CAIRO: While the general public in Egypt condemned the US foreign policy prior to the 2008 presidential elections, they still maintain realistic expectations of President Barack Obama's promises post election, a recent study showed. In her study, Loula Zaklama, president and managing director of Rada Research and Public Relations, explored Egypt's perception of the US before and after the 2008 presidential elections and discussed the findings in a lecture sponsored by Egypt's Economic Forum Monday. Zaklama said that the US was concerned about its image in Egypt in 2007, which is why the PR firm decided to conduct the study then. "We found out that the Egyptian general public differentiates between the US policy and the American people, she said. "They admired the US for its democracy, they also saw it as a symbol of wealth and freedom of speech, she added. On the other hand, they condemned the US for the war in Iraq and its support for Israel. The study also revealed a general consensus that the US plays an insignificant role in improving political stability in the Middle East and promoting world peace. The study also showed that Egyptians have a negative view of USAID, saying it has a hidden agenda. Another study was conducted after Obama took office at the White House, covering three main areas; Egyptians' perception of Obama's promises, areas of change that would come about in his tenure and their reaction to Obama's address to the Muslim world. "Egyptians believe that Obama will be able to pull out the American troops from Iraq, close down Guantanamo Bay prison, open new diplomatic channels, address the economic crisis and improve the image of the US, said Zaklama. On the other hand, the study also found that Egyptians believe that Obama will not succeed in the fight against terrorism and will not be able to achieve peace in the Middle East. His biggest challenges as president are the war on terrorism and the global economic crisis, according to the study. Egyptians believe that it is too early to judge whether change will actually come about during Obama's presidency. However, those surveyed did predict a slight change with regards to the US policy in the Middle East, but maintain it will not change dramatically. "A negative image is a long term process; you can't jump from negative to positive. This negative image has to first be changed into a neutral image and then from neutral you can go to positive and this takes time, explained Zaklama. The study showed that Obama's choice of Cairo as a venue from which to address the Muslim world "shows the weight of Egypt in the Middle East and the Muslim world. It is a country with a rich culture and history. It is politically stable and has a crucial role in the peace process, said Zaklama. "[The choice of Egypt as the venue] will open new channels of business opportunities to us that we wouldn't have come close to if we spent millions of dollars on public relations and advertising campaigns, she explained. "It communicated the security of Egypt and its role as a key player in the region, she added. Zuklama also said the speech helped slightly improve the US image in Egypt. However, some of the respondents said that Obama is an optimist and the promises he made are challenging. Others believed that they are unachievable while some said that it will open a new era of US-Muslim relations. However, the general attitude was positive following Obama's address to the Muslim world with everyone anticipating his promises to be translated into actions and results. "Public diplomacy must be used to its maximum capabilities, taking full advantage of Obama's positive image at this stage, Zaklama concluded.
