Journalist Jihad Al-Khazen: Too Bad Bush and Kerry Can't Both Lose

Jihad Al-Khazen a Lebanese journalist residing in London who writes for the Arab daily Al-Hayat spoke on Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV about the upcoming US elections. The following are excerpts:

Al-Khazen: The situation with the US is difficult. This administration is especially stubborn and is not willing to listen to anyone. We are in an election year. President Bush speaks as though he were a preacher. His electorate is of among the Zionist Christians, who are far more extremists than the so-called Islamic extremists, but with no weapons. Therefore their damage is political, not terrorist.

I have written twice about John Kerry since he appeared as the Democratic candidate in the elections. I believe his Middle Eastern policy is worse than George Bush's, if it is at all possible. That is why we must watch out for him.

When Bush won the elections we welcomed him but lived to regret it. I believe that regarding the Middle East John Kerry is worse than Bush. All his votes in the Senate were for Israel and against the Arabs and I believe that he will continue this policy? This is a choice between two evils, both are merciless.

I was with my dear friend, 'Amr Mussa in the Egyptian Foreign Ministry office, when Bush won the elections. I sat with him and obviously we were glad when they first announced that he won the elections, the workers began coming in saying, "Congratulations, sir? congratulations, sir." We regretted this very much and I believe that my brother 'Amr (Mussa) regretted it more than I did. This was a personal lesson I learned.

Now we have John Kerry and George Bush, I judge John Kerry according to his Congressional voting record. I asked for it, I studied it, and I wrote about him twice, as I said. He is not one bit encouraging. I believe that his knowledge is broader than George Bush's. He is more ready to learn, and he is less of an ignoramus.

All the books, written recently about George Bush, from within and without the administration, focus on one subject ? George Bush does not know and does not want to learn. This is not the case with John Kerry. I don't believe that he can easily be deceived, and I believe that he will take care of the American interests, like my brother Sarkis said.

These interests are oil, defending Israel, and fighting terrorism as came up in recent years. That is why when you ask me who will win, I hope they both lose, but we know that one of them will win, and what consoles us is that only one of them can win the presidency and not both.