US in the Middle East? Yes, Russia seems to be fostering good will No, the US is doing much better than Russia I don't know Other (please comment) Ballot #112427 : SEE RESULTS Comment: show your vote with comment?

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