Where's the Love?

File under ya think?

Shibley Telhami and Zogby International have some not-so-surprising new poll numbers [link in original] out of the Middle East on views of the US, threat perceptions, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and most interesting to me, Iran's nuclear program. The 2008 Annual Arab Public Opinion Poll finds that:

* 81% of people surveyed in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE feel that "most of the Iraqi people" are "worse off" than before the war

* 81% of people surveyed in Lebanon chose "Iraq will remain unstable and spread instability in the region" as their "biggest concern about the consequences of the war in Iraq"

* 36% surveyed did not "believe the reports of a significant reduction in violence" in Iraq

* 64% surveyed had a "very unfavorable" attitude toward the US, up from 57% two years ago

* 65% surveyed "don't believe that democracy is a real American objective"

* 24% surveyed would prefer France to be the sole superpower, leading Germany, China, the US, Russia, Britain, Pakistan

* When asked to name two countries respondents thought posed the biggest threat, Israel garnered 95% while the US competed for a close second at 88%

There's a huge gap between what Americans are being told and what the people with a stake in the Mid-East know.

Note: Headline links to source.