America Yes, America No!


Written by Javed Ansari • Cover Stories • January 2011

Perhaps no other national flag has been burned around the world with as much enthusiasm as the Stars and Stripes and no other effigies have earned the wrath of street protestors on so many occasions as those of American presidents. And yet, they all flock to America!

The term Anti-Americanism or anti-American sentiment refers to broad opposition or hostility to the people, policies, or government of the United States. In a book called The Rise of Anti-Americanism, published in 2006, Brendon O’Connor and Martin Griffiths said that the September 11, 2001 attacks were “quintessential anti-American acts, which satisfy all of the competing definitions of Anti-Americanism.’’

Leaders in most Middle Eastern countries, including Afghanistan, condemned the attacks while Iraq was a notable exception, with a statement that “the American cowboys are reaping the fruit of their crimes against humanity.”

As far back as 1953, the removal of Iranian prime minister Mohammed Mosaddeq in a C.I.A. engineered coup resulted in widespread anger against America. The chant, ‘Death to America’ has been in use in Iran since at least the Iranian revolution of 1979. State sponsored murals characterized as anti-American can be seen on the streets of Tehran.

In 2002 and later in 2004, Zogby International polled the favorable/unfavorable ratings of the U.S. in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates. In the 2002 survey, 76% of Egyptians had a negative attitude toward the United States, compared with 98% in 2004. In Morocco, 61% viewed the country unfavorably in 2002, but in two years, that number had jumped to 88 percent. In Saudi Arabia, such responses rose from 87% in 2002 to 94% in 2004. Attitudes were virtually unchanged in Lebanon but improved slightly in the UAE, from 87% who said in 2002 that they disliked the United States to 73% in 2004. These countries mainly objected to America’s foreign policies that they considered unfair.

Anti-Americanism has its roots in Latin America as well. Vice-President Richard Nixon’s tour of the continent in 1958 prompted a spectacular eruption of anti-Americanism. The tour became the focus of violent protests which climaxed in Caracas in Venezuela where Nixon was almost killed by a raging mob as his motorcade drove from the airport to the city. In response, President Dwight D. Eisenhower assembled troops at Guantanamo Bay and a fleet of battleships in the Caribbean to intervene and save Nixon.

Fidel Castro, the revolutionary leader of Cuba, has throughout his career tried to coordinate long-standing Latin American resentment against the U.S.A. through military means. He was bolstered in his efforts by the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961, planned and implemented by the American government against his regime. This disaster ruined American credibility in the Americas and gave a boost to her critics worldwide.

Castro called America “a vulture...feeding on humanity.” The United States embargo against Cuba created further resentment and the famed revolutionary Che Guevara, expressed his hopes during the Vietnam War of “creating a Second or a Third Vietnam” in the Latin American region against the designs of what he believed to be U.S. imperialism.

In Japan and South Korea, objections to the behavior and presence of American military personnel is sometimes reported as anti-Americanism, such as the 1995 Okinawan rape incident. The U.S. military presence in Okinawa remains a contentious issue in Japan.

While anti-Americanism has existed in Pakistan for many years, the feeling has gained more currency over the past decade as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan following 9/11 and the drone attacks inside Pakistani territory, introduced by Bush and continued by Obama. In a poll that surveyed public opinion towards the U.S.A., Pakistan scored as the most anti-American nation, alongside Serbia.

Is America concerned about the rising anti-Americanism in Pakistan? The answer is yes, because of late the chant at the topmost echelons of U.S. policy with reference to Pakistan is that the U.S.A., in addition to cementing its relations with Pakistan’s civil and military elite, would like to win the hearts and minds of ordinary Pakistanis. This was best illustrated when the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter admitted that disclosure of American secret documents by WikiLeaks would cause escalating anti-American feelings in Pakistan.

Political analysts are of the view that anti-American slogans are a useful tool for political aspirants in Pakistan to make a place in the country’s political culture as there is widespread hatred for America and people strongly believe that U.S. policies are cruel. Therefore the sentiments of the masses are always exploited. The people have been led into believing that American policies are a continuation of British imperialism and that after the British masters left, the Americans took their place. They believe that the Americans, instead of helping build the Pakistani nation, have overtly worked to weaken its systems and institutions, have divided society on ethnic and religious lines and have created mistrust between various population segments. As Wikileaks has recently revealed, American interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs has increased to an extent that it appears as if the country’s key decisions are not taken in Islamabad but in Washington.

America’s overall image remains quite negative in Pakistan though it is a fact that there are longer queues for American visas at the U.S. embassy in Islamabad than at any other embassy; American cities are the most popular destinations for Pakistanis who can afford to travel there; and more Pakistani students choose to get education in America than in any other country.

On the other side, Pakistanis give the U.S. its lowest ratings among the 22 nations included in the spring 2010 Pew Global Attitudes survey. Their support for U.S. involvement in the fight against extremists has waned over the last year. Fewer Pakistanis now want the U.S. to provide financial and humanitarian aid to areas where extremist groups operate, or for the U.S. to provide intelligence and logistical support to Pakistani troops fighting extremists. There is also little support for U.S. drone strikes against extremist leaders – as people generally say they are not necessary and kill too many civilians.

The U.S.-led war in Afghanistan is now widely opposed by Pakistanis. Nearly two-thirds (65%) want U.S. and NATO troops removed as soon as possible. Relatively few Pakistanis believe the situation in Afghanistan could have a serious impact on their country.

Nonetheless, despite the prevalence of negative opinions about the U.S., most Pakistanis want better relations between the two countries. Nearly two-in-three (64%) say it is important for relations with the U.S. to improve.

A paper dated Feb 6, 2009, titled ‘Pakistan-US Relations’, written for the Congressional Research Service, by K. Alan Kronstadt, a specialist in South Asian Affairs, states: ‘’A stable, democratic, prosperous Pakistan is considered vital to U.S. interests. U.S. concerns regarding Pakistan include regional and global terrorism; Afghan stability; democratization and human rights protection; the ongoing Kashmir problem and Pakistan-India tensions; and economic development. A U.S.-Pakistan relationship marked by periods of both cooperation and discord was transformed by the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States and the ensuing enlistment of Pakistan as a key ally in U.S.-led counterterrorism efforts. Top U.S. officials have praised Pakistan for its ongoing cooperation, although long-held doubts exist about Islamabad’s commitment to some core U.S. interests.’’

Acknowledging that there have been misunderstandings between Pakistan and U.S. in the past, U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton stated on March 24, 2010: “There are sure to be more disagreements in the future, as there are between any friends or, frankly, any family members. But this is a new day. For the past year, the Obama administration has shown in our words and deeds a different approach and attitude toward Pakistan.’’

How statements like these would serve to quell anti-American sentiments in Pakistan still needs to be demonstrated.