Anti-Americanism Rising in the Middle East

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Speakers at a recent symposium of the Public Relations Society of America said that "U.S. support for Israelis over Palestinians, President Bush's 'crusade' against the Taliban and the presence of American troops in Saudi Arabia contribute to the rising anti-American sentiment in the Middle East," reports O'Dwyer's PR Daily. "According to Denise Gray-Felder, VP of communications for the Rockefeller Foundation, 'Americans persist in operating like a nation of ignorants.' She has noticed in her international travels that foreigners are far better educated on world affairs than U.S. peers. She attributes this to a cutback in U.S. media coverage of foreign news" -- occurring, ironically, at the same time that growing U.S. military interventions spawn resentment abroad: "America is increasingly seen as an 'imperial power' as more and more U.S. troops are stationed around the world."