Arabs find Sharon worst

A Pan-Arab on-line survey conducted by the official Saudi daily Okaz chose the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ariel Sharon, as 2001's most destructive personality on the world political scene. The paper said Mr Sharon was chosen by 56 per cent of more than 1,100 readers polled in Riyadh, Beirut, Sanaa, Aden and Gaza because of "negative thinking and bad political behaviour".

In second place with 29 per cent was the US President, Mr Bush, who was selected because of his "lack of understanding of international politics and his unlimited support for Israel."

Eleven per cent voted for Osama bin Laden, the Saudi dissident and head of al-Qaeda. He was chosen because he involved Arabs and Muslims in confrontation with the rest of the world.

The Taliban leader, Mullah Muhammad Omar, was fourth with 3 per cent while the Israeli Foreign Minister, Mr Shimon Peres, and the Iraqi President, Mr Saddam Hussein, tied for fifth and sixth places, each with 0.5 per cent of the vote.

Thirty-eight per cent said the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon were the most damaging events of the year, 33 per cent believed the US war against Afghanistan was next in line and 27 per cent chose Israel's military campaign against the Palestinians.

AFP reports from Damascus: Syrian state radio called for an "Arab awakening" in a New Year's commentary, saying the reputation of the Arab people was being sullied by US and Israeli accusations of terrorism.

"An Arab awakening is necessary, all (Arabs) must join action to words and mobilize their resources to defend their interests and resist the enemies," the radio commentary said.

"The year 2002 has come along with black clouds, the Arabs are getting blackmailed, they are threatened, and they do not react.

"The Arabs watch powerlessly as the world portrays those who resist (Israel) as terrorists, and excusing the real terrorist," Israel, it said.

Syria figures on a US State Department list of countries which allegedly support terrorism because of its backing for Palestinian radical groups and Lebanon's Shia Muslim fundamentalist Hizbullah.

Damascus joined the worldwide condemnation of the New York attacks on September 11th.