Syrian Media Pleased at Obama Win

The Syrian media sent out encouraging messages – and some advice too – to United States president-elect Barack Obama shortly after his election on November 4.



Al-Thawra’s editor-in-chief Asad Abood noted that Obama was elected “in a country that suffered from racism against black people until fewer than 50 years ago”. In an editorial in the official daily on November 6, Abood praised the American people for being willing to “accept and seek something new”.



Abood said Damascus was now expecting changes in US policy, including an improvement in bilateral relations. He accused President George Bush’s administration of preferring pressure and intimidation over dialogue and cooperation with Syria.



In a November 8 editorial, Issam Dari, chief editor of the official newspaper Tishreen, advised Obama not to heed advice from Bush or rely on reports from his predecessor’s administration – and added that he doubted he would.



Dari encouraged Obama to change Washington’s policies towards the Arab world and “revive its role as an active, honest and neutral partner in peacemaking".



Writing in the pro-government paper Al-Watan on November 9, Ibrahim Darragi, a law professor at Damascus university, predicted that Obama would not be a friend to the Arabs or support “resistance groups” in the region. But he also argued that the new US leader would not bomb innocent people or instigate conflict in other countries.



The state-run news agency SANA reported that President Bashar al-Assad sent Obama a message of congratulations on November 7.