Abid Mustafa: Iraq and US Congressional Elections - "The European Card"
On his trip to Europe, President Bush not only sought to assuage European concerns over the war on terror, but also attempted to win over much needed European support to put a positive spin on his Iraq policy. During the visit he made a number of reconciliatory gestures to his European hosts. He expressed his “deep desire" to close the Guantanamo Bay prison and conceded that his response to the September 11 terrorist attacks had not been understood by much of the continent. In Budapest, Bush held up Hungary’s failed 1956 uprising against communism and the nation's subsequent journey to democracy as an example for Iraq.
However, a renewed charm offensive in Europe is not going to be enough to win over the sceptical European public. A poll published recently by the Pew Research Centre based in the US suggested that a record majority of Europeans held a negative view of the US. A Harris poll published last week emphasised that most Europeans considered the US a bigger threat to world peace than Iran, North Korea or China. Was Bush really trying to woo the Europeans or was trying to bolster support back home for his beleaguered Iraq policy.
Reversing US public support for the Iraq war is central to both Bush’s survival and that of his party. The Iraq war has dragged Bush’s approval ratings to below 36% and has fuelled dissent in the rank and file of the Republican Party. No doubt this issue is going to play a significant role in the fortunes of the Republican Party in the upcoming US congressional elections.
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