Mixed Reviews for Obama Presidency

This week, Syrian media questioned how far United States president Barack Obama has delivered on his promises for the region as he enters his fourth month in office,



In an opinion piece in the pro-government newspaper al-Watan on April 29, columnist Ibrahim Daraji wondered whether after 100 days, Obama still enjoyed credibility in the eyes of those Arabs who hailed his inauguration as president.



According to the columnist, Obama has fulfilled some of his promises during this period – notably, laying out a schedule for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, shutting down the Guantanamo prison, starting dialogue with Syria and opening up channels of communication with Iran.



He added that Obama showed real interest in pushing for an Arab-Israeli peace process and sounded serious about talking to with the Muslim world.



But Daraji also noted “negative” aspects of Obama’s policies. He criticised the failure of the dialogue with Syria to yield results, pointing out that a US ambassador to Syria had not been appointed, and sanctions on Damascus for its alleged support of terrorism had not been reviewed.



He also pointed out that US peace envoy George Mitchell had avoided visiting both Syria and Lebanon – two countries which are concerned with the peace process, he said.



According to the columnist, Obama has turned a blind eye to extreme positions taken by Israeli officials.



Meanwhile, another pro-government website, Day Press, wrote on May 1 that there were signs that relations were improving as the US finally recognised Damascus’s leading role in the region.



The website said a delegation from the US embassy was due to visit the chamber of commerce and trade in Aleppo.