RIYADH, 7 January — There is a dichotomy between government attitude and public opinion in the US vis-à-vis Saudi Arabia. Whereas Washington has acknowledged the Kingdom’s cooperative approach in the fight against terrorism, public opinion is still divided. Americans are generally confused over the issues involved in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.
This was the view of F. Gregory Gause, III, associate professor of political science at the University of Vermont, who said the Saudi government, and the media in particular, should launch an awareness campaign to educate the public and remove the cobwebs of misconception over various aspects of Middle East issues. Such a move could put an end to the hate campaign resulting in attacks on Saudis and other Arab nationals as well as other forms of discrimination against them.
Professor Gause was participating in a roundtable discussion on "The current political situation in the Middle East" with the media at the American Embassy yesterday. It was organized by the embassy as part of its efforts to promote interaction between the academicians and the local media over issues bearing on the Middle East.
Stressing the need for a media campaign in the US, he said the Americans in general were not able to figure out that anti-American sentiments in the region had a lot to do with the unconditional US support to Israel.
"Why is not Saudi Arabia extending its full support to us when we defended them against Iraq?" was a question that seemed to be bothering them. Explaining the issues in their proper perspective and placing the data on the Internet could go a long way in bridging the gulf between the government and public thinking, he said.
Asked if there would be a review of the US foreign policy on the Middle East in the aftermath of Sept. 11, Professor Gause said the US government will henceforth adopt a more proactive strategy on the Middle East instead of relegating the issues to the back seat.
In reply to a question on the US government’s double standards in its relations with Arab states vis-à-vis Israel, he said Washington’s approach was dictated by its national interests. "In the case of Iraq, for example, the US government sees Saddam Hussein as a threat to its national interests. They don’t see Israel in a similar light."
