Saudi Alarabiya TV reports (July 26) exciting news! A study by a “famous American institution”, no less, indicates how popular Saudia Arabia and her regime are around the world, especially the Arab world. Saudi King Abdullah is listed as extremely popular across the Middle East. The King is listed as the most admired Arab leader around the world (perhaps not much of a contest, but highly suspect nevertheless in my humble view). The study purportedly covers 47 countries, including 11 Arab and Islamic countries.

According to the study by Pew Research, 91% of Egyptians are happy with Saudi policy! That must include many who voted, or tried to vote, for the opposition. In Jordan, 90% expressed admiration for Saudi Arabia and her policies. In Kuwait 79%. The real shock, and the clincher, the smoking gun if you will, is that 82% of all Lebanese admire Saudi Arabia, her government and her king!
Imagine, in Lebanon, a country with 35-40% Shi’a (Shi’ite) at least! The study claims that 94% of Lebanse Sunnis admire Saudi policy and government and that the percentage declines to 64% among Shi’as. Imagine, a majority of Hezbollah and Amal-supporting Shi’as love and admire the Saudi system! Why, the king can run and win in Lebanon! No need for Saudi surrogates like Mr. Hariri or Iranian surrogates like Hezbollah.

It gets better: Egypt is the second most admired country- I can see the country being loved and admired, but its somnolent government? not so sure about that.

Now, the question is: did Pew Research really do this survey as Alarabiya claims? If they did, how did they manipulate the data to get the results desired by the Saudi regime? Were they supplied with the samples they used? And how much did they get paid for it, and by whom? I could not find an answer on Pew's web site, and no mention of this particular study. Perhaps it was a privately commissioned study?
Pew does list a recent study that indicates support for suicide bombing in Moslem countries has dropped dramatically in recent years, but it includes no squeals of admiration for Saudi or other Arab and Moslem potentates. Now if only the well of avalable and willing suicide bombers would dry up.

NY Times (July 27) reports that U.S officials are publicly exasperated, finally, with Saudi support for Sunni militias in Iraq. Saudi Arabia is also urging other Persian Gulf states to do likewise and funnel money to Sunni armed groups in Iraq, with the goal of destabilizing the Iraqi government. Saudi Arabia has some experience in financing groups, mainly tribals and jihadists, that would destabilize governments: examples are Yemen in the 1960s, Afghanistan in the 1980s, Lebanon, and Iraq.

Cheers
Mohammed