Syrian Media Muted, Sceptical on Obama

Syria Media Report, 23-Jan-09

IWPR

Institute for War & Peace Reporting

Friday, 23 January, 2009

Syrian Media Muted, Sceptical on Obama

Syria Media Report, 23-Jan-09

The inauguration of United States president Barack Obama received relatively little coverage in the Syrian press this week, in contrast to most of the world’s media.

Writing in the pro-government newspaper Al-Watan, Yousef Jad al-Haq predicted that Obama’s policies would not differ much from those of his predecessor, George Bush.

Al-Haq said the new president had many pro-Israeli advisers on his staff.

An opinion piece in the same paper by its editor Rami Mansour said Syrians wanted Obama to stay out of their country's domestic affairs.

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