| Afghan Hopes Democratic victories would lead to more reconstruction money for Afghanistan Star Tribune
11/08/2006
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TOKYO - Democratic gains in Congress were seen around the world Wednesday as a rejection of the U.S. war in Iraq that led some observers to expect a reassessment of the American course there. The shift in power also was seen as a signal in some capitals that the United States would put a greater emphasis on trade policy and human rights. Many watching the election said the results were a significant blow to President Bush's presidency. "Although his term will not end within the next year, I think Bush is already turning into a lame duck," Yuzo Yamamoto, 60, the manager of a Tokyo business consulting firm, said as Democrats won control of the House and challenged Republican dominance in the Senate in midterm elections Tuesday. Outside observers saw the bloodshed in Iraq as the major driving force behind the Democrats' success. "Voters have punished the Republicans. They are not happy with the way the leadership has handled the Iraq war," said Chandra Muzaffar, president of the Malaysia-based think-tank International Movement for a Just World. Bush's foreign critics cheered in Vietnam, and in Muslim-dominated countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia. "The Republicans lost in the election because the American voters are now fed up and bored with the war," said Vitaya Wisetrat, a prominent, anti-American Muslim cleric in Thailand. "The American people now realize that Bush is the big liar." Echoing the sentiment of many in Muslim countries, Indonesian lawmaker Ahmad Sumargono hoped that the results would prompt a reassessment of American policies in Iraq and elsewhere. "I am optimistic that American people have now realized the mistakes made by Bush in foreign policy. We hope this leads to significant changes, especially toward the Middle East," he said. Abdul Hamid Mubarez, an Afghan analyst and former deputy Afghan information and culture minister, said he hoped that Democratic victories would lead to more reconstruction money for his war-torn nation. The prospect of a sudden change in American foreign policy could be troubling to U.S. allies in Asia _ such as Japan and Australia _ that have thrown their vocal support behind the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Some, however, doubted that there would be a major shift in Iraq, said Michael McKinley, a political science professor at the Australian National University. "There would have been some concern in policy making circles here if the Democrats had said, 'We are definitely going to withdraw by Christmas,'" McKinley said. "But they're not able to say that," he said. "They will have concluded that it is unlikely to have radical significance in the area of U.S. foreign and strategic policy," he added.
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