Most responses are negativeU.S. Yemenis critique Bush [Archives:2004/792/Front Page]

By Shaker Lashuel
Yemen Times
New York Correspondent
Many Yemeni-Americans, some of them voting for the first time, woke up on November 3rd disappointed to find out the President Bush has won another term.
Like every other American, they accepted the results of this great democratic process that they saw unfold in front of their eyes, especially since it did not resemble the chaos that plagued the 2000 election episode.
The Yemen Times sent an e-mail questionnaire to Yemeni-American professionals online and also conducted several interviews among the community in Brooklyn, New York.
In one of the interviews, Munir Alarify, who is about to become a U.S. citizen soon, declared he would have voted for Bush. Munir is a 25-year-old Yemeni who arrived in the States three years ago and currently works in a grocery store.
He believes that President Bush has done the impossible in Iraq, “He was able to remove Saddam. Who would have thought it was possible?” Munir is hopeful that President Bush will work to remove the other dictators in the region. He is optimistic about the upcoming four years and felt confident that “President Bush has the experience and will to pull the country out of the Iraqi mess, and do a lot for the economy and health insurance.”
Munir's views were not shared by many Yemeni-Americans who wrote in their e-mails, expressing strong disagreement. One of the Yemeni-American community leaders who preferred to remain anonymous wrote that in the next four years “things will get worse.” In a detailed response to the questionnaire sent, A Yemeni-American woman, in her mid-20s wrote that:
“In the past four years the Bush administration has cut a lot of government programs and lost a lot of jobs. It has made a systematic attack on the liberties of citizens and non-citizens alike. It has tarnished the US image around the world, waged war against countries, hasn't been able to catch Usama Bin Laden, and hasn't stabilized Iraq.”
Her declaration that “continual violence, war and death are inescapable,” reflects the extent of the pessimism some Yemeni-Americans feel.
An e-mail responder, identified only as Asma, wrote “Although I am an ever hopeful person in general, I do not feel hopeful about our future 4 years believe that I am not alone in thinking this way.
“The only change she believes will occur in President Bush's policies will be “stronger demands to change the Constitution to support his right wing beliefs.” Like many who have heard President Bush reflects on his decisions in Iraq, many of the respondents do not feel that a change in U.S.-Iraq policy is imminent.
Many of the respondents felt that U.S. and Yemen relations will not change in the next four years. The coming months will tell if President Bush will be able to regain the conservative part of the Yemeni-Americans who voted for him in 2000.
In the minds of Yemeni Americans, a sound economy, a successful transition in Iraq, an improved foreign policy that preserves the image of America as the leader of the community of nations.
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