Why did the Arab-Street hate Clinton ?

[Sam Odom]

Remembering the protesting in the Arab street during his presidency with burning the USA flag and Clinton's effigy. Signs with "Clinton is Satan." Anyone remember why?

[scarletwoman]

1. It would help if you had some links to reports of these events.

I don't remember them. What I DO remember is how hard Clinton was working to bring some sort of resolution to the Israel/Palestinian conflict. I remember the scene in the Rose Garden when Clinton urged a handshake between Arafat & the Israeli Premier.

I also remember protesting the Iraq sanctions, which many of us thought were inhumane to the common people of Iraq. If there were Iraqis protesting as well, and blaming Clinton for their suffering, it would not surprise me -- and they would have had my sympathy.

The "Arab street" is a pretty nebulous term. How about specifying where and when such protesting was taking place and THEN we can more usefully discuss the possible reasons for it.

sw

[madokie]

12. guess who was the most visited head of state to the WH when Clinton

was the President, Arafat, guess who was with ronnie raygun, you're right if you guessed Saddamm

[Anarcho-Socialist]

14. I remember strong protests in 1998

The US and UK used airstrikes to enforce the 'no fly zones' in the north and south of Iraq. The U.S. and U.K. were pretty much alone on that too in the "international community." Civilians did die and this intensified protests in the Arab World.

[tocqueville]

2. the "Arab Street" wasn't more anti-Clinton than for other US presidents...

I don't know if your post is sarcastic, but anger demonstrations in Muslim countries where you cannot demonstrate without the permission of the respective Governments are nothing than well directed shows for a particular political agenda under a certain period of time. It doesn't matter if it's a secular or religious dictatorship.

So the chanting isn't representative. But what we Europeans mean with the "Arab street" are the GENUINE feelings expressed by the local populations and passed along to Western intelligence and media through different channels.

And facts talk for themselves. Even if feelings of frustration, anger and even hatred have ALWAYS existed since the West's colonisation -and the last 60 years specially towards the US for its one sided support to Israel - the Bush administration has "succeeded" in gathering a maximum of hatred. The Lebanon crisis is the latest example with the special feature that the street nowadays have HEROES in the Hezbollah and to a certain extent Iran (despite of the profound religious differences).

[Sam Odom]

3. Bombing Sudan

> don't know if your post is sarcastic

No it wasn't.

I've since found out the film clips I saw were shot after Big Dog bombed Sudan's chemical plant.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. Well, he was an American president.

Who did support such things as sanctions in Iraq. Which led to the deaths of thousands of Iraqi civilians.

[ComerPerro]

5. The signs actually said "Clinton is Stan". They thought

that his name was Stanley William Clinton, and that "Bill" was a nickname

[The2ndWheel]

6. Our empire based on cheap energy

goes back further than December 2000?

[Sam Odom]

11. The Carter Doctrine

Wikipedia: The Carter Doctrine was a policy proclaimed by President of the United States Jimmy Carter in his State of the Union Address on 23 January 1980, which stated that the United States would use military force if necessary to defend its national interests in the Persian Gulf region. The doctrine was a response to the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union, and was intended to deter the Soviet Union—the Cold War adversary of the United States—from seeking hegemony in the Gulf. After stating that Soviet troops in Afghanistan posed "a grave threat to the free movement of Middle East oil,"

[INDIA]

7. Why ask?

People dancing in the street screaming "so and so" is Satan? Do you really think there's a rational answer from irrational people?

[Richardo]

8. He's American?

[warrens]

9. One protest is not widespread hatred

Clinton was very popular in most of the Arab world. American culture was, as well. That's all bye-bye now, for at least a decade.

[Bridget Burke]

10. Which "Arab street"?

I'd like some hard information concerning the extent of the protests--although I don't doubt that some occurred. Of course, anti-Bush protests have happened in streets all over the world.

(I was looking for some cool pictures. Google Image offered one (1) "anti-Clinton protest"--in Chile. For "anti-Bush protest"--about 880 appeared.)

[Bluebear]

15. The corner of Al Asheef Lane and Cedars, I think.

:shrug:

[adduco]

18. Let's not kid ourselves

Bill Clinton was an American president, supporting an American agenda, often at the expense of other people around the world. What is needed is a NEW WAY of approaching the rest of the world. Clinton, Bush, and frankly, the rest of them, have not been very different in how their foreign policy worked.

There's a better way!! Find a candidate like Kucinich to support AND SEE IT THROUGH! Let's stop compromising our ideals for the sake of getting "our guy" in office.

A Kashmiri militant group, whose training camp was destroyed by U.S. missile strikes in eastern Afghanistan, also threatened to retaliate.

"The Americans and Jews should now prepare for their destruction," a military spokesman for Harkat-ul-Mujahideen Jammu and Kashmir group said in a statement faxed to Reuters news agency Saturday.

"The self-respecting Muslims of the world ... have announced they will wage a holy war against America," the statement said.

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/africa/9808/22/air.strikes.follow/


Here's another:

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/europe/9911/19/clinton.greece/

[adduco]

19. Another interesting article (unless Clinton is your guy)

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/1999/04/iraq.html

It's the ideals, stupid.

- me

[newyawker99]

20. Hi adduco!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[adduco]

21. Thanks.

Salute'

[adduco]

24. Clinton's power base is the DLC

Never forgot that

[adduco]

22. .. and even worse, the bumbling Operation Desert Fox

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/1998/12/parrish2.html

[Ksec]

13. Like the right wing GOP, theyre at war with Liberalism.

Go to any winger site and its not the terrorists theyre at war with, its the Democrats.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

16. Which country?

Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, Aden, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain, U.A.E.? Maybe some I've forgotten?

They all have their own "street."

As Reagan once said in reference to South America, "They're all different countries there."

[coalition_unwilling]

17. 500,000 dead Iraqi children maybe? (n/t)

[Selatius]

23. Because Clinton's foreign policy was hardly different than previous prezs.

American foreign policy has been a cancer on America for a long time now, perhaps since all the way back to the American Revolution.

The fact that you and others haven't realized that is why my faith in America is being shaken.

[adduco]

25. you got it

Great response.

We're NEVER going to break out of this cycle if we sell ourselves out to another Clinton, just to get re-elected. I think I'd rather be with the opposition than holding my nose to support someone who continue to perpetuate this madness.

[Bridget Burke]

26. So--you'll vote Republican....

Rather than vote for a Democrat who is insufficiently pure?

Please--support the very best during Primary season. But I don't see how Bush's hand-picked successor will improve things.