Syrians assess White House race

Al Jazeera is talking to people across the world about their thoughts on the race for the White House, as part of its global coverage of the US elections.

We spoke to people in Syria - whose nation was once described as part of an "axis of evil" by George Bush, the current US president - about their hopes for the outcome of the US election.

There may be no posters, T-shirts, buttons or television advertisements, but Syrians are definitely interested in the upcoming US presidential election.

At the Amigo internet cafe near the entrance to the Old City in Damascus, the Syrian capital, 28-year-old Iyad Haifa is taking an active part in the election, despite not having US citizenship.

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"Whoever votes for Barack Obama gets one free hour online," he at the cafe place popular with American expatriates looking to check their email.

Haifa says: "It's not important for Syria who wins the election but, if I were American, of course I would choose Obama.

"He is thinking about the economy more than damaging the world.

"Look at what happened to the banks in the US because of the money spent on the war. [John] McCain is like Bush. He has the same vision."

US reputation 'not so good'

For US citizens in Syria – who number about 13,000 and are mainly of Syrian origin, according to the US embassy in Damascus – support also appears to be going to the Democratic presidential nominee.

Alex Abu Saoud, a Damascus-based Syrian businessman, has a picture of himself with George Bush, the former US president and father of the incumbent, on the wall of his office.

Holding US citizenship and having lived in the United States for about 20 years, he says he has always voted Republican.

But this time, he is thinking of voting Democrat.

"We've had a Republican administration for the past eight years. I don't know if the country can survive another four years of a Republican," Abu Saoud says.

"Under this Republican administration, the country hasn't done so well. Domestically, the country is in worse shape than when Clinton left office."

Abu Saoud also worries about the America's reputation.

"People used to love the United States and love being a part of it," he says.

"Now, unfortunately, our reputation is not so good in the world."

Voter shift

Arab-American voters are shifting
from Republican to Democrat [GALLO/GETTY]
Abu Saoud's frustration with the Republican party seems to reflect a wider trend among Arab-American voters who traditionally voted Republican until the 2004 US presidential election.

According to a September poll by Zogby International for the Arab-American Institute, Barack Obama holds a substantial 21-point lead over McCain among Arab-American voters.

The poll also notes that in 2000 the Democrat-Republican split between them was 40 to 38 percent respectively, but is now 46 to 20.

Mohammed Iyech, another Damascus-based businessman, also said he was leaning towards Obama.

"We need to inject new blood into the system," said Iyech, who has studied in the US and voted for Texas billionaire Ross Perot in 1992.

"I think Obama is ready to bring change. He picked Biden, an expert on foreign policy. I think this combination will do something. I don't have a problem if he's black or white."

But not all Syrians voting in this US presidential election can put aside Obama's background, the first African-American candidate who lived in a Muslim country (Indonesia) while growing up and who has Muslim relatives in Kenya.

"Obama doesn't have deep roots in America," says Samir Yacco, an Assyrian Christian from eastern Syria now living in Damascus.

"He lived in Indonesia ... he has Muslim family in Kenya. His loyalty and affiliation with American culture is weak."

Favouring McCain

"Bush took things to an extreme - Syria is and can be a friendly nation"

Sam Farra, Syrian-American voter
Yacco, who is a Baptist pastor by profession, shares similar political leanings with his American counterparts, as Baptist pastors are predominantly conservative and Republican.

He has always voted Republican and is unequivocally for McCain.

"McCain is more logical and more experienced. He won't be like Bush," believes Yacco.

"On 9/11 Bush had to be tough. I will never blame Bush for that period. Bush was the right man in the right place at the right time."

But another Syrian-American has decided to back Obama.

Sam Farra, a university professor who has been a US citizen since 1990, says: "I'm a Democrat.

"I plan on voting for a Democrat, that's for sure. If Obama is the only one, then I'll vote for him. But no way am I voting for a Republican!"

'Friendly nation'

Sam Farra also hopes that, whichever candidate is elected, the next US president will do a better job of engaging his home country of Syria.

"The next US president is not going to be as hostile towards Syria as Bush was," he says.

"Bush took things to an extreme. Syria is and can be a friendly nation - why make it an enemy?

"We don't have to become 'super-duper' friends with Syria, but cutting off diplomatic relations, pulling out the US ambassador and this embargo ... where are the benefits of any of that?"

"Syria is an important, if not strategic, country and could be an ally, or sort of," Sam Farra says.

"Any issue relating to Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine and Jordan has to go through Syria - one way or another."