– Islam Wins Big...in America

U. S. Vote: Arab Press says Iraq Led to Republicans' Defeat
Adnkronos Internationsl

Dubai--(AKI) - Arab papers opened on Thursday morning with the news of the deadly Israeli attack on Beit Hanoun and on the results of US mid-term elections. Most papers agreed that the war in Iraq had a major impact on the victory of the Democrats and the ensuing resignation of defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Pan-Arab daily 'al-Sharq al-Awsat' writes: 'Rumsfeld falls and Bush is under siege after Democratic cyclone'. The daily also writes about the first election of a Muslim to the US Congress and the failure of two Arab candidates of the Republican Party to get elected while noting that the Democrats didn't field anyone.

Rival Pan-Arab paper 'Al-Quds al-Arabi' runs a headline 'Iraq beats Rumsfeld and the Republican majority in Congress'. The newspaper also reports on the reaction of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez who welcomed the defeat of the party of his arch-enemy George W. Bush.

London-based Arabic paper 'Al-Hayat' highlights instead the likely foreign policy shift of the US president following the victory of the Democrats.

Saudi daily 'Al-Watan' publishes an article with the headline, 'Rumsfeld is the first victim of Congress elections, Bush satisfies Americans accepting his resignations'.

Kuwaiti daily 'Al-Seyassah' also refers to a 'Democratic tsunami' defeating Bush while Arabic-language British paper 'Al-Arab online' highlights the election of the first Muslim to the US Congress.